Over the weekend, the CBC reported on a Wikileaked document revealing that the Canadian government’s opposition to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was far less absolute than public pronouncements led many to believe. The leaked briefing cable reported on a meeting between Canadian officials at the Foreign Affairs headquarters in Ottawa and diplomats from the United Kingdom and United States two days before the invasion began. An excerpt reveals: “While for domestic political reasons […] the GOC [Government of Canada] has decided not to join in a U.S. coalition of the willing, […] they are also prepared to be as helpful as possible in the military margins.” At the time, Canadian naval vessels were deployed to the Strait of Hormuz in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Perhaps Canada merely watched the back door as the “coalition of the willing” stormed through the front.
A new directive from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence expands the role of the Government Accountability Office in overseeing the U.S. Intelligence Community. Intelligence Community Directive 114 takes effect on June 30, and compels intelligence agencies to cooperate with GAO auditors. However, elastic and loosely-defined language may ultimately limit what the GAO can accomplish. “Sources and methods,” “information related to covert action,” and “core national intelligence capabilities” will not be made available to the GAO. (more…)
