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Harper’s Hyper Bowl

Our prime minister is quoted as saying that “jihadi terrorism is one of the most dangerous enemies our world has ever faced” (see article here). Really? Bigger than the threat of MAD during the Cold War? Bigger than the Nazi onslaught of the 1930s and 1940s? More dangerous than climate change or run-of-the-mill violence?  (homework […]

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Passport to freedom?

In the aftermath of the arrests of 10 Quebecers at Pierre Elliot Trudeau airport last weekend, the government has confiscated the passports of what it calls terrorism suspects (see story here).  Without passports, the aspiring youth cannot leave Canada (unless of course they procure false documentation). So, is this the best way to deal with […]

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risky business

One of the more futile pursuits in the field of terrorism studies is that of trying to determine why some people radicalize to violence and others don’t.  There have been many cases where some individuals in a given group (social, family, religious, etc.) go down the path to violence while others stay away.  We are […]

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Another annoying selfie

I have often noted in my presentations that the terrorism analysis business is booming – pun intended.  By some estimates, more than 10,000 books on terrorism have been published since 9/11, and that is just counting the English-language ones. Many of these books are excellent and insightful: some are atrocious.  The same can be said for […]

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Welcome back Khadr? (with apologies to Elizabeth May)

I know, I know.  Not another op-ed piece on Omar Khadr, Canada’s most famous child soldier or terrorist scion (take your pick).  There are probably few Canadians more controversial or more polarizing than the son of a former (i.e. deceased) Al Qaeda lieutenant. What more can be said?  His family pedigree is well known (the […]

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Perspectives

Rusty spring

Reality has a nagging habit of interfering with theory and the last few years have shown quite clearly that early jubilation has yielded to despair as civil wars and insurgencies have arisen in Libya, Yemen, Syria and there is an unquestionable lack of freedom in many other countries.