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.
Episodes
181 episodes
Spies Like Us Season 2 Episode 12 - The Hunt for Red...November
Neil-less Al and Phil weigh in on what makes a good national security advisor, what are the disadvantages of information blackouts when it comes to public safety, and are screen doors a good idea on a submarine?
•
32:21
Episode 243 - From the European frying pan into the Russian fire in Africa
That European nations did awful things in Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries is indisputable (that they did some good things too seems to be overlooked). As a consequence, many nations want nothing to do with these countries now. Oddly...
•
16:58
Quick Hits Episode 252 - Political correctness is making us less safe
It does not take much these days to be called a 'racist' or a 'misogynist' or an 'Islamophobe'. Just question accepted woke views on any matter and you are immediately labeled an enemy of progress. As a consequence, some, including perhap...
•
11:02
Spies Like Us Season 2 Episode 11: National security rhymes with orange
Neil and Phil - yes again without Al - talk about ISIS teeny-boppers, why a mayor thinks honouring the dead Hamas leader is a good idea, and why Canada needs to step up on national security.
•
35:19
Episode 242 - The Battle of Britain and Canadian airmen's role in it
If there is a battle which is iconic in world history it is the Battle of Britain. In the summer of 1940 the German Luftwaffe tried to destroy Britain's air force in the lead-up to an invasion of England. The dogfights and efforts are leg...
•
26:13
Season 2 Episode 9 - Spies Like Us is intelligent, evidently
This week the guys welcome a guest, Tim O'Neil, former RCMP and CSIS, to talk about the evidence/intelligence conundrum, the need to share info, and how to bring the private sector into the conversation. Oh, and a lot of chat about exposing our...
•
40:05
Spies Like Us Season 2 Episode 10 - 'Sikhing' retribution against India
In this week's episode Phil and Neil (again, Al is 'out doin' stuff') look at Sikh and Hindu brawls in Canada and what the leak of intelligence on Chinese interference in our elections means. Also, Neil is still trying to 'handle' Phil......
•
32:07
Episode 241 - Have Hizballah's plans all gone to hellah?
In counter-terrorism parlance there is the term 'decapitation'. No, this is not a reference to the practice of chopping people's heads off, like ISIS does, but rather the incapacitation of a terrorist group through the killing of its lead...
•
22:13
Spies Like Us Season 2 Episode 9: Spies Like Us is intelligent, evidently!
This week the guys welcome a guest, Tim O'Neil, former RCMP and CSIS, to talk about the evidence/intelligence conundrum, the need to share info, and how to bring the private sector into the conversation. Oh, and a lot of chat about exposing our...
•
40:05
Episode 240 - How can we integrate more young people into national security?
I'd like to slightly alter an old phrase: "Old spies never die, they just fade away". Like all professions, people work for a time and then eventually retire. Those people need to be replaced, hopefully by good, professional, qualified in...
•
19:49
Episode 239 - Africa risks becoming a 'jihadi central' and could have an impact beyond the continent
When most people think of terrorism it is probable that the Middle East comes to mind. After all, groups like Al Qaeda and Islamic State have distinct Middle East origins and they have been active in that part of the world for decades. An...
•
25:50
Episode 252 - International intelligence sharing is caring
Intelligence agencies have one job: to keep their masters informed while keeping their citizens safe. To this end, these organisations collect data through a variety of means - SIGINT, HUMINT, surveillance, imagery, etc. - and package it ...
•
10:57
Episode 238 - Just what goes into an application for an intercept warrant?
Security intelligence and law enforcement agencies have a whole bunch of tools to do their job. They can recruit human sources/agents, follow people, and liaise with domestic and foreign counterparts. In some cases, they can make ap...
•
23:28
Episode 237 - Is terrorism changing to become more criminal and less 'ideological'?
When you think terrorism you think underlying political, ideological or religious (yes, religious!) cause. You don't tend to think criminality although acts of terrorism are horrific acts of criminal violence (after all, terrorists are ha...
•
23:44
Episode 251 - ISIS and Hamas do not just share jihadism: they are also disgusting misogynists
Rape is rape, no matter who carries it out. Amongst the worst perpetrators of this form of sexual crime are jihadi terrorists who brag of their acts against women and girls. And yet this part of the Islamist terrorism psyche seems to get ...
•
9:28
Episode 236 - Is Al Shabaab really on the descent in Somalia?
If you believe the Somali government, the Al Qaeda (AQ)-linked Al Shabaab terrorist group is all but dead. The army regularly issues claims that a dozen are dead here, ten there in an airstrike, the list goes on and on. If all these are t...
•
30:55
Episode 251 - Terrorist groups are like chickens with their heads cut off - they continue to run around.
You have to be careful when it comes to using the word 'decapitation' when it comes to terrorism. Jihadi groups such as Islamic State (ISIS) regularly remove the heads of its 'enemies' as a way to strike fear around the world. Here, we ar...
•
10:29
Episode 236 - Do Canadian police have enough manpower to monitor and keep protests in check?
Everywhere you turn these days you see mass protests. Anti-immigrant mobs. Climate activist demos. Pro-Palestine rallies. The list goes on and on. Some of these events can turn violent as counter-protestors show up. To prevent this from h...
•
22:03
Episode 250 - How to target terrorists and minimise civilian casualties? Ask Israel
The recent explosion of pagers owned by Hizballah members in Lebanon came as a shocker, in my view. Upwards of 3,000 (three THOUSAND) pagers were detonated almost simultaneously on September 17, killing a dozen or so people and wounding many hu...
•
10:27
Episode 235 - Why it is important to hear from former security intelligence professionals
We are inundated with 'spy' stories - books, films, etc. A lot of these accounts are not that tied to reality (spolier alert: most spies do not sleep with gorgeous women and kill them). Yet, the profession is an interesting one and needs ...
•
17:33
Episode 249 - Canada needs to address security concerns in the immigration process - stat!
Another day another foiled attack. The RCMP arrested a Pakistani national on September 4th near the Quebec-US border as he was on his way to New York City to carry out an attack on Jewish targets in the name of ISIS. This follows a simila...
•
10:18
Episode 234 - The role of family and friends in pointing out potential radicalisatio
When it comes to counter terrorism I would imagine most people think this is a job for security intelligence and law enforcement. While true, these bodies are overworked and understaffed. As a consequence, there are times when they get in...
•
23:19
Episode 248 - The banning of precise terminology to label terrorism is making efforts to combat it more difficult
The whole world - media, academics, ordinary people - uses terms like jihadi or right-wing or left-wing terrorism without any real controversy. And yet in some circles there are movements that eschew this terminology for fear of 'offendin...
•
10:42
Quick Hits Episode 247 - States have a duty to battle disinformation when it comes to acts of violence
Ah, the World Wide Web! The source of all kinds of things from cat videos to other useless garbage. And yet it is also a goldmine of information both good and bad. The spread of mis- and disinformation makes it hard for people to decide w...
•
9:58
Episode 233 - Does jihadi terrorism in the Sahel pose a threat to the West?
Remember the 1990s and 2000s? That is when Al Qaeda (AQ) had a safe haven in Afghanistan from where it planned 9/11 and other attacks. Now the Sahel area of Africa seems to a jihadi terrorist hotspot, by far the most lethal in the w...
•
17:11