Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) manages Canada's day-to-day relations with the governments and people of other nations, both bilaterally and within the many international organisations in which Canada participates. DFAIT also leads Canada's efforts in developing effective international responses to security issues in such forums as the United Nations and the G-8. Its security and intelligence-related responsibilities include protecting Canadians and Canadian Government facilities abroad, handling terrorism incidents abroad involving Canadians, and managing such issues as the expulsion of foreign diplomats from Canada for security reasons.

DFAIT's Security and Intelligence Bureau provides the Minister of Foreign Affairs with foreign intelligence to support policy and operational decisions and advises the Minister on intelligence activities. The bureau is also responsible for the security of the department's personnel, physical assets and information systems in Canada and around the world.

Click here to visit the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada official website.

Resources

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Ottawa fought Khadr's transfer to Gitmo
Mr. Pardy suggests that DFAIT was even surprised to learn that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service - a much more active spy agency - would accompany Mr. Gould on his inaugural February, 2003, trip to Cuba.
HTML | Published: 2008-07-11 | Added: 2008-07-12

'Stand up' for Khadr's rights, lawyer urges Harper
Khadr exhibited "great mood swings" when a Canadian Foreign Affairs Department intelligence official and three members of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) visited him over four days in early 2003.
HTML | Published: 2008-07-10 | Added: 2008-07-12

Canada's secret documents on Khadr's treatment revealed
Jim Gould, a Foreign Affairs intelligence official, was involved in the interviews. DFAIT officials have argued the visit was less to do with intelligence gathering, and was instead more of a proxy consular visit to ascertain Mr. Khadr's condition.
HTML | Published: 2008-07-09 | Added: 2008-07-10

Top court tackles Gitmo
Canada sent agents from CSIS and an official with the intelligence division in the foreign affairs department to interrogate Khadr in the two years after his capture. The purpose of the visits was to collect intelligence.
HTML | Published: 2008-03-21 | Added: 2008-04-06

Was Omar Khadr coerced?
A Canadian Foreign Affairs intelligence officer and an official of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service met with Mr. Khadr in 2003.
HTML | Published: 2008-03-14 | Added: 2008-03-30

Integrating terrorism intelligence resources
Nine departments are represented in ITAC: the Privy Council Office, Foreign Affairs Canada, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, National Defence, Canada Border Services Agency, Transport Canada, CSE, CSIS and the RCMP.
HTML | Published: 2007-02-24 | Added: 2007-02-24

Harper moves to resolve dispute threatening Air India probe
The question of national security has been raised by government agencies - CSIS, the RCMP, Foreign Affairs and others - that the public interest would be jeopardized in this era of violent world-wide terrorism if many of these documents were made  [...]
HTML | Published: 2007-02-20 | Added: 2007-02-22

Arar inquiry urges more scrutiny of Canada's intelligence activities
The Maher Arar inquiry has unfurled blueprints for a stronger, more co-ordinated family of watchdogs to keep an eye on the RCMP and other federal security organizations. Justice Dennis O'Connor suggests better scrutiny of the intelligence community.
HTML | Published: 2006-12-12 | Added: 2007-01-03

Informatics Centre Network Manager at the Foreign Intelligence Division
Experience in working in a high security communications centre in a department or agency that is part of the Canadian intelligence community. Experience in maintaining equipment in high-end secure communications systems.
HTML | Published: 2006-11-22 | Added: 2006-11-22

Foreign Affairs, International Trade and CIDA: One Big Happy Family, Maybe
The departments of Foreign Affairs and International Trade have been reunited, or in the government's own words,
HTML | Published: 2006-02-08 | Added: 2006-02-18

Security Intelligence Advisor
Experience in researching and writing discussion papers on strategic policy issues and their implications for the security and intelligence community, and presenting options to senior officials.
HTML | Published: 2006-02-08 | Added: 2006-02-08

Canadian spies secretly studied Soviet movies
Canadian spies secretly analyzed Soviet movies during the Cold War in the hope of gleaning useful intelligence. A little-known Ottawa agency played the role of film critic in what may have been a unique intelligence-gathering project among its  [...]
HTML | Published: 2005-08-14 | Added: 2005-08-17

Intelligence Analyst - Western Hemisphere
Support for the Canadian intelligence community, through coordination of inter-departmental assessment activities in support of the Intelligence Assessment Committee (IAC) and through coordination with allied intelligence assessment agencies.
HTML | Published: 2005-08-17 | Added: 2005-08-17

