1 00:00:00,172 --> 00:00:07,748 We begin with new information tonight about just how extensively Canada is spying for the United States. 2 00:00:07,748 --> 00:00:12,085 How Canada has even gone so far as to set up secret spy posts 3 00:00:12,085 --> 00:00:15,972 around the world for the National Security Agency. 4 00:00:16,034 --> 00:00:21,321 The explosive revelations are contained in a document leaked by Edward Snowden. 5 00:00:21,321 --> 00:00:26,752 And it reveals this Canadian co-operation has been going on for decades. 6 00:00:26,752 --> 00:00:31,257 Our Greg Weston has the exclusive details from Ottawa tonight. 7 00:00:31,257 --> 00:00:32,217 Greg? 8 00:00:32,501 --> 00:00:37,672 Wendy, most people probably don't think of Canada as a world player in espionage. 9 00:00:37,672 --> 00:00:40,979 But according to this American document, marked 'Top Secret', 10 00:00:40,979 --> 00:00:44,081 that's exactly what the US is counting on. 11 00:00:44,081 --> 00:00:46,893 Canada is not only spying around the world, 12 00:00:46,893 --> 00:00:51,236 it often does so at the request of the US National Security Agency. 13 00:00:51,236 --> 00:00:56,905 It essentially means it is a close to a working relationship with the NSA as it can possible have. 14 00:00:56,905 --> 00:00:59,960 The word 'close' does not begin to tell this story. 15 00:00:59,960 --> 00:01:05,117 The secret document reveals Canada and the US have been running joint spying operations 16 00:01:05,117 --> 00:01:08,663 in about 20 countries the NSA calls 'high priority'. 17 00:01:09,093 --> 00:01:12,303 Some of those countries are Canada's own trading partners. 18 00:01:12,303 --> 00:01:16,759 A super-secretive agency called the Communications Security Establishment Canada, 19 00:01:16,759 --> 00:01:18,216 or CSEC, 20 00:01:18,216 --> 00:01:22,778 gathers intelligence by intercepting phone calls and hacking into data systems. 21 00:01:23,086 --> 00:01:27,650 CSEC has been eavesdropping with the NSA for more than 60 years. 22 00:01:28,003 --> 00:01:34,922 Now, for the first time, this document reveals just how deep and far and wide that relationship has become. 23 00:01:34,922 --> 00:01:37,805 The two agencies even swap personnel. 24 00:01:37,805 --> 00:01:39,540 According to the secret memo... 25 00:01:47,261 --> 00:01:48,361 CSEC has even... 26 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,671 I think this should probably be read as a reference to monitoring sites, 27 00:01:55,671 --> 00:01:59,960 developed largely in embassies and councillor missions abroad. 28 00:01:59,960 --> 00:02:01,750 And the document goes on. 29 00:02:01,750 --> 00:02:04,923 CSEC runs operations in places the NSA can't. 30 00:02:12,180 --> 00:02:18,365 And under the cover of those relationships that Canada enjoys, and the United States doesn't, 31 00:02:18,365 --> 00:02:19,923 guess what you can conduct. 32 00:02:19,923 --> 00:02:24,209 These secret surveillance or collection efforts. 33 00:02:24,209 --> 00:02:25,832 (Greg) Wark has a different take. 34 00:02:25,832 --> 00:02:30,250 But I still think we trade on a degree of an international brand, 35 00:02:30,250 --> 00:02:33,757 as an innocent partner in the international sphere. 36 00:02:33,757 --> 00:02:36,923 There's not that much known really about Canadian intelligence, 37 00:02:36,923 --> 00:02:43,140 and in that sense, Canadian operations might escape at least the same degree of notice and surveillance 38 00:02:43,140 --> 00:02:48,698 that the operations of the United States or Britain in certain foreign countries would bound to attract. 39 00:02:48,698 --> 00:02:50,755 Canada has already been caught. 40 00:02:50,755 --> 00:02:54,403 I cannot comment on national security operations... 41 00:02:54,403 --> 00:03:00,690 That was Harper in October, after another Snowden document revealed that CSEC was spying on Brazil. 42 00:03:00,690 --> 00:03:03,791 That raised howls of protest in that country. 43 00:03:03,791 --> 00:03:07,384 Here, there were questions about who's minding the spies. 44 00:03:07,384 --> 00:03:13,292 The latest revelations of Canada's global espionage operations are bound to fuel that debate, 45 00:03:13,292 --> 00:03:17,375 and this former NSA executive says that's a good thing. 46 00:03:17,375 --> 00:03:24,601 You cannot have this amount of secret operations outside the purview of proper oversight, 47 00:03:24,601 --> 00:03:28,435 which there's little or none of that, even within Canada. 48 00:03:28,435 --> 00:03:33,822 Wendy, as revealing as this document surely is, it is also packed with operational details, 49 00:03:33,822 --> 00:03:38,185 that CBC News has decided it will not make public. 50 00:03:38,665 --> 00:03:41,827 Is there any reaction to this? Big story, Greg. 51 00:03:42,128 --> 00:03:44,556 Well Wendy, we heard from both governments. 52 00:03:44,556 --> 00:03:48,418 Canada's defence minister, Rob Nicholson, who is responsible for CSEC, 53 00:03:48,418 --> 00:03:53,210 pointed out the agency is subject to review by an independent commissioner. 54 00:03:53,210 --> 00:03:56,710 In the United States, a spokesman for the government there, said, 55 00:03:56,710 --> 00:04:00,772 "NSA collects intelligence, the same as every other nation." 56 00:04:01,336 --> 00:04:04,446 Thanks so much, Greg. Greg Weston tonight in Ottawa.