Search: “CSIS”

Canadians are funny people.  I don’t mean funny ha-ha although we do have a pretty good track record of comedians (Jim Carey, Mike Myers, Samantha Bee, John Candy, Catherine O’Hara – I am sure I am missing other great comics).  I mean we want our security and intelligence agencies to stop terrorism but we don’t […]

First of all kudos to the Trudeau government for its recent announcement on funding for counter radicalisation and community engagement.  $35 million over five years is an excellent start and, although details are wanting, the government sees the new “Office of the Community Outreach and Counter Radicalisation Coordinator” as a leadership post for Canada’s efforts. This […]

In the wake of the horrendous attacks in Brussels this week, there has been a cascade of stories, op-ed pieces and analyses of the event, ranging from why Belgian security services did not prevent it to whether more are on their way.  Political scientist, sociologists and even a few former spies have weighed in, and […]

I learned a long time ago not to jump to conclusions based on very little information (a cardinal sin in intelligence analysis).  Hence some of this post will be tenuous in nature.  I am writing of course on the attack at a Canadian Armed Forces recruiting centre in Toronto on March 14th in which a knife-wielding […]

It is often a difficult question for governments to decide which activities to allow and which to ban. There are clear cases where certain actions should not be tolerated, like murder for instance, and we have laws to take care of those.  Some argue, however, that governments should just stay out of our lives, that […]

One of the more interesting promises made by the Canadian Liberal government has been the announcement of the creation of a national Office of Counter Radicalisation to be housed within the Department of Public Safety.  Minister Ralph Goodale made reference to this project again yesterday, noting that the office will work with communities and security […]

The CSIS Director and RCMP Commissioner both appeared at a House of Commons public safety committee recently and provided Canadians with some useful information on the nature of the terrorist threat we face (story here).  Both agencies understandably work in secret – that is the only way they can do their jobs – but the […]

Ever since the Edward Snowden allegations the world has been up in arms about what governments, and especially their security and intelligence agencies, do or can do about information gathering.  Snowden’s releases have convinced many that Big Brother is alive and well and that our privacy is gravely threatened.  It is all too easy, say […]

Anyone who has taken a serious look at individuals who radicalise to violence, or at least those who do so in accordance with the Al Qaeda or Islamic State narrative, know that trying to nail down a profile is pointless, for the simple reason that there is none.  Regardless of the factor or data point […]