Borealis Threat & Risk Consulting
In this podcast, retired Canadian intelligence analyst Phil Gurski discusses the subject of terrorism: what it is (and isn’t), trends, developments and more. Author of six books on terrorism, Phil is not shy to wade into controversial matters and provide his perspective honed from more than three decades in intelligence.
Episode 264 – Is Iran on the brink of collapse? If there is one country that has been at the forefront of terrorism and international meddling it is Iran. Since the revolution of 1979, in which a Shia fundamentalist regime replaced the monarchy, it has been a prime sponsor of terrorist groups such as Hamas, […]
Episode 263 – The UAE is punching well above its weight in counter-terrorism, but to what end? The UAE is perhaps best known for its financial strength and glittering skyscrapers, including the Burj Al Khalifa, currently the tallest structure in the world. It is not generally known for its diplomacy or, more worryingly, counter terrorism […]
Episode 262 – Why is the UK so threatened by jihadis? The UK has always been a close ally of us here in Canada, no more so than on the intelligence front. So much is shared and this enables both countries to ensure their safety. But when it comes to threat levels, the UK is […]
Episode 262 – Terrorist deaths remain high around the world and jihadis are responsible for most of them That terrorism is a daily phenomenon somewhere in the world in any given 24-hour period should come as a surprise to no one who follows the news. Tracking terrorist attacks and groups is a full-time job, however. […]
Episode 261 – If you want to understand a violent ideology what better source than those who practice it? Over the past quarter century a lot has been written about terrorism and why people embrace violent ideologies. Much of this literature is academic in nature but some is very practical in nature. Borealis talks to […]
Episode 260 – Election observers as protectors of democracy Elections are the bedrock of democracy. Having free, fair, unfettered opportunities to choose one’s leaders is a privilege that not enough people on earth enjoy. There are, however, countries which claim to hold elections which are neither free nor fair. To try to monitor these occasions, […]
Episode 259 – Has terrorism as a concept run its course? Of all the UK counter-terrorism initiatives, the ‘early detection’ efforts (known as PREVENT and Channel) have been quite controversial. One of the problems lies with how we define terrorism and thus what the public should do to help authorities stop terrorist acts from occurring. […]
Episode 258 – Canada needs to step up its far north game We in the Great White North proudly describe ourselves as an “Arctic” nation. In truth, we have a large portion of that part of the globe, which is lightly inhabited, but is increasingly becoming strategic in the face of global warming. Most Canadians, […]
Episode 257 – How to tell non-violent ‘radicals’ from the violent ones The field of ‘radicalisation’ studies has been growing quickly, especially since 9/11. Practitioners and academics have seen this process as a precursor to the actual execution of acts of terrorism. But most of those who radicalise never move on to action? Why not? […]
Episode 256 – Why is Africa rife with jihadi groups? Last year the Global Terrorism Index for the first time put an African nation, Burkina Faso, at the top of its list of terrorist attacks. A phenomenon most associate with the Middle East (and West Asia: think Pakistan and Afghanistan) is now increasingly dominated by […]