OTTAWA—Canada’s military intelligence branch laid out a path to become a “main player” in the global intelligence community, according to an ambitious planning document obtained by the Star.

The discussion document set out a five-year plan to “maximize” the Canadian Armed Forces’ intelligence-gathering, with an eye to making military intelligence more “relevant” to the current national security conversation.

It placed the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) at the centre of a nexus that includes Canada’s law enforcement and spy agencies — the RCMP, CSIS, and CSE — as well as international security partners, special operations units, and the Chief of Defence Intelligence.

The documents stated the Forces could harness “all of (the) strengths and capabilities” of the overall intelligence community, and should gain an understanding the complexities of Canada’s domestic and foreign spy agencies.

In a statement, the CJOC stressed that the plan, which sketched out a strategy for 2013 to 2019, has not been approved by its command, and was intended to be “forward-looking.” CJOC said the document does not reflect current intelligence planning or operations, but did not give any detail about how it differs from current strategy.

The document was obtained as Parliament debates the level of oversight needed for Canada’s civilian spy agency — CSIS — who will see their mandate drastically increased under proposed reforms from the Conservative government.

There have been longstanding concerns about oversight for the military’s own intelligence operations. There is no direct civilian oversight — the chief of defence staff and military high-ups are responsible for monitoring intelligence activities. The intelligence branch can also be subject to review by the auditor general and the privacy commissioner.

The aim of the long-term plan, which the documents stress could change as the Canadian Forces continue to transform, was to integrate CJOC into Canada’s intelligence apparatus, and to support its commanders in planning “domestic, continental and international operations.”

“The CJOC Intelligence plan . . . will not only enable the Command, it will make CJOC Intelligence a main player within the intelligence community, in Canada and abroad,” the document states.

The CJOC serves as the Forces’ central command and control hub, directing military missions both at home and abroad.

It is involved with, among other things, planning intelligence, surveillance and information operations, as well as “space operations” and “cyber support” for the military, air force, and navy.

The document claims that some of those roles have not received adequate attention in recent years.

“(CJOC Intelligence) must become more efficient in Early Warning (Horizon Scanning and Warning), Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Targeting, all tasks and functions that were not nurtured very well in past years,” the document states.

Questions about the oversight of Canada’s military spooks resurfaced in January, when The Canadian Press reported that the Department of National Defence was concerned budgetary restraints would prevent it from implementing a robust, permanent watchdog.

According to CP, a thorough review was ordered in the wake of former Sub-Lt. Jeffery Delisle’s conviction on charges he spied for Russia.

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The planning document also lays out “peace time” operations for military intelligence, including assistance to “civil power” and “assistance to LEA (law enforcement agencies).”

CJOC spokesman Lt. Kirk Sullivan said CJOC Intelligence does not have a mandate to “conduct its own defence intelligence operations within Canada.”

In a written statement, Sullivan said CJOC Intelligence can contribute to domestic operations when a formal request is made through the Department of National Defence.

CJOC was involved in the security operations during the G8 and G20 meeting of world leaders in Huntsville and Toronto in 2010, during the Vancouver Olympics, as well as natural disaster assistance, Sullivan said.

Christopher Parsons, an intelligence and security researcher with Citizen Lab in Toronto, said the planned structure seemed similar to the integrated intelligence operations in Afghanistan. Under the plan, CJOC could function as a “clearing house” for defence intelligence, Parsons said.

“(The plan looked) to be building the infrastructure so it can be used in peace time and in active combat environments, and everything in between,” Parsons said in an interview.

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