CBC News
Monday, May 26, 2008
The Canadian military has established a special intelligence unit to gather information on overseas missions, in places like Afghanistan, CBC News has learned.
CBC obtained military documents that show the Canadian Forces is spending about $27 million over the next three years to purchase equipment for the new unit, which is actively recruiting soldiers.
Although many details about the unit are considered classified and not being released to the public, documents show the focus of the group is “human intelligence.”
Members of the unit, known as the Human Intelligence Company (HUMINT), are trained in collecting and analyzing information gathered from the wide variety of human contacts, or sources, they encounter on missions.
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Forces won’t disclose details for security reasons
The military is tight-lipped about the size of the unit, where its members are stationed and what equipment it uses. The military also won’t confirm how much money, in addition to the $27 million for equipment, is being spent to fund the unit’s activities.
“Unfortunately, other than to acknowledge that the program exists, the national defence and the Canadian Forces will not provide specific details about the program, as these are liable to have negative consequences for operations security, and the successful conduct of ongoing Canadian Forces operations,” said Isabelle Moses, spokesperson for the Chief of Defence Intelligence.
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NDP Defence critic Dawn Black said more information needs to be made public.
“We don’t know, and that leaves it open to all kinds of questions,” she said. “Because we don’t know, that raises all kinds of red flags.”
“There’s never been a debate in Canada that I am aware of on running an intelligence company out of the Canadian Forces. I believe that should be something that is open to debate and security and civilian oversight,” she added.
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