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Quick Hits

The curious case of the ISIS plot in Ottawa that got ignored by Canadian media

A recent ISIS plot to attack a university in Ottawa by an Alaskan man got attention in the US but not Canada – why?

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Quick Hits

When it is ok to talk to terrorist groups?

The belief that we should never talk to terrorists under any circumstances gets dicey when we are talking about saving people from starvation.

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Why are Canadian courts so inconsistent when it comes to terrorism?

A recent US court decision to sentence a Canadian ISIS jihadi to life behind bars highlights the differences in terrorism cases on either side of the 49th parallel.

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The linguistic flimflammery of terrorism language

There are many social ills we need to deal with urgently, including terrorism. It’s too bad some of us cannot seem to call it what it is

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Terrorism and terrifying acts are not synonymous

Many things are terrifying in our world but that does not mean that every single terrifying act is an act of terrorism

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So, who ‘dropped the ball’ on the terrorist attack in Norway?

Security intelligence services investigate thousands of people to a variety of levels: can we then blame them when things go awry and attacks occur?

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We need to stop jumping the gun on terrorism in the absence of facts

The Oslo, Norway shootings have evoked memories of the 2011 Breivik massacre and ties to RWE: but what do we know so far?

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Those who accuse others of blasphemy can become terrorists

Those who still believe blasphemy is a sin and seek to kill those who engage in it are nothing but terrorists

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You have to act on intelligence even if it is uncorroborated

Just because intel turns out to be bogus does not mean it should not have led to certain decisions in the first place

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Quick Hits

No, warrant processes are not ‘racist’

Allegations that CSIS applies for a court warrant out of ‘systemic racism’ are ridiculous and point to worrying ignorance of how our spies operate