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Perspectives

When officials cry wolf over terrorism threats and ignore the wolf at the door

There is so much to write about when it comes to pointing out the lies, exaggerations and outright whoppers spewed by US President Trump that it is almost not worth doing anymore.  There is no challenge to it: it is like shooting fish in a barrel.  I am not suggesting that no one monitor the […]

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Perspectives

Why we should not be in a rush to repatriate Canadian IS fighters – part two

While this may strike some people as arrogant and dismissive I have to confess that when I listen to ‘experts’ talk about national security issues in the media I first look at who is speaking. Some of those who offer opinions are journalists, others are politicians or political junkies, still others are academics. All have interesting perspectives […]

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Perspectives

Doug Ford’s unhelpful arrival on the counter terrorism scene

Foreign fighters are all the rage these days in Canada (hmm, ‘all the rage’ – kinda describes jihadis to a T doesn’t it?). Many, many Canadians are going ballistic over reports that some of our citizens who left our land to join Islamic State or other terrorist groups abroad have had a change of heart and […]

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Perspectives

Why Doug Ford’s burst on the Canadian counter terrorism scene is unhelpful – part two

Canadians are justifiably angry at those among us who spat on our flag, burned their passports and left one of the world’s finest countries to join terrorist groups like Islamic State (IS). Not that the numbers are that high – a few hundred maybe compared with thousands from several European, African and Asian nations – but […]

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Perspectives

Why Doug Ford’s burst on the Canadian counter terrorism scene is unhelpful – part two

Canadians are justifiably angry at those among us who spat on our flag, burned their passports and left one of the world’s finest countries to join terrorist groups like Islamic State (IS).  Not that the numbers are that high – a few hundred maybe compared with thousands from several European, African and Asian nations – […]

Categories
Perspectives

Doug Ford’s unhelpful arrival on the counter terrorism scene

Foreign fighters are all the rage these days in Canada (hmm, ‘all the rage’ – kinda describes jihadis to a T doesn’t it?).  Many, many Canadians are going ballistic over reports that some of our citizens who left our land to join Islamic State or other terrorist groups abroad have had a change of heart […]

Categories
Perspectives

Why we should not be in a rush to repatriate Canadian IS fighters – part two

While this may strike some people as arrogant and dismissive I have to confess that when I listen to ‘experts’ talk about national security issues in the media I first look at who is speaking.  Some of those who offer opinions are journalists, others are politicians or political junkies, still others are academics.  All have […]

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Perspectives

Yes, the State does have a right to take away your right to travel

A couple of months ago I attended a meeting of TSAS, an assembly of Canadian academics who look at terrorism and national security issues (TSAS stands for ‘Terrorism, Security and Society).  I have a number of friends at TSAS and am in fact an affiliate, although I am not myself an academic. At that meeting […]

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Perspectives

The penalty for betraying Canada – day parole

I remember it as if it were yesterday.  My first day at CSE was July 14, 1983.  I moved to Ottawa from London (ON) and went to the Sir Leonard Tilley Building where I was brought to a former RCMP officer I’ll call ‘Joe’ who provided me my security indoctrination.  After outlining what CSE did […]

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Perspectives

An ugly side to Canada that does nothing to make us safer

This piece appeared in The Hill Times on August 6, 2018 Well, it has been a week since the mass shooting in Toronto’s Greektown and we have been subject to countless voices in the media as to what happened, what could have been done (if anything) to prevent it, and what it all means to […]