Daniel Jean, Canada’s top spymaster and the official who called a spade a spade by saying that “rogue elements” in the Indian establishment tried to sabotage Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit in February, is saying good bye to a long career in the intelligence service and will retire later this month.
TORONTO – Daniel Jean, Canada’s top spymaster and the official who called a spade a spade by saying that “rogue elements” in the Indian establishment tried to sabotage Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit in February, is saying good bye to a long career in the intelligence service and will retire later this month.
He will be replaced as the National Security and Intelligence Advisor by the current cyber-security chief, Greta Bossenmaier.
Jean’s decision to retire was made the decision in January, prior to the whole Jaspal Atwal affair where the spymaster was frank about who was behind Atwal showing up at Trudeau’s events in India and who may have put him up to it.
Atwal, a former Khalistani militant, was convicted of attempting to assassinate a visiting minister from Punjab in the mid-1980s. He caused serious embarrassment to Trudeau during the course of the disastrous trip to India, when Atwal appeared at an official reception for the Canadian prime minister in Mumbai and was also invited to another event at the Canadian envoy’s residence in New Delhi.
While the latter invite was rescinded, it was only after Canadian media was awash with the expose, one that left its government red-faced. At that time, Jean had briefed select Canadian journalists, alleging that rogue factions within the Indian establishment had planted Atwal in India to sabotage Trudeau’s visit.
Later, Trudeau backed Jean in the House of Commons, further hurting ties between New Delhi and Ottawa.
Jean’s replacement as NSA, Greta Bossenmaier, has a long track record in the national security establishment. She has been chief of Canada’s Communications Security Establishment since February 2015.
Before that, she worked in various capacities, and among her postings were those at the Canada Border Services Agency and the departments of national defence and foreign affairs and international trade. She will assume charge as NSA on May 23.
