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Perspectives

October 8, 2002: Al Qaeda attack in Kuwait

Two AQ terrorists attacked unarmed US Marines engaged in exercises on Kuwait’s Failaka Island in 2002, killing one and wounding one.

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

Podcast 30 – Counter terrorism expert discusses with former Al Qaeda top bomb maker

What happens when you gather together a former Al Qaeda bombmaker, a guy who wanted to be a monk and a former CSIS analyst to talk about terrorism?

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Perspectives

Remember Al Qaeda? It’s baaaacckkk!

When you have been at war with something for almost two decades it is important to declare ‘victory’ at some point. Those whose support you – i.e. the public/taxpayer – need and want to see some results for the actions they are backstopping. Fighting for years with no sense that you are winning is a […]

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Perspectives

Podcast #4 – W(h)ither Al Qaeda?

Here is the script that accompanies episode #4 of the podcast “An Intelligent Look at Terrorism”: W(h)ither Al Qaeda? There are a lot of good pieces on the status of Al Qaeda and here are links to a few of them: https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/08/opinions/where-is-bin-ladens-partner-in-crime-ayman-al-zawahiri/index.html https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/trump-isis-syria-iraq-iran-terror-islamic-state-washington-a8769936.html https://ctc.usma.edu/fighting-the-long-war-the-evolution-of-al-qaida-in-the-arabian-peninsula/ Here is a piece on the assessment of the Office of […]

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Perspectives

No, Al Qaeda never went away

Ready for a “where were you when…?”  question?  I launched my first book last week in Ottawa and my host, the CBC’s Hannah Thibedeau, asked me what my favourite part of ‘An end to the war on terrorism‘ was.  She had warned me she was going to throw that one at me so I had […]

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Perspectives

New Orleans Attack Signifies That Groups Like ISIS and Al-Qaeda Are Still Very Much a Threat

This piece first appeared in The Epoch Times Canada on January 6, 2025. For many around the world, the transition from one year to another is something to celebrate. We usually engage in reviews of the previous 365 days, make resolutions for the next, and party with our friends or attend events to ring in […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh!

Talking with Jesse Morton, former Al-Qaeda recruiter in the US

Episode 106 – A fascinating conversation with Jesse Morton, former to Al Qaeda recruiter in the US

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

What is the role of a foreign ministry in national security?

Episode 307 – Can diplomats play a key part in intelligence gathering? When we think of intelligence we normally go to spy agencies, be they those which run human sources, collect signals, or do surveillance (on the ground or in the air/space). And yet the people we send abroad as diplomats have access to a […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

How is AI posing a challenge to policing?

Episode 306 – How much are bad guys taking advantage of AI? You cannot read just about anything these days and not come across the role of AI in everything. We may not be able to agree on whether this new technology is good or bad, but it is not going away. Like all new […]

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Perspectives

New podcast! ‘I, Spy: An intelligent take on national security’

I am very excited to announce the start of a new podcast in January 2026. Called ‘I, Spy: An intelligent take on national security’, this 20-30 minute video will delve into some of the most urgent issues in national security around the world. Whether it is terrorism, espionage, sabotage, foreign interference, transnational repression or other […]