CSIS firearm policies leave gun-toting spies without proper cover: watchdog
OTTAWA – The national intelligence watchdog has found “serious issues” with the policy that allows Canadian spies to carry guns in overseas hotspots.
In its annual report, the watchdog says the Canadian Security Intelligence Service hasn’t properly addressed questions of liability should a CSIS officer shoot someone abroad.
CSIS officers began using guns in Afghanistan in 2002, and the spy service has since launched its own firearms program as it expands foreign operations in the fight against terrorism.
Advertisement
The Security Intelligence Review Committee wants the public safety minister to provide a written explanation of the legal authority permitting CSIS officers to use firearms in other conflict zones.
It says there is no CSIS policy on extracting an armed spy from a trouble spot, nor on whether the officer would be immune from prosecution.
The review committee says it had trouble completing the study because CSIS provided “incomplete and inconsistent” answers to questions about the firearms program.
Follow @JimBronskill on Twitter
