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Perspectives

Why did it take Canada so long to list a far right terrorist group?

Canada’s ‘listed terrorist entities’ program is an odd beast. It only came into force after 9/11 and that is odd in that terrorist groups certainly existed prior to that day. As we all know, however, 9/11 changed EVERYTHING when it comes to our reaction and responses to terrorism and I suppose the list was just […]

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Perspectives

More information on the Intelligent Look at Terrorism podcasts

Where to listen to the latest episodes.

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Perspectives

The mental illness-terrorism nexus and the need to train Canadian judges on what terrorism is

If there is one myth about terrorism and terrorists that is really hard to shake it has to be the belief among many that those who engage in political or ideological violence must be mentally ill. After all, who in their right mind would don a suicide vest or run with a knife towards police […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

Podcast 12 – Buddhist extremism

In our continuing series on religious terrorism it is time to look at Buddhist extremist violence. Yes, you read that right: Buddhists advocating killing. Have a listen!

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Perspectives

Is it that important to lay terrorism charges for acts of terrorism?

This piece appeared in The Hill Times on June 17, 2019. It might strike the reader as odd that someone with so much invested in counter terrorism is here making the suggestion that we need to worry less about terrorism. After all, if we stopped spending so much time talking about it, wouldn’t that put […]

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Perspectives

Just because a tiny number of refugees are bad does not mean Canada should not open its doors to them

How many of you remember when Canadian PM Justin Trudeau greeted Syrian refugees a few years back at Pearson Airport in Toronto with the phrase “You are home”? Some may have seen this as a cynical ploy and there were certainly those who criticised him for telling refugees that Canada would welcome them, especially as […]

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Perspectives

Where are all the terrorist attacks in Canada?

In an era, the so-called post 9-11 age, where we are obsessed with terrorism we have a very awkward question to answer, if you happen to be a Canadian (or an American I think): where are all the terrorist attacks? If terrorism is all that prevalent, as we have been led to believe, and it […]

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Perspectives

We need to use the term genocide carefully before it loses all meaning – and impact

This piece appeared in The Hill Times on June 10, 2019. Boy am I ever going to get some flack from this post. I intend to take issue with some of the findings of the Canadian inquiry into the murder and disappearance of First Nations women, more specifically the use of the term ‘genocide’. For […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

Podcast 11 – Hindu terrorism

When we talk about terrorism we almost always focus on Islamist extremism. Are there other religions that use terrorism? Yes, there are!

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Perspectives

Former Guantanamo Bay inmates still a hot topic…in Canada

This piece appeared in The Hill Times on June 3, 2019 Canada had nothing to do with the US decision to use the anachronistic Guantanamo Bay military camp in Cuba as a highly controversial – if not internationally illegal – detention centre for suspected terrorists. That people alleged to have been linked to terrorist groups […]