On November 13, 2015 I was in France, Paris to be precise. If that date reminds you of something, let me refresh your memory. That was of course the day – or more accurately the evening – when a group of Islamist terrorists struck in the core of the country’s capital, attacking the national sports […]
Category: Perspectives
This piece appeared in The Hill Times on September 24, 2018. We are now in year 17 of the ‘war on terrorism’. After the catastrophic terrorist attacks on the US on September 11, 2001 the US, and many of its allies, declared war on violent extremism. The initial effort to locate and punish the perpetrators […]
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 – […]
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 […]
Categories
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 […]