In 1866 the Société Linguistique de Paris included in its constitution the notice that it would not entertain any more research on the tricky question of the origin of language. At that time there was a lot of speculation on this issue, much of it iffy at best, and it was decided that linguistic science […]
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Who should do CVE?
The fight against terrorism is multi-faceted. As we are seeing in Mosul as I write, forces from a number of countries, including Canada, are heavily involved in an effort to take back Iraq’s second largest city from Islamic State. Security intelligence agencies such as my former employer, CSIS, play a vital role in carrying out […]
One of the main reasons I like to lecture at universities is that I find young people a breath of fresh air. They are not as jaded as old farts like me and are not afraid to ask questions and challenge assumptions. They may not be that knowledgeable on any given topic but they are […]
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Apocalypse not yet
Terrorist groups are really good at telling a story. This skill contributes to what we call narrative: a worldview that explains why a group does something, provides meaning and helps to draw others in. Islamist extremists in particular have crafted what we call the “Single Narrative”, a wide historical and current canvas in which the […]
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What’s up with all the Islamophobia?
I have a fear of heights. This fear makes it hard for me even to climb ladders. I know it sounds silly and irrational but that is what fears often are – irrational. Yes, some fears are valid and they do serve a purpose – for example a fear for snakes and spiders as some […]
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What is the US doing in Yemen?
If there is one thing we know about terrorism it is that what we do – or what we don’t do – has a real chance of effecting what terrorist groups do. For terrorist groups are really good at telling the world why they use violence and usually place the blame for their carnage on […]
Big data is everything these days. There is absolutely no question that there is more information out there than ever before and more ways to collect it. Everyone from companies to police forces are getting into the game with a view to earning more money or making their jobs easier and more efficient. Nor is […]
One thing I have learned over three decades of working in intelligence and counter terrorism is that perspective matters. As an analyst one of the gravest sins you can commit is to give in to what is called “mirror imaging”, the erroneous belief that everyone thinks like you do. When you do that, you are […]
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Is freedom of speech untouchable?
I must confess that I am feeling a little frustrated with my US friends these days. There is a lot to admire in the US of A and that is why so many people want to move there. True, they have their problems, and they have Donald Trump, but don’t we all (except for Trump […]
In the ill-named “war on terror” small victories, let alone crushing ones, are hard to find. It seems that no matter how many terrorists we kill more rise up like the warriors that sprang from dragon’s teeth in Greek mythology and we see more attacks (one more today in Jerusalem). So it is little wonder […]