Canada

I think the FBI and CIA are more strict in their controls. There is far more scrutiny in the U.S regarding activities against Americans on American soil, and, the courts have shown a willingness to shoot down tactics as unconstitutional and/or inadmissible. I would like to see more scrutiny in Canada, especially in regards to how invasive CSIS and the RCMP become in the lives of their citizens. Consider if you will how major an issue Civil Liberties are in the elections and debates in the U.S compared to Canada. Have you seen the oversight of the RCMP and CSIS? Non-existent. We are far behind our allies in the West, including England and others. Do the work needed against legitimate threats and criminals of course, don't lower the threshold and jeopardize basic principles of democracy.

The "Mr. Big" tactic which the RCMP employed was shot down in U.S courts as I recall, though a more recent use of it was accepted. Many were upset at this as it has been considered entrapment, more accurately there is a risk of false confessions by those who may not have committed a crime.

In New York a year or two ago the FBI called NYPD methods "not helpful" when they were looking at the investigation of so-called radical Islamists, this after the CIA disregarded an entire investigation of Muslims in a joint operation with the NYPD for a full year, essentially telling the NYPD that there wasn't a case to investigate any suspects (and an undercover informant suggested the NYPD were paying him to generate threats within that community). The FBI threw out a case last year against a Canadian when they considered the tactics of the FBI agent entrapment (as I alluded to above).

If anything, in the history of playing fast and loose with the laws of the land, I think the RCMP (and it's offshoot CSIS) get away with a lot more with far less eyes watching (and reporting). I am fully supportive of good security work, especially against organized crime, state spying and corporate theft, foreign crime networks etc. Even more impressive would be Federal investigations and successes against other rogue security agencies. The charges against the OPP union is an example of the RCMP doing good work against very bad apples who are essentially on the same team. The FBI actively investigate and charge bad cops in municipalities. I applaud these activities and it protects regular citizens from major abuses that would otherwise go unenforced.

I don't know just how serious these two were in this case. From a lot of the reporting it can seem to be opportunists making business for themselves against some unbalanced people. Once the ball gets rolling and another country is involved, there is no way they are going to back down from making their case. 240 Officers working on this case and Bob Paulson is complaining about resources? Seems quite an excessive use of personnel don't you think?