CSIS chief defends his spies' work after PM casts doubt on reliability of agency's reports

The head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service appeared before the foreign interference inquiry Friday to defend his agency's work, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested he sometimes doubts the reliability of CSIS reports.

'«There's been a lot of comments made about the intelligence in the media and in commission,» CSIS Director David Vigneault told the inquiry Friday morning.

«Intelligence is a little like a puzzle. Sometimes we have a very clear picture of the puzzle. Sometimes, through the use of raw intelligence and assessed intelligence, we are building that picture, but what is important to remember is that this is done by professional, trained intelligence analysts and professionals that are bringing this together.»

His comments could be interpreted as a response to Trudeau's high-profile testimony before the inquiry earlier this week. The prime minister said Wednesday he hasn't always trusted the intelligence CSIS shares with him — including a report suggesting China may have interfered in a Liberal nomination contest.

«I didn't feel there was sufficient or sufficiently credible information that would justify this very significant step as to remove a candidate,» Trudeau said earlier this week.

The fact-finding stage of the inquiry was supposed to wrap up on Wednesday, but Vigneault was recalled after multiple witnesses suggested they were not briefed by CSIS on specifics regarding intelligence it gathered on Chinese election interference.

As his hour in the hot seat came to an end, Vigneault — who acknowledges he's not always comfortable speaking publicly — asked Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue for permission to speak.

«I would like to leave you, Madame Commissioner and Canadians, with the message that