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Perspectives

How powerful should security intelligence agencies be?

Germany has spent a long time apologising for the actions and crimes of the Nazi regime.  Not to mention the price it paid during the Versailles conference in 1919 for its decision to launch WWI (and in that case the price exacted by the victors played a big part in laying the conditions for WWII). […]

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Perspectives

What should we expect from security intelligence services?

Earlier this morning the suspect in the Berlin Christmas market attack that killed 12 and wounded dozens more was shot to death by Italian police in Milan.  An international manhunt ended successfully with the killing of Anis Amri, a Tunisian refugee who had spent time in Italy before moving on to Germany. He was known to […]

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Perspectives

Why do security services need data and should they be allowed to have it?

In the wake of a Canadian Federal Court decision that my former employer – the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) – illegally retained data that it had collected legally under a court warrant, the fur is really flying.  Every major Canadian media outlet has been all over this story and the reporting has been uniformly […]

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Perspectives

The need for a better dialogue on intelligence and security

After years of discussions and calls for action, it looks as if the Canadian government is finally getting serious about establishing meaningful Parliamentary oversight for its intelligence agencies.  Canada is the laggard in this respect since its main allies (the so-called “5 Eyes” community – Australia, New Zealand, the US and the UK are the […]

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Perspectives

Elections and security: how safe are we?

As we near the end of a very long federal election campaign, I’d like to review what, if anything, has been said that touches on terrorism and national security  Spoiler alert: not much.  But a lot that has nothing to do with terrorism may actually have a significant impact on how safe we will be […]

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Quick Hits

Canada’s immigration system is broken when it comes to public safety and the government could not care less

When artificial immigration goals are seen as a priority and national security/public safety are ignored something is badly wrong

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Quick Hits

Why it is best to be skeptical about terrorist groups’ demise

Many naively believe that terrorist groups a la Al Qaeda, ISIS, etc. eventually disappear: the reality is they are long lasting threats to national security and public safety

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Canadian Intelligence Eh!

Is cryptanalysis all but dead?

Making and breaking codes is classic spycraft. Are the bad guys winning at this game and what are the implications for national security?

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Perspectives

Emergencies Act Fallout: Rule of Law Must Mean Something in Canada

Governments in liberal, secular democracies cannot run roughshod over fundamental rights and the law, even where national security is involved.

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Perspectives

Emergencies Act ruling should be a stern lesson to government about free speech

Laws are on the books for a reason and should not be abused, especially when it comes to national security