I am trying very hard not to sound like a broken record (maybe it is time to update that analogy: like a CD that skips – or does no one besides me listen to CDs anymore?) but a recent news item has me very angry and makes me have to talk – once again – […]
Author: Phil Gurski
Phil Gurski is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. Phil is a 32-year veteran of CSE and CSIS and the author of six books on terrorism.
If there is one agency that has not done too well, at least not publicly, since 9/11 it is the US’ CIA. From failing to have the right people and resources in place to prevent those terrorist acts from happening to the news over the use of torture and ‘black sites’, the Agency – as […]
Word association test time! Quick, what is the first thing that comes into mind when I give you the word…..Iran. Rogue state? Terrorist sponsor? Religious fanaticism? How about terrorist victim? Wait, what? Iran as a victim and not a sponsor of terrorism? No, that can’t be! You must have your facts wrong or you must […]
This piece appeared in The Hill Times on September 17, 2018. At the risk of engaging in pure self promotion I would like to announce that my fourth book on terrorism, entitled “An end to the ‘war on terrorism’”, is coming out later this month (for those in Ottawa who are interested I will be […]
When you work in security intelligence or law enforcement showing up late is usually a very bad thing. I am not talking about a neighbourhood party or a movie but rather getting to the scene of a crime or identifying a terrorist cell AFTER the act has been carried out. When that happens, people have […]
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What’s with Islamophobia in Quebec?
This piece appeared in The Hill Times on September 10, 2018 “Islam should be banned like we ban pit bulls”. You read that right. This was a Twitter post by an erstwhile candidate for the Parti Quebecois in the upcoming Quebec election. Suffice to say he is no longer on the PQ slate. But let […]
A very interesting report was just issued by the START center of excellence on terrorism at the University of Maryland on violent extremist trends in 2017. It is worth a read. Here are some good news highlights: The total number of terrorist attacks worldwide in 2017 decreased by 23 percent and total deaths due to […]
Branding is important. Companies spend tens of millions on advertising campaigns to get people to recognise them and buy their products. Even as a one-man band I know how crucial it is to get the name of my consulting firm, Borealis, out there so that potential clients find out about me, what I can provide […]
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word ‘mercenary’? My guess is nothing good. Mercenaries tend to evoke images of men who fight for all the wrong reasons – lucre/money, a need to be active, perhaps a love for violence. They certainly do not have a great reputation, at […]
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Terrorism is cheap: get used to it.
How much money do you carry in your wallet? If you are Canadian not much. We are apparently the world’s most frequent users of debit, followed by the Swedes. So I guess not much then. Before the dawn of debit, though, I would wager that most people carried $60-100 on them at any given time. […]