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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

The journey from military practitioner to author

Episode 271 – Why practitioners can make good writers Yes I am biased – as a 32-year veteran of intelligence – but I do think (ex)-practitioners have a lot to say when it comes to national security and international affairs. Those who were ‘at the coalface’ have a lot to say and have the advantage […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

The (in)humanity of war drones

Episode 270 – Is drone warfare changing how we see armed conflict? If the war in Ukraine is teaching us anything it is that drones – both surveillance ones as well as those that fire missiles at the enemy – are changing the landscape. Their small size, cheapness (i.e. they are not expensive to build […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

Just how bad is anti-Semitism getting in the West?

Episode 269 – Post October 2023 Hamas attack violence against Jews is growing The Hamas incursion into southern Israel on October 7, 2023 was a horrendous blow to that nation and proportionately bigger than 9/11. And yet, unlike the attack on the US, it was celebrated by many in the West as a legitimate action. […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

What are the terrorist trends in France?

Episode 268 – France appears to suffer from a much higher terrorist threat than other Western nations Of all the nations normally associated with the ‘West’, France is the one which seems to dominate the headlines when it comes to terrorism. Bataclan/Stade de France (2015), Nice (2016), Charlie Hebdo, teacher beheadings…the list goes on and […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

Are Russian mercenaries Africa’s counter-terrorism saviours?

Episode 265 – It is best to look a gift Russian mercenary in the mouth Fighting terrorists is hard work. Many countries have sought alliances, both political and military, to pool resources to engage in this struggle. In some cases, allies have been kicked out, only to be replaced by brutal criminal gangs – a.k.a. […]

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Podcast Quick Hits

Want to fight disinformation? Be a spy!

Episode 262 – How the average Canadian can become educated about efforts to undermine our democracy We are drowning in information at a rate unprecedented in human history. That is a good thing, to an extent. Unfortunately, we are also inundated with mis- and disinformation, including efforts by outside powers to influence populations. This nefarious […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

Are UAE actions in Africa helpful?

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 […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

Just how bad is the terrorism problem in the UK?

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 […]

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Podcast Quick Hits

How much of a threat does the US pivot towards Russia pose to the West?

Episode 261 – Is anyone else weirded out by Trump’s embrace of Russia? The Cold War may seem like a historic artifact to many these days but the threat from Russia, much like the threat from the former Soviet Union and its allies, is growing once again (if it ever really diminished). One would think […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

Are we defining terrorism too narrowly…or too broadly?

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. […]