WEBVTT 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. 00:00:07.748 --> 00:00:12.085 How Canada has even gone so far as to set up secret spy posts 00:00:12.085 --> 00:00:15.972 around the world for the National Security Agency. 00:00:16.034 --> 00:00:21.321 The explosive revelations are contained in a document leaked by Edward Snowden. 00:00:21.321 --> 00:00:26.752 And it reveals this Canadian co-operation has been going on for decades. 00:00:26.752 --> 00:00:31.257 Our Greg Weston has the exclusive details from Ottawa tonight. 00:00:31.257 --> 00:00:32.217 Greg? 00:00:32.501 --> 00:00:37.672 Wendy, most people probably don't think of Canada as a world player in espionage. 00:00:37.672 --> 00:00:40.979 But according to this American document, marked 'Top Secret', 00:00:40.979 --> 00:00:44.081 that's exactly what the US is counting on. 00:00:44.081 --> 00:00:46.893 Canada is not only spying around the world, 00:00:46.893 --> 00:00:51.236 it often does so at the request of the US National Security Agency. 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. 00:00:56.905 --> 00:00:59.960 The word 'close' does not begin to tell this story. 00:00:59.960 --> 00:01:05.117 The secret document reveals Canada and the US have been running joint spying operations 00:01:05.117 --> 00:01:08.663 in about 20 countries the NSA calls 'high priority'. 00:01:09.093 --> 00:01:12.303 Some of those countries are Canada's own trading partners. 00:01:12.303 --> 00:01:16.759 A super-secretive agency called the Communications Security Establishment Canada, 00:01:16.759 --> 00:01:18.216 or CSEC, 00:01:18.216 --> 00:01:22.778 gathers intelligence by intercepting phone calls and hacking into data systems. 00:01:23.086 --> 00:01:27.650 CSEC has been eavesdropping with the NSA for more than 60 years. 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. 00:01:34.922 --> 00:01:37.805 The two agencies even swap personnel. 00:01:37.805 --> 00:01:39.540 According to the secret memo... 00:01:47.261 --> 00:01:48.361 CSEC has even... 00:01:51.160 --> 00:01:55.671 I think this should probably be read as a reference to monitoring sites, 00:01:55.671 --> 00:01:59.960 developed largely in embassies and councillor missions abroad. 00:01:59.960 --> 00:02:01.750 And the document goes on. 00:02:01.750 --> 00:02:04.923 CSEC runs operations in places the NSA can't. 00:02:12.180 --> 00:02:18.365 And under the cover of those relationships that Canada enjoys, and the United States doesn't, 00:02:18.365 --> 00:02:19.923 guess what you can conduct. 00:02:19.923 --> 00:02:24.209 These secret surveillance or collection efforts. 00:02:24.209 --> 00:02:25.832 (Greg) Wark has a different take. 00:02:25.832 --> 00:02:30.250 But I still think we trade on a degree of an international brand, 00:02:30.250 --> 00:02:33.757 as an innocent partner in the international sphere. 00:02:33.757 --> 00:02:36.923 There's not that much known really about Canadian intelligence, 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 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. 00:02:48.698 --> 00:02:50.755 Canada has already been caught. 00:02:50.755 --> 00:02:54.403 I cannot comment on national security operations... 00:02:54.403 --> 00:03:00.690 That was Harper in October, after another Snowden document revealed that CSEC was spying on Brazil. 00:03:00.690 --> 00:03:03.791 That raised howls of protest in that country. 00:03:03.791 --> 00:03:07.384 Here, there were questions about who's minding the spies. 00:03:07.384 --> 00:03:13.292 The latest revelations of Canada's global espionage operations are bound to fuel that debate, 00:03:13.292 --> 00:03:17.375 and this former NSA executive says that's a good thing. 00:03:17.375 --> 00:03:24.601 You cannot have this amount of secret operations outside the purview of proper oversight, 00:03:24.601 --> 00:03:28.435 which there's little or none of that, even within Canada. 00:03:28.435 --> 00:03:33.822 Wendy, as revealing as this document surely is, it is also packed with operational details, 00:03:33.822 --> 00:03:38.185 that CBC News has decided it will not make public. 00:03:38.665 --> 00:03:41.827 Is there any reaction to this? Big story, Greg. 00:03:42.128 --> 00:03:44.556 Well Wendy, we heard from both governments. 00:03:44.556 --> 00:03:48.418 Canada's defence minister, Rob Nicholson, who is responsible for CSEC, 00:03:48.418 --> 00:03:53.210 pointed out the agency is subject to review by an independent commissioner. 00:03:53.210 --> 00:03:56.710 In the United States, a spokesman for the government there, said, 00:03:56.710 --> 00:04:00.772 "NSA collects intelligence, the same as every other nation." 00:04:01.336 --> 00:04:04.446 Thanks so much, Greg. Greg Weston tonight in Ottawa.