Canada PoliticsCanada’s spy agency quietly launches YouTube recruitment campaign
Have you ever wanted to be like James Bond? Well, here's your chance.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) is looking for a few good men, and women.
The Globe and Mail's Colin Freeze has unearthed several CSIS recruiting videos on YouTube that haven't really been publicized or widely viewed.
Each of the 5 videos — posted last week — include a real CSIS staffer outlining a specific role within Canada's spy agency.
[ Related: CSIS warns business leaders of Chinese cyber-spies ]
There's the intelligence officer (aka: the collector) whose "main role is to collect and analyze national security-related information" through personal contact and other means. There's the 'physical surveillance' officer who covertly observes "the movements and activities of a designated target." There's the duty officer whose job it is to monitor happenings around the world and to "deliver ops and corporate messages to and from CSIS stations and domestic partners."
And there's also the IT professional and screener.
The recruiting campaign appears to be part of the Harper government's plan to expand the role of CSIS as per their 2006 election platform.
[ More Brew: Is Justin Trudeau all splash and no substance? ]
According to a November 2011 column by the National Post's John Ivison, the prime minister "is on record as saying Canada needs better tools to combat the threat of terrorism and Islamist violence."
"Currently, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service is largely concerned with domestic intelligence and is able to conduct covert operations overseas only if there is a direct threat to Canada.
When Stockwell Day was Public Safety Minister, from 2006 to 2008, progress was made on expanding CSIS' role and the plan was to reform the 1985 CSIS Act by removing the words "within Canada" from its mandate, allowing the agency to replicate its domestic operations overseas. Negotiations were held with U.S. and U.K. spy agencies on how to go about foreign operations."
So no, maybe it's not as glamorous as the world of Bond — it doesn't look like the expensive cars and beautiful women come with the job.
But hey, you get to be a spy.
