Phil was invited to the Realpolitik podcast. Listen to this chat on the war on terror and lessons in counterterrorism policy
Search: “counterterrorism”
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How far do we expect or allow national security agencies to go in stopping violent extremism?
Episode 356 – We do NOT need more terrorist group listings! In its never-ending quest to spread the terrorist listing wealth, the Trump Administration has made some odd moves of late. First, there was the decision to call drug cartels ‘terrorists’, despite the unfortunate reality that they are not terrorist groups but rather criminal organisations. […]
Episode 354: Note to the Trump Administration: don’t ignore far right extremism! In politics, right and left are relative terms. Most people may self-describe as ‘centrist’, but we all have issues on which we lean more right (conservative) or more left (liberal). This is all natural, but what is not – and more importantly worrisome […]
Episode 353 – The terrorist group responsible for 9/11 appears to be growing…again! As we mark the 25th anniversary of the Al Qaeda (AQ) attacks in New York and Washington there is so much to reflect upon. The failure to stop the attacks and perceived holes in US intelligence. The two-decades long war in Afghanistan […]
This piece first appeared in The Bureau on August 28, 2026. Of all the terms in the English language that have led to arguments over what exactly they mean, terrorism has to be at or near the top. Phrases such as “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” the tendency of dictators to call […]
Episode 348 – Twenty years in Afghanistan and the Taliban are back in power I am not a military specialist but I am aware of the great Prussian strategist Carl von Clausewitz. Among his many famous statements were this gem: “War is the realm of uncertainty; three quarters of the factors on which action is […]
Episode 338 – Pirates can help terrorist groups – we need to pay more attention to this The stereotypical view of pirates is undoubtedly heavily influenced by Hollywood. These depictions do not show the very violent actions carried out by pirates. Despite international treaties that define this phenomenon it does get the attention it deserves, […]
Episode 334 – Is the world stumbling into a remake of the terrorist safe haven that led to 9/11? After the horror of 9/11 it was logical – and completely justifiable – to go after those behind the attacks. As it turned out, the group responsible – Al Qaeda (AQ) – was based in Afghanistan […]
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 […]