A former Saudi Prince Turki bodyguard sues Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and describes bizarre private spy ring
Evidence indicates that a high ranking Canadian diplomat was involved as a middleman in a bizarre inner-family Saudi spy ring and a possible assassination attempt on a Saudi princess for financial gain.
PDF | Published: 2005-05-15 | Added: 2005-05-20

Mounties, CSIS agents grilled over Arar leak
In the internal probes, questions were put to members of the RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Foreign Affairs and the Solicitor General's Department (since renamed Public Safety) in response to Privy Council Office requests.
HTML | Published: 2004-08-01 | Added: 2004-08-03

New funding initiatives
The Government of Canada will invest $137 million to support intelligence enhancement as part of the National Security Policy.
LINK | Published: 2004-04-27 | Added: 2004-05-01

Securing An Open Society: Canada's National Security Policy
Further investments will be made to enhance Canada's intelligence collection capacity, with a focus on Security Intelligence.
PDF | Published: 2004-04-27 | Added: 2004-04-27

Martin to roll out ambitious national security policy
The policy will canvass six areas: improving intelligence gathering capacity, emergency planning, public health, transportation (marine) security, border security and international security.
HTML | Published: 2004-04-24 | Added: 2004-04-26

Fraser report sounds security alarm
Canada has ignored the lessons from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by bungling efforts to keep terrorists out and allowing as many as 4,500 workers possibly linked to organized crime a free rein at airports, Auditor-General Sheila Fraser says.
HTML | Published: 2004-03-31 | Added: 2004-04-14

Foreign Affairs Canada
Official site of Foreign Affairs Canada.
LINK | Published: 2004-04-01 | Added: 2004-04-08

Information about the Changes
Prime Minister Martin announced changes to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. All its services, programs and activities will now be offered by two separate departments: Foreign Affairs Canada and International Trade Canada.
LINK | Published: 2004-04-01 | Added: 2004-04-08

Le Canada a-t-il besoin d'un service de renseignement de style CIA?
Un groupe de spécialistes de l'espionnage s'apprêterait à soulever la question de savoir si oui ou non le Canada devrait se doter d'un service de renseignement étranger du style de la CIA américaine.
HTML | Published: 2004-03-24 | Added: 2004-03-24

Panel ponders CIA-style spy service for Canada
A panel of senior spymasters is quietly mulling the vexing question of whether Canada should create a CIA-style foreign intelligence service.
HTML | Published: 2004-03-24 | Added: 2004-03-24

Facing our Responsibilities - The State of Readiness of the Canadian Forces
Our foreign intelligence needs are met through signals intelligence collection by CSE, through an Interview Programme administered by DFAIT and from intelligence sharing with our Allies.
LINK | Published: 2002-10-25 | Added: 2004-02-25

Directory of the Security and Intelligence Bureau
Government electronic directory of the staff at the Security and Intelligence Bureau of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
LINK | Published: 2001-01-01 | Added: 2004-02-06

The Missing Agency: The Case for a Canadian Foreign Intelligence Service
The focus of this dissertation lies on the controversial statement that Canada needs to create a foreign intelligence agency. It addresses the issue of why Ottawa chose not to establish a CFIS in the first place. It also answers how Canada collects  [...]
PDF | Published: 2002-11-15 | Added: 2004-01-25

The Missing Agency: The Case for a Canadian Foreign Intelligence Service, 2nd Edition
This is the second edition of a dissertation which focus lies on the controversial statement that Canada needs to create a foreign intelligence agency. It addresses the issue of why Ottawa chose not to establish a CFIS in the first place. It also  [...]
PDF | Published: 2003-02-09 | Added: 2004-01-25

Canada can't strut on the cheap
Our diplomats not only make our case abroad, but also ferret out intelligence affecting our security and commercial interests.
HTML | Published: 2003-12-18 | Added: 2003-12-22

Passport office takes blame in Ressam case
A government review of the Ahmed Ressam investigation has concluded that weaknesses at the Passport Office allowed the Algerian terrorist to go undetected in Canada as he plotted a major bombing attack.
HTML | Published: 2003-12-04 | Added: 2003-12-04

Foreign Intelligence Division
Staff of the Foreign Intelligence Division.
TEXT | Published: 2003-09-18 | Added: 2003-09-18

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Official site of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
LINK | Published: 1901-01-01 | Added: 2003-09-09

Departmental Plans and Priorities: Trade, Economic and Environmental Policy
Collecting, Evaluating and Using Foreign Intelligence in Policy Making. The Department will undertake more frequent reviews of its intelligence-gathering priorities. Also, the provision of intelligence will become more client-driven; to this  [...]
LINK | Published: 2003-08-04 | Added: 2003-08-05

