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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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 […]
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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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 […]
Season 3 Episode 24 – Hey Gorka! Canadian (foot)balls are bigger than US (foot)balls! With Al’s triumphant return from wherever he was – don’t ask, don’t tell! – the lads weigh in on Canada’s joke of a citizenship removal system despite obvious fraud and terrorism links, the US counter-terrorism ?strategy? that somehow missed all the […]
Quick Hits Episode 276 – Is the Alberta referendum on separation open to influence from outside powers or not? Canada is sorrily used to talk of separation. We went through two referendums (referenda? neverendums?) on Quebec independence in the 1980s and 1990s and are now faced with a possible vote to split in Alberta. That […]
Episode 329 – How easy is it to create a terrorist group? You would think the world already has enough terrorist groups. While jihadi ones like Al Qaeda and Islamic State – and their affiliates, provinces and wannabes – predominate, there are others out there as well. And in what is an interesting development, new […]
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Don’t break the China!
Spies Like Us Season 3 Episode 23 – Mark our words: China is a big threat to Canada! After a short hiatus the Al-less boys – does this make us a duet – are back and it’s all about China. Neil and Phil talk with Canada’s top Sinologist (that means China watcher for you non-China […]
Episode 328 – Violence abroad rarely stays abroad Well, the world is in a state these days, isn’t it? War in Iran. War in Gaza. War in Lebanon. Closure of the Straits of Hormuz. An ongoing civil war in Yemen. And that is just the Middle East! When it comes to terrorism in the West, […]
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Where are all the dead terrorists?
Episode 275 – Why we need to take government claims of counter terrorism success with a grain of salt Terrorist groups come and go, like just about everything else. And yet, some seem to last a long time, pronouncements of their deaths notwithstanding (I want to channel my inner Mark Twain here but…). Boko Haram […]