Cracklin' On The Line Again?

Military listening posts assist the agency's efforts to intercept the communications of foreign states and organizations, as well as the phone calls and messages of suspected terrorists, drug traffickers and smugglers. The CSE has long been prohibited from directing its surveillance at Canadians or anybody in Canada. However, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 gave the CSE authority to tap into conversations and messages even if those communications begin or end in Canada. For instance, the CSE could now intercept a phone call from a member of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network somewhere in Asia to a residence in Montreal. Various safeguards, including the need for the defence minister's approval, were built into the practice. Lamer, a former Supreme Court chief justice, recently concluded his term as CSE commissioner, an independent watchdog who scrutinizes the spy agency's activities to ensure compliance with the law. In his final report, he says there should be a clear linkage between the government's intelligence priorities, the targets chosen and the activities for which ministerial approval is needed. Read the rest: http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=canada_home&articleID=2304467 [Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on June 28, 2006]

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