Canada mounting surveillance from diplomatic premises: German magazine

OTTAWA – The national eavesdropping agency is refusing to comment on a report that it mounts foreign operations through Canada’s embassies abroad.

Lauri Sullivan, a spokeswoman for Communications Security Establishment Canada, says the agency does not comment on its foreign intelligence activities.

German magazine Der Spiegel says Canada is using diplomatic facilities to support foreign surveillance operations in league with key allies.

The report published this week cites presentation slides leaked by Edward Snowden, a former contractor with the National Security Agency, CSEC’s American counterpart.

One slide indicates the Canadian spy agency hosts “Stateroom” sites — a term for covert signals-intelligence gathering bases hidden in consulates and embassies.

It is the latest of several references to the Ottawa-based spy service in Snowden’s cache of leaked materials.