Espionage

I recently had the opportunity to appear on CTV Your Morning with Anne-Marie Mediwake to discuss the findings of the Hogue Commission on Foreign Interference. Justice Hogue stated that there were no signs of treason by parliamentarians, but the report still raises serious questions about Canada’s ability to counter foreign interference.

https://youtu.be/OH8_uboGelE?si=ZG1fkGww-psKeaqV

During the interview, we covered several key issues:

• My biggest takeaways from the report and what they mean for national security.
• Whether any parliamentarians have been complicit in foreign interference.
• How the NSICOP report from June differs in its findings regarding witting and semi-witting MPs.
• The growing threat of mis- and disinformation and how it could undermine Canadian democracy.
• The upcoming Liberal leadership race and federal election—how secure are these processes in light of the report’s findings?
• With a federal election likely in the spring, is there enough time to implement Justice Hogue’s recommendations?

Foreign interference isn’t a theoretical issue—it’s a real and ongoing challenge. As Canada prepares for an election, we need to ask: Are we doing enough to protect our democratic institutions?

A big thank you to CTV Your Morning and Anne-Marie Mediwake for the opportunity to discuss this important issue.

Would be interested to hear your thoughts. Do you think Canada is taking foreign interference seriously enough?

I’ve been reading about instances where intelligence officers have breached their "red lines" or engaged in unlawful activities, such as the 2020 revelation that an MI6 agent had likely crossed these boundaries. While the government often seeks to maintain secrecy around such matters, it raises the question: if an intelligence officer is prosecuted, where would they serve their sentence?

Would they be placed in a normal prison, such as HMP Belmarsh, Wakefield, or Full Sutton? Or would they instead be sent to a military prison, like the Military Corrective Training Centre in Colchester, given the sensitive nature of their work?

It’s hard to imagine such individuals being placed in the general prison population due to the risks involved. Does anyone know how the UK handles this, and are there any known examples or citations that clarify this process?

Supporting Information:

1. In 2020, it was reported by The Guardian and BBC News that MI6 had failed to fully disclose to the Foreign Secretary that an agent had likely engaged in serious criminality, breaching their operational limits. Source: The Guardian, December 2020.

2. MI5’s use of informants to commit crimes domestically has also come under scrutiny. In 2019, a court ruled that such actions could be lawful under specific circumstances, but questions of oversight remain. Source: BBC News, December 2020.

Does anyone have insights into what happens to intelligence personnel when legal action is taken against them?

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/billfairclough_ex-intelligence-officials-warn-against-building-activity-7289572241653047296-WD9N?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop EX-CIA EXECUTIVES OPPOSE CASINO NEAR LANGLEY, CITING SPY RISKS FROM GAMBLING BY CIA EMPLOYEES! Next time you are in a casino, especially a “royale” one, make sure you keep an eye on those around you particularly in sin cities like Vegas. It’s not just fictitious spies like James Bond who might be sitting next to you.

Let’s say a foreign citizen who is not a foreign official wishes to provide some information/documents with significant intelligence value to CIA/US government. This person just books a tourist visa appointment, drops off a stack of classified documents to the visa officer and walks out. In this scenario, would anyone bother to take a look at that stack of documents, or is it going to the trash bin right away?

Another scenario, if this person who booked a visa appointment gave the visa officer a note asking to speak to a CIA officer, in addition to the stack of documents, would that possibly be arranged?

Edit: FWIW, let’s say this event (walk-in) takes place in London, or Paris. The person is a citizen of a third country, and the documents are also about a third country. Hopefully this means the situation is more relaxed.

Spies Like Us: Serious Insights with a Side of Humor

This week’s episode of Spies Like Us dives into some of the most critical global intelligence issues while keeping things real with a few laughs along the way. Join Neil Bisson, Al Treddenick, and Phil Gurski—three retired intelligence pros—as they break down:

• Russia’s provocations and whether we’re seeing the prelude to World War 3.
• Immigration loopholes in Canada and how they’re being exploited as a potential national security threat.
• Russian diplomats breaching UK Parliament security—what were they really after?
• Canada’s lack of foreign intelligence capabilities and why it leaves us vulnerable.

And yes, it’s not all doom and gloom—there’s plenty of banter, from diesel-powered naval jokes to hilarious political mix-ups. This episode proves that discussing national security doesn’t have to be dry.

If you’re ready to learn, think, and maybe even laugh, give this week’s episode a listen:

Your thoughts and feedback are always welcome—join the discussion.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/44VUe6DsjpidU7IgjjF5Cr?si=778b37254dfa40a8

This Week on the Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up

The world of global security and espionage is constantly evolving, and this week’s stories highlight just how much they affect our countries, our work, and our lives.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Canada’s Liberal leadership race: Are new measures enough to stop foreign interference, or are there still gaps in the system?
• TikTok’s looming ban in the U.S.: Is it a genuine national security risk, or is the debate overblown?
• U.S. restrictions on AI chip exports: Could this backfire on innovation, and what role does Canada play in the strategy?
• Sabotage in the Baltic Sea: Who’s behind the undersea attacks, and could NATO be forced to respond?
• Russia’s crackdown on dissent: What does it say about Putin’s grip on power, and could it backfire?
• Canada’s struggles with deporting a senior Iranian official: What are the legal and security implications of this high-profile case?
• Taiwan’s surge in Chinese espionage: How is Beijing ramping up its operations to gain an edge?
• Russian diplomats breaching UK Parliament: Was this an intelligence operation or a glaring security failure?

These stories aren’t just headlines—they reveal the deeper issues shaping our world. Tune in for professional analysis and insights that help you understand the threats and challenges we face globally.

Stream or download the episode now and stay informed.

https://youtu.be/HEjLbm5C_kI