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Phil in the media

NewsTalk1010 – Tensions rising in Middle East in wake of drone strike on Iranian General Qassem Soleimani

The assassination of IRGC General Soleimani in a US airstrike will make terrorism worse, not better, and takes our eye off a larger threat: Sunni terrorism.

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Perspectives

Why going after Iran to compensate 9/11 victims’ families means we have entered the Twilight Zone

There are times I read something and stop suddenly, asking myself “did I read that right?”, or “did I somehow get the message wrong?” Perhaps I skipped over the text and missed some detail (like yesterday when I thought I had a conference call that day which is actually taking place May 1). Maybe I […]

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Perspectives

The US terrorism obsession on Iran is blinding it to the real threat – Saudi Arabia

I see that the US State Department has elected to list the Pasdaran – the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC – as a “foreign terrorist organisation/state sponsor of terrorism”. In a tit for tat move, Iranian lawmakers have prepared legislation that would label the US military as a terrorist group, according to Iran’s state-run […]

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Perspectives

Was the Iranian revolution really the catalyst for modern religious extremism? Nope.

In case you didn’t notice – or don’t care – today marks the 40th anniversary of the Iranian revolution. It was this day in 1979 that the Ayatollah Khomeini-led revolt against the Shah of Iran consolidated victory in what became known as the Dah-e-fajr (the ‘ten days of dawn’ in Farsi, the period between Khomeini’s […]

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Perspectives

Yes, Iran can be a victim of terrorism too

Word association test time!   Quick, what is the first thing that comes into mind when I give you the word…..Iran.  Rogue state?  Terrorist sponsor?  Religious fanaticism?  How about terrorist victim? Wait, what?  Iran as a victim and not a sponsor of terrorism? No, that can’t be!  You must have your facts wrong or you must […]

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Perspectives

A few thoughts on the US decision to axe the Iranian nuclear deal

This piece was published in The Hill Times on May 14, 2018. I must confess that I hesitated quite a bit before putting pen to paper (fingers to keyboard?) on this topic.  I was sitting in a Maple Leaf lounge at LaGuardia Airport in New York when CNN broadcast its ‘breaking news’ coverage of US […]

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Perspectives

Who should we worry about more: Saudi Arabia or Iran?

I bet some of you are wondering why this blog post is being written, in light of the title.  Surely, you are probably saying, there is no contest.  Iran meddles in the affairs of other countries, supports terrorist groups like Hamas and Hizballah and is trying to acquire nuclear weapons.  And then there is that […]

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Perspectives

Is the Beijing Regime Ramping Up Cyber Operations in Canada?

This piece first appeared in The Epoch Times Canada on March 15, 2025. Ah, the internet and social media! Thanks to one of the greatest developments in communications history, we have at our disposal a series of tools that should, in theory at least, have led to the promotion and sharing of a near-infinite treasure […]

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Perspectives

Liberals’ Rules Allowing Foreign Nationals to Vote in Leadership Contest Makes Chinese Interference Too Easy

This piece appeared first in The Epoch Times Canada on January 8, 2025. Well, the inevitable has happened. After months of speculation, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emulated his father, took a walk in the snow (it may not have been actually snowing in Ottawa on Jan. 6 but it was extremely cold!), and announced his […]

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Perspectives

What Are the Implications of a Canadian ‘Link’ to the New Orleans Attack?

This piece first appeared in The Epoch Times Canada on January 6, 2025. Those who toil in national security in Canada have one primary task: to keep our country safe from a plethora of threats. These range from garden-variety criminality (assaults, thefts, fraud, and acts of violence, all of which are tied to public safety […]