OTTAWA — A Canadian intern accused of spying at NATO’s strategic headquarters will make her first appearance in a Belgium court Tuesday to seek bail, and while the hearing will be held behind closed doors, the outcome will be released to the public. The female suspect is accused of working on “behalf of a third country and of being a member of a criminal organization,” according to the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office, adding that the chamber will decide if “pre-trial detention should be maintained.” The woman, who worked at the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers of Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium, was arrested Friday after her behaviour was flagged by NATO security services. As per protocol, the intern was vetted by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the RCMP before being hired at NATO. “I think it’s important to get to the bottom of what happened,” said Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree from New Westminster, B.C., when asked about the case during a news conference Monday about preventing gun violence “As a country, we will continue to investigate the processes we have and the security screening.” When asked by CTV News if the government is confident the alleged spy has not worked for another federal department before getting hired at NATO, the minister responded that Canadian authorities “will monitor the impact of the work this individual has done and if they have done any work in Canada.” The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office is not identifying the name of the suspect, or who she’s accused of spying for, but says that she is a “Canadian national of Chinese origin.” Roger Hilton, a security analyst with the defence think tank GLOBSEC, says “it’s not a coincidence” the mention of the suspect being of Chinese origin was added on. Hilton says that disclosure could be intended to send a signal to NATO’s 32 member allies where they need to strengthen their screening, adding that NATO countries need to focus on the “long game.” “If they invest in this asset for a very long time to keep it under the radar and keep attention away from that person – then when the asset rises to deputy foreign minister or becomes the head of a delegation or political military affairs – the amount of intelligence, and what that asset can pay back after years of investment, is really unbelievable,” he said. Hilton, who has “basic NATO clearance” to do his research, says his screening took more than six months. He says this security incident could trigger a “cascade of issues.” “Is this a one off? Can allies trust us in the future? How is CSIS or (the) RCMP vetting? What does it mean for future interns?” he said. “After the Canadian government and the delegation in Brussels approves an intern, will NATO have to do another screening process?” Anthony Saiters, a Carleton University student who has consulted on strengthening engagement between youth and defence organizations, says that interns and young staffers at defence agencies can be vulnerable targets for foreign powers, because unlike senior officials, they do not have additional layers of security apparatus around them. “Senior staff or leadership positions often have protection 24/7. They have security agencies watching their backs, informing them on any potential threats or security risks,” said Saiters. He also highlights employees just starting out in their careers may also be carrying heavy student loans and other debt. “The junior employee is more prone to manipulation and exploitation.”
