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 246 – The gun that killed Thomas Darcy McGee, father of Canadian Confederation There are undoubtedly many artifacts of historical importance that have gone missing, and the discovery of such is a meaningful event. The fact that the gun believed to have killed a leading Canadian politician shortly after the country’s independence went missing […]
Episode 245 – Is jihad hip and cool? If there is one thing that is consistent it is the tendency of youth to piss off their parents. They engage in activities that make the older generation pull their hair out. Do young people join terrorist groups for similar reasons? Is the Internet a game-changer? Borealis […]
Episode 244 – When French Canadian separatists terrorised Quebec We in Canada brag about being the ‘peaceable kingdom’ (as it turns out the title of my latest book on terrorism!). But not that long ago, a group of Quebecers, seeking independence for the province from Canada, engaged in a bombing campaign for years that culminated […]
Episode 243 – From the European frying pan into the Russian fire in Africa That European nations did awful things in Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries is indisputable (that they did some good things too seems to be overlooked). As a consequence, many nations want nothing to do with these countries now. Oddly, […]
Episode 242 – The Battle of Britain and Canadian airmen’s role in it If there is a battle which is iconic in world history it is the Battle of Britain. In the summer of 1940 the German Luftwaffe tried to destroy Britain’s air force in the lead-up to an invasion of England. The dogfights and […]
Israel’s elimination of Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the Lebanese Shia terrorist group Hizballah, is a huge blow to the organisation but is it fatal?
All professions need to regenerate themselves over time. So how do we in the intelligence community ensure that we have a steady stream of outstanding candidates?
Africa is rapidly becoming jihad central for many terrorist groups and the threat may not be limited to the region
Countries which get more intelligence than they give cannot afford to abandon sharing with international partners
Warrants are very hard to acquire in Canada and misinformation over their use can lead to intra-community tension and misunderstanding