ASIS ASKS FOR MORE POWER TO SPY, ON US

Paul Maley, National security correspondent From: The Australian February 18, 2013

AUSTRALIA'S overseas intelligence agency, ASIS, is seeking the power to collect intelligence on Australians who threaten the security of its highly secretive operations.

In what would amount to a significant expansion of its powers, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service has petitioned MPs for greater leeway in conducting operations against Australians and for working with its domestic counterpart, ASIO.
It is also asking for permission to conduct joint weapons training with agencies such as the Australian Federal Police or the CIA.
At present, ASIS's power to target Australians is strictly circumscribed, with the spy agency requiring special ministerial authority to snoop on citizens.
But in a submission to a joint parliamentary inquiry into national security laws, ASIS argues that regime has practical drawbacks, particularly as it relates to joint operations with the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

"While . . . agencies such as ASIS are primarily focused on foreign intelligence and ASIO is primarily focused on security intelligence, the reality is that these functions will often intersect and overlap," ASIS said.
"It is in Australia's national interest that where this occurs, Australia's foreign intelligence and security services are able to interact and work seamlessly together."
ASIS argues that while it is able to obtain emergency ministerial authority to spy on Australians for information that may assist ASIO, "the realities of operating in high-threat areas mean that the opportunity to act quickly on the basis of that authorisation may have been lost".
ASIS is seeking changes to the Intelligence Services Act that would allow it to obtain a warrant to conduct "particularly intrusive" operations against Australians overseas, such as phone taps.
The threshold for such a warrant would be the same as ASIO is currently required to meet.
ASIS has also asked the committee to expand the grounds for ministerial approval to include instances where it suspects Australian citizens may be threatening the security of ASIS's highly secret overseas operations.
"There are situations where ASIS is concerned about a threat to operational security involving an Australian person, but cannot seek ministerial authorisation to collect intelligence to properly assess that threats," the agency explained.
While ASIS officers and agents can carry weapons -- a power that was taken away in the wake of a botched training raid on the Sheraton Hotel in 1983 but reinstated in 2004 -- the agency is prohibited from training others in their use.
"This appears inconsistent with ASIS's ability to use weapons to protect others who are co-operating with ASIS . . . (and) at a practical level, this inconsistency restricts joint training exercises with close allies."
ASIS argues that the prohibition on joint training poses a risk to its officers, who are not familiar with the tactical habits of the agencies it co-operates with.
Among those ASIS is seeking closer co-operation with are the defence forces and the AFP as well as a "limited" number of overseas agencies, from the US, Britain, Canada and New Zealand.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/asis-asks-for-more-power-to-spy-on-us/story-fn59niix-1226579845082
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