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The story of the alleged attempted KSA assassination on Canadian soil is significant and tells us a lot about the nature of foreign influence in Canada. A #cdnnatsec thread: https://twitter.com/LoopEmma/status/1291424172426645506
A reminder, the CSIS Act 2(b) defines clandestine foreign influence as "foreign influenced activities within or relating to Canada that are detrimental to the interests of Canada and are clandestine or deceptive or involve a threat to any person."
So really, we’re talking about acts that are “detrimental” to Canada and are 1) clandestine 2) involve threats to people who live here. (Assassination attempts do both of these, tbh.)
We have spent a lot of time talking about Russian online foreign influence (bad, but not silly levels in Canada so far as we can tell from media reports/agency reports). But most of the action in Canada is “in-person”.
On the China front, this includes trying to control Chinese language media, clandestine state-linked advocacy groups, luxury gifts/travel that target politicians, etc. That too has received a lot of attention. https://globalnews.ca/news/6920433/chinese-canadians-communist-party-influence/
Remember that story about Russia trying to amplify a story about Christya Freeland’s grandfather? That was also likely clandestine foreign influence. https://www.macleans.ca/politics/how-russias-attack-on-freeland-got-traction-in-canada/
We pay far less attention to the OTHER side of foreign influence: targeting of individuals on Canadian soil. We have seen some work done on pressure on
Tamils: https://www.hrw.org/news/2006/03/15/tamil-tigers-extort-diaspora-final-war-funds
Uighurs: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/china-uighurs-canada-secret-documents-1.5369835
Tamils: https://www.hrw.org/news/2006/03/15/tamil-tigers-extort-diaspora-final-war-funds
Uighurs: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/china-uighurs-canada-secret-documents-1.5369835
India engages in active monitoring of the Sikh population in Canada. That too does not get a ton of coverage, but it’s there: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/china-india-interference-1.5284473
But what we’re seeing in this story is that many countries in Canada are engaged in the practice – and given increasing numbers of Saudi nationals who seem to be taking some refuge in Canada, we should NOT be surprised this is happening here.
Canadians really do see themselves as a “peaceable kingdom” where everyone is safe. This is simply untrue. There are – for lack of a better term – agents of foreign governments who seek to target/intimidate individuals here for their own ends.
But often these people are foreign or refugees. So we don’t really see that as *our* problem. And if they have family overseas, they may not be able to speak out.
This is still hard for many to believe – but other countries have sophisticated intelligence services and see Canada not as a good actor in the world, but a target and then act accordingly. That’s the reality.
A challenge is that we’re not well equipped to do much about it. We can kick out “cultural attaches” & “academic advisors” in embassies by declaring them Persona Non Grata. (PNG’ed) but that state will just kick out our diplomats, eventually replace theirs. Cycle begins again.
We can follow these guys around, but if they have diplomatic status hard to really follow. It’s not clear how well we are set up to protect high risk individuals or populations. (Hell, Canadians didn’t even want to protect Prince Harry).
There is no “foreign influence” crime. I’m not even sure there could be one although the Australians have tried: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/australia-new-foreign-influence-laws-who-targeted
We might go after individuals who break into the phones of dissidents using software (and putting pressure on the countries who develop and export the software: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/28/reader-center/phone-hacking-saudi-arabia.html
Or those who utter threats. But in many cases these are hard to prove.
The best way may just be to 1) raise awareness this is going on 2) make pathways for targeted individuals to confidentially come forward 3) put in some kind of strategy of retaliation. We always reach for the sanctions button. But could we do something with foreign investment?
All of this to say, this is not going anywhere. In fact, depending on the US election, and where that country goes, it could get a lot worse in the future. Are we prepared for this?
Because this is kinda real.
Because this is kinda real.
*FIN*
