Canadian Intelligence Eh
Everywhere you look these days terrorism and violent extremism dominate the headlines. Whether you follow what is happening in Afghanistan or Iraq, or in the West writ large, we are inundated with news of attacks by groups and individuals fighting for a 'cause'.In a world of multiple voices and opinions it can be very hard to know where to turn. One choice is to look to those who actually worked in counterterrorism in the national security world. In these half-hour podcasts 30-year Canadian intelligence veteran Phil Gurski is joined by a fascinating array of individuals with something meaningful to say about these issues as they provide insight into what they mean and what we need to do about them.
Canadian Intelligence Eh
Quick Hits - Episode 202: Do we really need terrorism in our (Canadian) criminal code?
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Phil Gurski
A young man in Toronto just pleaded guilty to one count of murder and two of attempted murder in a west-end spa. He was a young offender (i.e. under 18) at the time and this has to be taken into consideration. The Crown (prosecution in Canada) did lay 'terrorism' charges at the time and it is unclear whether it will pursue this line. Why? We already have a criminal admission and it is far from clear we need to keep going. In addition, it is also not obvious that his acts were 'terrorist' in nature. Canada has only had terrorism legislation since 9/11. Is it even necessary or do other parts of the criminal code suffice. Borealis weighs in on this case.