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Perspectives

COVID-19, face masks and national security

The debate over the niqab (Muslim face veil) was never about national security: COVID-19 is demonstrating that.

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Canadian Intelligence Eh! Podcast

Podcast 40 – Dimitri Lascaris: Terrorism, National Security and the Green Party of Canada Leadership

Listen to my debate with Dimitri Lascaris, currently running for leader of the Green Party of Canada, on all things terrorism and national security.

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Perspectives

A call for humility in national security ‘expertise’

‘Experts’ can help Canadians understand national security and public safety threats, but only if they are truly knowledgeable.

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Quick Hits

Quick Hits: COVID-19 and National Security

We are not sure how bad COVID-19 will get and we are all concerned. What are the national security implications for Canada and the ties with terrorism

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Perspectives

US ‘national security’ concerns are adversely affecting Canadian-American relations

The powers the US has on Canadian soil to ‘protect’ national security’ should make us think twice about going there. At the risk of being the nostalgic old fart in the room I am going to tell a story. When I was young, growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, my father and I would […]

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Perspectives

National Security Priorities for the Canadian Government, from ISIS Fighters to Guns

Many pundits remarked that we saw neither hide nor hair of anything related to national security or foreign policy in the platforms of any of the main parties during the election campaign.

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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

Canada’s new National Security Intelligence Review Agency gets off on the wrong foot

Most Canadians could be forgiven for not having a deep sense of what the Canadian intelligence community is or what it does. We seldom talk about intelligence matters and most references to these issues come out in the wake of mistakes, perceived or real. Think Air India or Maher Arar and you get an idea […]

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Perspectives

What the Annual CSIS Report tells us about national security and public safety

CSIS is far from perfect but it is an excellent, dedicated and professional security service. Canadians should be glad we have these people watching out for us.

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Perspectives

The People’s Party of Canada and national security

This piece appeared in The Hill Times on January 21, 2019 Third parties are an interesting bit of Canadian political history. I am not well-versed in the blood sport of politics and thus have no intention of pretending to be a pundit on these matters. What I do find intriguing, however, is how certain parties […]