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Perspectives

Today in Terrorism: 13 November

The Bataclan theatre attack catapulted ISIS, and more specifically, returning foreign terrorist fighters into the international limelight. I have never witnessed a terrorist attack, let alone been injured in one. I have had to analyse the aftermath of many terrorist attacks and even been a small part of a larger team that helped to prevent […]

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Perspectives

When we prematurely pronounce a terrorist group dead

We really need to stop prematurely declaring the death of terrorist groups despite our need to celebrate victories.

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

Podcast 22 – Is it important to take out the head of a terrorist organization?

Does the death of a terrorist leader have a significant impact on the group success? Does the removal of the head actually means anything?

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Perspectives

Today in Terrorism: 12 November

In 2015, 43 people were killed and more than 240 wounded in two suicide bomb blasts claimed by ISIS in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

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Perspectives

How do we determine when a terrorist act has taken place?

We are thankfully not inundated with terrorism in Canada. It would be nice, however, to call it what it is when it occurs.

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Perspectives

Today in Terrorism: 9 November 2015 Cameroon, 2018 Melbourne

Knife and bomb attacks carried out by lone terrorists in Australia and Cameroon show terrorism can occur at the hands of an individual.

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Perspectives

Today in Terrorism: 8 November 2003, Bombings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

On this day in 2003, a Saudi Arabia compound was hit by multiple bombs attributed to Al Qaeda.

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Perspectives

We really are no closer to figuring out what to do with ISIS detainees

Deciding how to deal with detained ISIS ‘foreign fighters’ is proving to be very, very difficult. One would think it rare that terrorists and those trying to prevent them from achieving their goals would share the same desires. Yet in a way it is true, at least for the Islamist terrorist variety. Many Islamist terrorist […]

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Perspectives

National security priorities for the Liberal minority government

Here’s what needs to be done by the Liberal minority government on the national security/public safety front.

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Perspectives

Today in Terrorism: 2 November 2004/2018

Islamist terrorists strike in Netherlands and Egypt 14 years apart I have been studying and writing about terrorism for a very long time, coming up on 20 years. First as an intelligence analyst at CSIS in Canada, followed by a post civil service career as a writer and media commentator (and author of five books […]