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Perspectives

Is CSIS a den of racism and Islamophobia? No, but…

Ever since Michelle Shephard of the Toronto Star broke the news of a $35 million lawsuit by 5 CSIS employees I have agonised over what to write and even whether to write about this issue.  I turned down several requests for interviews from major Canadian TV networks and a few radio stations since I did […]

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Perspectives

CSIS and the courts at loggerheads?

These past couple of months have not been good for Canada’s spy service.  First, the Federal Court ruled that CSIS has been negligent in informing it of a programme whereby it ‘illegally kept’ data (which it had collected legally under warrant) on Canadians.  Then there is the criticism that the Service shared questions with the […]

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Perspectives

Why the US needs a CSIS for counter terrorism

I know for sure that this blog is going to raise some hackles, especially among my US friends and colleagues.  Why?  Because I am going to argue that the current US counter terrorism architecture is inadequate to deal with the threat and needs a serious overhaul.  The solution I am proposing, however, will go against […]

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Perspectives

CSIS and disruption

CSIS Director Michel Coulombe appeared before the Senate National Security and Defence Committee today and stated that his organisation has used its new disruption powers over twenty times since 2015.   This measure was controversial when introduced by the former Conservative government and is still seen by some as too strong for a service that […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

Foreign interference/influence is on the rise in Canada

Episode 347 – Alberta’s separation referendum is being targeted by both Russia and the US Just when you think you have heard enough about foreign interference in Canada something else pops up. This time, it is not about diaspora harassment or “police stations”, but whether Alberta will vote in a referendum to leave Canada. As […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

China is pushing its security model around the globe

Episode 346 – Why the West should be worried about China’s security ‘exports’ If you follow the news at all you know that China has been very aggressive over the past decade or so in trying to spread its influence internationally. Much of that is economic – think of the so-called Belt and Road Initiative […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

China is trying to erase Tibet from the map

Episode 345 – The PRC’s attempts to impose Han domination needs to be countered China is a big country – really big! It may no longer have the most people – it seems to have been passed by India in that regard – but it still exerts a lot of power and influence. Within the […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

The role of women in intelligence, in fiction and IRL

Episode 344 – The so-called ‘fairer sex’ had a long history in intelligence. James Bond. Jason Bourne. Jack Reacher. Johnny English. All men who have names starting with ‘J’ and all spies – at least of the fictional variety. Nary a female among them. Where are all the women in intelligence? They have played critical […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

The jihadi threat moves further into West Africa

Episode 343 – Is Cote d’Ivoire the next nation to fall to the scourge of Islamist extremism? Mali. Niger. Burkina Faso. Nigeria. All these Sahelian and West African states are beset by violence emanating from jihadi groups tied to Al Qaeda and Islamic State. A little further west, Togo, Benin and Senegal have also seen […]

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

Looks like the Taliban have made an enemy

Episode 342 – When you are as bad as the Taliban it should come as no surprise that some will rise up to oppose your pre-Medieval views Ah the Taliban, everyone’s favourite antediluvian misogynist jihadis. Not only have public executions been on the rise and the complete erasure of women and girls from any real […]