ITAC: Canada's Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre
Primer
Hello Insight Monitor subscribers! Today, another article in our Primers series explores key issues, topics, and institutions in Canadian and international security. Although an often-overlooked security and intelligence agency in the Government of Canada, like many others, the Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre (ITAC) became a subject of the Public Inquiry into the 2022 Public Order Emergency. In our previous coverage of the Freedom Convoy, we looked at government and law enforcement information-sharing capabilities after the enactment of the emergency measures.
ITAC is one of the institutions in place to facilitate the timely dissemination of intelligence assessments before terrorist threats are actioned. However, there is limited and sometimes contradictory information on the organization. Stephanie Carvin’s chapter in Top Secret Canada: Understanding the Canadian Intelligence and National Security Community is one of the few comprehensive sources on ITAC.
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Mandate
ITAC’s stated operations are comprised of:
Producing terrorism threat assessments for Canada and Canadian interests worldwide, based on classified and open-source information;
Assessing and recommending the National Terrorism Threat Level (NTTL) for Canada, used by government and law enforcement agencies; and
Assessing and setting terrorism threat levels for special events like the Olympics and internationally protected persons.
ITAC is solely an assessment body with no collection authorities; instead, it relies on intelligence from other agencies, including CSIS. Classified ITAC assessments are distributed to federal agencies, while unclassified versions are shared with external partners, including certain law enforcement agencies. Unclassified ITAC assessments are sometimes released publicly through access to information requests.
History
ITAC was established in 2004 following the 9/11 attacks in the US and as part of the first and only Government of Canada National Security Strategy. ITAC was initially named the Integrated Threat Assessment Centre. Canada followed the lead of allies like the US, the UK, and Australia, who adopted organizations with integrated models for threat assessment. These centres combine intelligence from various government sectors to provide timely, comprehensive threat assessments.
ITAC's creation aimed to enhance Canada's capacity to protect its citizens and contribute to international security efforts by facilitating the integration of intelligence, ensuring that threat-related information is comprehensive and effectively shared across public and private entities for better decision-making. The centre was renamed in 2011 to focus specifically on terrorism threats and emphasize supporting the decision-making of senior federal leaders.
Organizational Structure
The centre operates under the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Act and is co-located with the Service, although it functions as a separate intelligence analysis body and maintains operational independence. ITAC employs professionals from various agencies such as the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), CSIS, the Department of National Defence, Global Affairs Canada, FINTRAC, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), through secondment assignments. It also has a permanent analytical and managerial staff to help facilitate continuity and expertise within the organization.
ITAC is managed by its own director, who is appointed by the National Security and Intelligence Advisor (NSIA). The director is held accountable to the CSIS director, the NSIA, and deputy ministers from participating organizations. Additionally, ITAC is required to submit an annual report to the Deputy Ministers’ Committee on National Security. Furthermore, the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) and the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians have the authority to review the centre’s activities.
Additional details about ITAC as an organization, including the number of employees and its annual budget, have not been made public.
Organizational Value
ITAC’s primary value lies in its ability to facilitate intelligence sharing and analysis among Canadian security partners like CSIS, RCMP, CBSA, and international partners like the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand. This collaboration helps create a more comprehensive threat picture by integrating diverse perspectives and information sources. The secondment employment model further allows for a multi-disciplinary approach to incorporate analysis from several different security angles.
Another key benefit of ITAC is its centralized and specialized approach to terrorism threat assessments. By focusing exclusively on terrorism threats, ITAC produces comprehensive assessments for Canada and Canadian interests worldwide, leveraging expertise and information from various security agencies. The assessments produced by ITAC directly inform and recommend the NTTL for Canada. This guidance helps government and law enforcement agencies implement consistent security measures and effectively mitigate threats. Moreover, ITAC supports decision-making at senior levels by providing tailored intelligence products, ranging from tactical reports to strategic analyses. These insights assist federal leaders as well as law enforcement to make informed decisions regarding terrorism threats.
Criticisms
ITAC has faced criticism, one major concern being the lack of transparency and public accountability. While ITAC operates under the CSIS Act and is accountable to review bodies, there is limited public information about its operations, threat assessments, and decision-making processes. This opacity has led to criticisms regarding the ability to assess its effectiveness and the adequacy of public accountability.
Another issue is the potential for operational overreach. Although ITAC's mandate is to focus solely on terrorism threats, there are concerns regarding interpretations of what terrorism means. The scope of ITAC’s activities could therefore expand beyond its intended focus. For instance, in 2011, ITAC monitored the potential for politically motivated violence during the ‘Occupy’ protests in Canada, producing reports that activists criticized as anti-democratic and unnecessarily amplifying security concerns about citizen protests.
Furthermore, ITAC’s reputation for analysis has been questioned. The main criticism stems from the unclear value of the NTTL, which ITAC has been responsible for setting since October 2014. The threat level, which has remained at "medium" since its inception, is meant to inform the public and various security stakeholders but requires no action from citizens. This broad, non-specific warning might not provide enough actionable information for local authorities, leading it to potentially being disregarded. National threat warnings often lack the local specificity necessary for effective action, especially in a country as large and diverse as Canada.
Intelligence should be disseminated to those best positioned to use it effectively, but it is unclear if this is consistently achieved with ITAC. The Public Inquiry into the 2022 Public Order Emergency found that there were free-standing intelligence reports from multiple federal, provincial, and municipal governments and police agencies, with products not always being shared effectively or reaching the appropriate audiences. ITAC, as with many other agencies, likely suffers from ineffective and heavily red-taped information dissemination practices, hindering its ability to be proactive.
ITAC's reliance on temporary staff assignments from various agencies, rather than a dedicated, permanent workforce, also raises efficacy concerns. The rotational model might affect continuity, retention of institutional knowledge, and the long-term expertise of its analysts, leading to additional criticism regarding ITAC’s analytical capabilities.
Opportunities for Improvement
Overall, ITAC has the potential to play a crucial role in Canada’s national security by facilitating intelligence assessment and sharing. However, criticisms point to areas where its operations and transparency could be improved to enhance public trust and effectiveness. A review by NSIRA or NSICOP could be valuable in this regard. Such a review should examine ITAC's organizational and operational practices, as well as the net benefits of its products. Increasing transparency about the outcomes of this review, where feasible, would help demonstrate the organization’s value and identify areas for improvement.
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