If only Sir William Stephenson, the man called intrepid, were still around.

Canada needs its own foreign spies, says a report commissioned by the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute. Its author, Barry Cooper, makes an impressive case for an agency he'd call the Canadian Foreign Intelligence Service.

Collecting foreign intelligence abroad by human means, Cooper says, is a vital requirement of sovereignty, noting this country is the only G8 country without this capacity.

Canada needs "timely intelligence regarding the intentions and capabilities of foreign states, corporations, and non-state political and religious actors." Without it, our decision-makers simply cannot make good policy, including crucial decisions on whether to send Canadian troops to international trouble spots.

The Americans, our main source of intelligence, give us what they want us to know or think we should know to promote their interests, Cooper says. "Even with the best will between the two countries and with full disclosure, Canada would still suffer from American mistakes or weaknesses."

That appeal to Canadian nationalism is a hard one for Liberals or New Democrats to counter.

The Harper government is reportedly considering having CSIS's mandate expanded to include foreign intelligence. But Cooper strongly opposes the spycatchers becoming spies, saying the added role would taint CSIS. "Foreign intelligence involves recruiting secret sources by whatever means necessary (not all of them exemplary, or even legal)" -- not a good role for CSIS which operates under Canadian law.

The main argument against a CFIS is money (hundreds of millions of dollars) but he argues effectively that the costs of not having such an agency are higher.

However, if there is no overwhelmingly obvious clear and present danger, it is a safe bet our politicians may find it too daunting to build a foreign intelligence agency from scratch. The Canadian tradition of making-do and muddling through is very strong.