The role of Canadian intelligence between 1980 and 1985 and how it served Canadian strategic interests

The role of Canadian intelligence between 1980 and 1985 and how it served Canadian strategic interests Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation The role of Canadian intelligence between 1980 and 1985 and how it served Canadian strategic interests Chapter One: Introduction 1 Introduction The period between 1980 and 1985 was pivotal to Canada considering the nature of geopolitical challenges that it faced. During that period, Canada had to contend with the ills of the Cold War. The Cold War era was marked with prospects like foreign intelligence gathering, counter-terrorism, and counter intelligence (Jackson, 2009). To avert the associated rising global tensions and the evolving domestic threats, Canada fostered boosting their intelligence. One of the most significant moves of that time was the June 1984 formation of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) (Whitaker & Hewitt, 2002). The formation of CSIS was poised to change the position of Canada in the global intelligence landscape. CSIS was needed to gather and analyse intelligence on the potential threats to Canada. Besides, Canada saw the formation of CSIS as a significant improvement, especially relative to its predecessor, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that had been accused of a series of abuses (Fergusson, 2010). The purpose of this study will be to explore the role that the Canadian intelligence, during its reformation era of 1980-1985, played in safeguarding Canada while also serving other strategic socio-political and economic interests. The study is vital in because it addresses the role of CSIS during this strategic period while also addressing unanswered questions about how CSIS refined Canada’s intelligence and how the transition from RCMP to CSIS changed Canada’s standing in the intelligence community globally. 1.2 Background The 1980s marked the period when Canada’s approach to intelligence gathering and the overall national security architecture went through an overhaul whose impacts remain worthy of further investigations. In the preceding decade, the security of Canada was largely left under the stewardship of RCMP’s Security Service (Whitaker & Hewitt, 2002). The Security Service was a branch tasked with protecting the national security. Also, it is the Security Service that was supposed to execute counter-espionage. However, Canada established the McDonald Commission of Inquiry into the activities of the Security Service in 1977 (Jackson, 2009). The findings of the commission in 1979 and 1981 showcased gross misconduct and violation of legal and ethical boundaries by the service. It was then recommended that law enforcement should be separated from intelligence action. In 1981, the CSIS Act approved the formation of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. The formation of CSIS was monumental as it elevated Canada as a pioneer in assigning domestic intelligence operations to a civilian agency in Western democracies. The formation of CSIS coincided with multiple occurrences both locally and internationally that would have demanded the immediate inputs of CSIS. At the international level, early 1980s was the peak of Cold War. As such, Canada needed a platform through which they could steer vigilance against subversion and espionage (Jackson, 2009). The challenges to Canada’s intelligence continued domestically where it contended with political extremism and terrorism. The creation of CSIS would be vital in modernizing the country’s intelligence services. Additionally, CSIS would set a platform in which the architecture of the country’s intelligence would change to accommodate oversight through the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC). Ultimately, CSIS would set the ground through which the country could balance the national security imperatives with the requirements to protect civil liberties. With such monumental goals set, it remains vital to explore the impacts of CSIS during that challenging period. 1.3 Problem Statement/Justification Despite the significance of the 1980-1985 period to the foundations of CSIS and Canada’s intelligence, its details have barely been explored in an integrated manner. Often, the studies focus on the findings of the McDonald’s commission and its recommendations. Other efforts focus on the impacts of CSIS in the post-1984 era. Hence, this research bridges the gap and provides a detailed exploration of the period through the decade. As such, people will easily comprehend the transformation before it occurred as well as assess some of its impacts a few years after its implementation. Hence, some of the grounds on which this study is justified include its historical significance in which it outlines the historical challenges of managing intelligence operations at the height of the Cold War. The research also offers insights into intelligence reforms and its impacts, especially on the grounds of transition from law enforcement to civilian intelligence. Strategically, this research will also showcase the inputs of CSIS in addressing the threats that came with the Cold War while also addressing other interests in social, economic, and political spaces. 1.4 Aim and Objectives The primary aim of this study will be to explore the role of Canadian intelligence between 1980 and 1985 and how it served Canadian strategic interests. To address the above aim, the study will be integrated into the following objectives: 1 To examine the evolution of Canada’s intelligence gathering and techniques of analysis in the transition period of 1980-1985. 2 To assess the effectiveness of Canadian intelligence community in addressing threats like Soviet espionage, domestic extremism, and international terrorism. 3 To analyse the impacts of the Canadian intelligence community on various social, political, and economic interests of the country during that intelligence transition period. Chapter Two: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction The literature review chapter will focus on exploring existing knowledge on the research topic. Various studies have been conducted to explore the Canadian intelligence during transition and at the height of the Cold War. Such studies will form the basis from where to determine the scope of this study. An insightful review of the existing literature should also help to outline some of the gaps that this study will address conclusively. The review encompasses the geopolitical context that underpinned the establishment and development of CSIS. The review as well addresses the roles that the intelligence community was supposed to play to address the interests of Canada both domestically and at the international level. 2.2 The Geopolitical Context The 1980s were a challenging period for intelligence and security organizations globally. Part of the challenge stemmed from the heightened Cold War tensions at the time. Under the leadership of Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet Union aggressively pursued an assertive foreign policy that attracted resistance from the Western allies (International Development Research Centre [Canada], 1998). Partly, the activities of the Soviet Union that attracted the interests of the West included an arms race and increased military spending. The relationship between the East and the West was further hurt with Soviet’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 (Fergusson, 2010). Consequently, the increasing global tensions accompanied with ideological divides fuelled the need for better intelligence gathering and security architecture. The operations of the Canadian intelligence agency were further shaped by the country’s policy both in domestic and international operations. Overall, the geopolitical context that stimulated the restructuring of the Canadian intelligence community factored the following: 2.2.1 The Cold War Dynamics The duration in which Canada restructured its intelligence services was marked with rising tensions from the Cold War. Initially, the Cold War was centered on the global dominance disputes between the US and the Soviet Union (International Development Research Centre [Canada], 1998). However, other countries became part of this war by association. Canada, for instance, was a strategic member of NATO. Besides, Canada’s geographical proximity to the US means that it had to be entrenched in that strategic and ideological conflict. One of the challenges that Canada faced due to the war were the espionage threats. Canada is close to the US and played a significant role in the Five Eyes intelligence. As such, it was a target party for Soviet espionage (Fergusson, 2010). In most cases, it was believed that Canada would offer an ideal spot for the Soviets to gather intelligence throughout North America. The other Cold War dynamic that was vital in Canada’s decision to transform its intelligence were the country’s military commitments to NATO. Canada hosted key military installations such as the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which bore a significant value to the security of North America. With the changing dynamics throughout the...