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Perspectives

Refugees and terrorism

The photo has already become iconic.  The picture of the little Kurdish boy lying face down in the water has touched the lives of tens of millions around the world.  It ranks up there with the girl running naked after a napalm strike in Vietnam and the vulture stalking a starving Ethiopian boy.  This photo […]

Welcome to Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting

Our services Whether you want a fuller understanding of groups such as Islamic State, updates on security situations in the world’s conflict zones or insight into dealing with the terrorist “insider threat”, we can help! Contact Phil Gurski Canadian Intelligence Eh!? Shedding light on a risky world, Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting provide you with […]

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Perspectives

The true threat

Now that everyone and his uncle has had a chance to comment on the nuclear accord reached with Iran, it’s my turn. (Full disclosure: I was an Iranian analyst in the Canadian intelligence community for twenty years and was even fluent in Farsi at one point – alas no more!) There is no question Iran […]

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Perspectives

The good, the bad and the ugly – part one

I’m no fan of spaghetti westerns and the 1966 film starring Clint Eastwood among others has nothing to do with terrorism.  It’s just that I can think of no better phrase to describe the interim report issued by the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence on countering the terrorist threat in Canada (see the […]

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Perspectives

Losing faith

In a recent video appearance before the Canadian national security and defence committee, charged with preparing a report on threats to national security, former Muslim Ayaan Hirsi Ali warned the Canadian government that “you should be looking out for the sprouting of mosques and Islamic centres. You should be looking out for the establishment of Islamic schools […]

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Perspectives

Not a Sunni proposition

I have already talked a bit about the Sunni-Shia split in an earlier piece (Brothers at Arms).  Today’s thoughts are along a different pathway. When I worked in the intelligence world and looked at violent radicalization, the focus was entirely on Sunnis, not Shia.  Of course, there were other kinds of violence to worry about […]

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Perspectives

No way to run a railroad

The Canadian government has been in the counter terrorism (or countering violent extremism – CVE – as it is now known) for a long time.  In addition to the hard response (CSIS, RCMP…) there is the softer approach.  The latter involves engaging with Canadians and communities to talk about difficult issues like terrorism and radicalization. […]

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Perspectives

And justice for all

What should Canadians make of Adil Charkaoui?  I’d be surprised if you haven’t heard of him.

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Perspectives

Transplanted homeland violence is fodder for the anti-immigrant fringe

Many years ago, I was in a relationship with a woman whose parents had emigrated to Canada from Europe shortly after WWII.  The reasons for their move had to do with conflict in their homeland and the search for a better life abroad.  Canada offered them that better life. Nevertheless, the woman’s mother hated everything […]

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Perspectives

What does it take to list a terrorist group in Canada?

To paraphrase Justin Trudeau, “a terrorist is a terrorist is a terrorist’. Can naming a group as such be that complicated?