International Security and Cooperation: Planned Results and Activities
Support the conduct of foreign and trade policy by assuring the collection, evaluation, analysis and dissemination of appropriate foreign intelligence to meet the policy making and operational requirements of decision makers throughout the  [...]
LINK | Published: 2003-08-04 | Added: 2003-08-05

Report on Plans and Priorities 2003-2004
Quality Policy Advice and Intelligence to Government: The Department will collect, evaluate and contribute a broader range of foreign intelligence to support policy making across the federal government and other levels of government. Partners across all  [...]
LINK | Published: 2003-08-05 | Added: 2003-08-05

Departmental Performance
Support the conduct of foreign and trade policy by assuring the collection, evaluation, analysis and dissemination of appropriate foreign intelligence to meet the policy-making and operational requirements of decision makers throughout the  [...]
LINK | Published: 2003-08-04 | Added: 2003-08-04

A tale of spies, sex and a bizarre Saudi princess
Gary Ogaick, a first secretary at the Canadian embassy in Riyadh, conducted an unauthorized spying operation in the Middle East to gather personal information about a wealthy Saudi Arabian prince and his wife. Unbeknownst to his superiors, Mr. Ogaick  [...]
HTML | Published: 2003-04-19 | Added: 2003-07-15

Claims of rogue spy unheeded for months
The Department of Foreign Affairs waited 21 months before informing the RCMP about allegations that one of its diplomats was running an unauthorized espionage operation to get sexually compromising information about a Saudi princess. The allegations  [...]
HTML | Published: 2003-05-05 | Added: 2003-07-15

Spy another day: They're back
If the Cold War is over and Russia is the West's new best friend, why did Ottawa expel two Russian diplomats for spying last month and why did Moscow retaliate this week by kicking out two Canadians? Why would the Russians still be spying on the West if  [...]
HTML | Published: 2002-12-13 | Added: 2002-12-17

La Russie expulse deux diplomates canadiens en poste à Moscou
La Russie a ordonné à deux diplomates canadiens de quitter le pays, en réponse à l'expulsion cette semaine par Ottawa de deux émissaires russes au Canada.
HTML | Published: 2002-12-07 | Added: 2002-12-07

Canada's Foreign Intelligence Interview Program, 1953-1990
The Interview Program was established in 1953 as Canada's modest and cautious entry into the world of overt foreign intelligence HUMINT collection.
PDF | Published: 2002-11-07 | Added: 2002-11-13

Our Men in Havana: Washington and Canadian Intelligence on Castro's Cuba, 1959-1963
The present paper documents, for the first time, how the Canadian government provided intelligence on Cuba on a regular basis to the United States and other allies during the years following the Castro revolution.
PDF | Published: 2002-09-28 | Added: 2002-11-13

CSA Canada’s International Business Strategy: Excerpts
The Government's strategy in support to the space industry in dealing with these challenges is to develop, in consultation with industry, better mechanisms and practices for gathering and disseminating strategic and timely information concerning  [...]
LINK | Published: 2000-03-21 | Added: 2002-07-31

Market Research Centre Key to Unlocking Foreign Markets
In addition to operating the Market Research Centre, the newly formed Market Intelligence Division assists DFAIT's posts abroad to gather market intelligence and information. The Division works closely with National Sector Teams, associations and other  [...]
HTML | Published: 1997-04-09 | Added: 2002-07-22

Requests for classified information
Request for classified information related to the possible creation of a Canadian foreign intelligence service.
PDF | Published: 2002-07-17 | Added: 2002-07-17

Info Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
General Information (Background, Responsibilities, Legislation, Organization) and Information Holdings (Program Records, Personal Information Banks, Classes of Personal Information, Manuals).
LINK | Published: 2002-06-26 | Added: 2002-06-26

Diplomatic Appointments
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today announced Franco D. Pillarella, becomes Ambassador to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. He is currently Director of the Foreign Intelligence Division.
TEXT | Published: 2002-01-28 | Added: 2002-01-28

Info Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
The Security and Intelligence Bureau (ISD) is responsible for providing timely and critical intelligence on world events, assuring the protection of Canadian personnel and their families, the safeguard of government premises and assets and the promotion  [...]
LINK | Published: 2002-01-28 | Added: 2002-01-28

The Community Opens Its Ranks to 'New Blood'
Interview Officer, Foreign Intelligence Division. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Functions: Identifies and evaluates potential human sources by maintaining a network of contacts.
TEXT | Published: 2002-01-28 | Added: 2002-01-28