Yesterday the world was forced to face yet again the possible spectre of terrorism. An EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo suddenly plummeted into the Mediterranean near the border between Greek and Egyptian airspace, after having taken some unexpected turns. The cause of the accident remains unclear. I have long argued against what I call […]
After years of discussions and calls for action, it looks as if the Canadian government is finally getting serious about establishing meaningful Parliamentary oversight for its intelligence agencies. Canada is the laggard in this respect since its main allies (the so-called “5 Eyes” community – Australia, New Zealand, the US and the UK are the […]
Foreign policy is tough. I say that not with any hands-on experience as a former foreign affairs officer but as a former intelligence analyst who worked alongside many people at GAC (Global Affairs Canada, formerly DFATD, formerly DFAIT, formerly EAC, formerly…) on international security issues. I learned that Canada has a very good reputation internationally […]
A lot of people and a lot of governments are getting tired of the so-called “War on Terrorism”. More and more attacks seem to be happening all the time. What we used to think was a problem “over there” is now “over here”: Brussels, Paris, San Bernardino, Ottawa… We cannot seem to get away from […]
One of the more interesting – and controversial – topics that came up at the Wilton Park conference on religion and radicalisation last month was the news that the UK is revisiting its counter terrorism strategy to include rules on how to deal with extremism that is not necessarily violent. We have been inured to […]
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What should be done about C-51?
There have been few bills in recent years in this country that have been so debated – and so vilified – as C-51, an ambitious bill passed during the last Parliament by the former governing Conservatives to change how national security is protected in Canada. The bill became law thanks to the majority Harper government […]
In the Western world we tend to separate out young criminals, or offenders, from older ones. There is probably a great deal of variation in what constitutes “young”: in Canada, the Youth Criminal Justice Act covers crimes up to the age of 18. Those convicted are treated differently than adults in keeping with scientific evidence […]
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Does terror profiling work?
We’ve all heard the phrase “flying while Muslim”, a reality that underscores the sorry state of affairs in Western societies in the post 9/11 period. Muslims are disproportionately singled out for special attention at airports and elsewhere. The genuine concern over terrorism, which is real and not some state-driven campaign to garner support, has given […]
Having just spent two and a half days with religious leaders, civil society activists, policy makers and bureaucrats from around the world at Wilton Park in Sussex, there were so many topics and perspectives presented that I will likely have to write several blogs to cover the richness of the material and the subsequent thoughts […]
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Islam and terrorism
The rolling hills of West Sussex provide a beautiful backdrop for just about any activity. I have just returned from a two and a half day conference at Wiston House (Wilton Park) at which 50 people were charged with looking at the relationship between religion and radicalisation. An emotional and difficult topic to be sure […]