“Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” According to Google, this famous phrase was uttered either by Anglo-Irish statesman Edmund Burke or former Minnesota governor and ex-WWF wrestler Jesse Ventura. I’ll go with Burke. What is more disconcerting is when we forget our history that happened, say, 4 years ago. Remember the […]
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It’s the message, not the messenger
There is no question that in the war of ideas between us and the terrorists we are not winning, despite the fact that the odds are so much in our favour. Our way of life is so superior to that of the terrorists that this should not really be a contest and I shouldn’t have […]
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When is fear acceptable?
As the number and lethality of terrorist attacks appear to be on the upswing (whether they are or not in reality is not important since perception seems to trump facts when it comes to terrorism), fear is also rising. I have already blogged about the decision by an Alberta school board to cancel international trips […]
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IS on the brain
It had to happen eventually. With all the attention on Islamic State – the attacks in Paris and California, the airstrikes, the recruitment of Westerners – it was just a matter of time before this came out: “93 secret ISIS cells in US” Was this an exclusive of the New York Times? Washington Post? Wall […]
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In search of expertise
This blog entry may get snarky at times and for that I apologise in advance. But there are a few things I have noticed of late.
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Terrorism and life
As we sift through the carnage and horror of last Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris we are already seeing the ugly underside that humans all too frequently exhibit. Republican candidate Donald Trump calls for American mosques to be closed. Other presidential hopefuls, and several state governors, have stated that will stop Syrian refugees from being […]
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Lessons from France – part 1
In the wake of the attacks in Paris on November 13, we have already seen a wide variety of responses on what this all means and what do we do now. French President Hollande has called the barbarity an act of war and vowed a crushing reply to the Islamic State. We shall see what […]
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Brothers in arms?
Last week I was asked to speak at the Canadian Military Intelligence Association annual conference in Ottawa. The speakers’ list included the Canadian National Security Advisor (and former Director of CSIS) Richard Fadden and Chief of Defence Staff General Vance. The day was well attended by members of the Canadian intelligence community. On the tables […]
Recognizing Al Qaeda-Inspired radicalization and terrorism in the West This textbook examines what drives Al Qaeda-inspired radicalization to violence, how to detect it, and how to confront it. The chapters discuss behaviors and ideologies that are observable and tangible in radicalized individuals or those on the path to violent radicalization. These behaviors are drawn from […]
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Terrorist back scratching
When we study and analyse terrorist groups, we tend to look at them in categories – Islamist, right-wing, nationalist, single issue, etc. – rather than as a whole. True, eminent scholars such as David Rappoport have written magisterial works that examine multiple terrorist strands across time, but the current trend is to put boundaries around […]