Author: Phil Gurski

I listened to a fascinating interview on CBC Radio’s The Current this morning (February 25) with former Google executive Wael Ghonim on the role that social media played in the Egyptian uprising of 2011.  Mr. Ghonim was the creator of the FaceBook page We are all Khaled Said, named after a young man brutally beaten […]

One of the more interesting promises made by the Canadian Liberal government has been the announcement of the creation of a national Office of Counter Radicalisation to be housed within the Department of Public Safety.  Minister Ralph Goodale made reference to this project again yesterday, noting that the office will work with communities and security […]

One of the more controversial laws enacted by the former Conservative government was C-24, a provision of which was the ability to revoke Canadian citizenship for those who are dual citizens (i.e. they hold documentation from another country: under international law you cannot be rendered stateless) and who have been convicted of terrorism, espionage or […]

The CSIS Director and RCMP Commissioner both appeared at a House of Commons public safety committee recently and provided Canadians with some useful information on the nature of the terrorist threat we face (story here).  Both agencies understandably work in secret – that is the only way they can do their jobs – but the […]

I have been listening to the debate in Parliament about the Canadian government’s decision to continue the mission in Syria and Iraq against Islamic State (IS) but pull back the CF-18s that have been contributing airstrikes since last year.  There have been passionate speeches and what I saw as sincere calls for the government to […]

I see that the US has undertaken airstrikes against the Libyan “province” of Islamic State (see article here).  The initial focus seem to be tied to targeting an individual behind two attacks  in Tunisia.  It is likely that more strikes will take place and it is even possible that Canada will get involved in this […]

When an act of terrorism or a serious act of violence takes place, many try to unpack or deconstruct the life, mentality and events surrounding the perpetrator. If we could only achieve a better understanding of why individuals commit violence, the thinking goes, perhaps we could create strategies to identify those at risk and act […]

Ever since the Edward Snowden allegations the world has been up in arms about what governments, and especially their security and intelligence agencies, do or can do about information gathering.  Snowden’s releases have convinced many that Big Brother is alive and well and that our privacy is gravely threatened.  It is all too easy, say […]

Twice in the last week I have read articles about the prevalence of right-wing extremism in Canada.  A study by two Simon Fraser University students claimed that there are 100 such groups “active” in this country (see a story on that report here) while a column in The Hill Times on February 15 says that […]

A friend and colleague, Dr. Amar Amarasingam, has reported some disturbing news of late.  Some of the young Canadian women who have gone to join Islamic State have given birth to babies in the self-styled “Caliphate”, in essence baby warriors (IS calls young mujahideen “lion cubs”, a reflection of its belief that jihadis are the […]