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| Great White North |
| CSIS fights to block release of Tommy Douglas file |
| 2010-02-10 |
| Canada's spy agency is pulling out all the stops to block the release of decades-old intelligence on socialist icon Tommy Douglas. In an affidavit filed in Federal Court, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service argues that full disclosure of the file on Douglas could endanger the lives of confidential informants and jeopardize the agency's ability to conduct secret surveillance. The battle over Douglas' intelligence file began in November 2005, when reporter Jim Bronskill made an Access to Information Act request for the RCMP dossier on the fabled prairie preacher-turned-politician. Some material in the file, now in the possession of Library and Archives Canada, was eventually released. It showed that spies with the now defunct RCMP Security Service had shadowed Douglas for more than three decades, attending his speeches, analyzing his writings and eavesdropping on private conversations. His links to the peace movement and Communist Party members were of particular interest. But the government refused to release big chunks of Douglas' file — some of it dating back to the 1930s — because of national security concerns. Its decision was upheld by the information commissioner of Canada. Makes you wonder if there is a bit of fire underneath all that smoke. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose |