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
162 episodes since 2022
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 ...
September 16, 2024
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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...
September 11, 2024
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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...
September 10, 2024
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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...
September 04, 2024
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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...
September 01, 2024
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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...
August 29, 2024
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17:11
Episode 232 - The use of Russian mercenaries to battle terrorists in the Sahel has serious consequences
The Wagner Group (WG), a Russian 'private army' close to the Kremlin, has had a checkered past in Africa over the past few years. Nevertheless, several regimes run by military juntas have decided to align with WG to combat a number of ant...
August 20, 2024
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20:50
Episode 246 - If Ireland is on the jihadi radar anywhere can be next.
Ireland's history of terrorism is well-documented. A series of nationalist violent extremist groups, going back as far as the Fenians of the mid-19th century, have been active on the Emerald Isle and elsewhere. However, a recent attack at...
August 17, 2024
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9:53
Quick Hits Episode 245 - Acts of violence carried out in the name of 'god' share many characteristics and are loathsome
Islamist terrorism is by far the predominant form on the planet and has been for many decades, as statistics clearly show (and is showing no signs of abating). This form of religio-ideological violence is not, however, the only example. I...
August 17, 2024
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9:48
Episode 231 - When will the Canadian government finally get the China threat?
China, China, China. It is a topic that never goes away in Canada, especially with respect to national security. And yet despite several reports and inquiries it seems that the government is still whistling past the graveyard. ...
August 14, 2024
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28:42
Episode 230 - It is time for a crackdown on anti-Semitism in Canada before more acts of terrorism ensue
Canada, like many other Western countries, has seen a rise in pro-Palestinian demonstrations to call attention to the deaths in Gaza. At the same time, the incidence in anti-Semitic tropes has also risen. Now that a Canadian has gone to I...
August 09, 2024
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30:46
Quick Hits - Episode 244: Why would ISIS target a Taylor Swift concert? Coz they're ISIS, that's why
There is no one more famous than Taylor Swift. She commands a worldwide audience and has given rise to a following known as 'Swifties'. It should surprise no one that she also attracts those who seek to undermine her. Now Austrian police ...
August 08, 2024
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9:35
Episode 229 - Anti-Semitism is bad, including in Canada, and we are suffering greatly as a result
Of all the horrible sentiments expressed by humans there are none nastier, or longer-lasting, than anti-Semitism. The belief that Jews are evil, control the world and need to be eliminated - see the Holocaust as a particularly terrible ex...
August 07, 2024
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23:25
Episode 243 - A few facts in the wake of a mass casualty event can go some way to heading off violent repercussions
The attack on young girls in Southport, UK attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance camp is beyond reprehensible. For someone - anyone - to target six-year-olds who want to emulate a pop singer is barbaric to the nth degree. While the attack...
August 02, 2024
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12:00
Quick Hits Episode 242 - Why it is best to be skeptical about terrorist groups' demise
We often read that a given terrorist group has 'given up the ghost'. An announcement - and subsequent analysis - regarding the 'end' of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Southeast Asia is an example of misplaced optimism. So, why do some bel...
August 01, 2024
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10:08
Episode 228 - Immigration is needed, but bad immigrants can turn populations against it
If there is any country that bills itself as open to immigration it is Canada. We have long boasted about our welcoming of newcomers from all corners of the globe and today's Canada is very much a product of this policy. There is, however...
July 29, 2024
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23:24
Episode 227 - The anger over First Nations treatment in Canada has led to acts of violence no one seems to care about
That Canada has treated its original inhabitants - what we in the Great White North call the 'First Nations' - horribly in the past is not at question. Whether it is the placement of children in 'residential schools' or the removal of lan...
July 22, 2024
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36:51
Episode 226 - We need to see the 1985 Air India terrorist attack as a Canadian act
Canadians have alas been part of far too many terrorist attacks in recent history. The largest was a pair of bombs placed on two Air India flights which left Canada, one of which exploded off the coast of Ireland, killing 329 people. And ...
July 16, 2024
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31:09
Episode 225 - Will the Chinese interference saga in Canada ever come to a conclusion?
Election interference. Harassment of dissidents and ethnic minorities. Illegal "police stations". Compromising members of Parliament. And all this in Canada? As the current government continues to ignore the issue/...
June 26, 2024
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21:48
Episode 241 - On a day to commemorate victims of terrorism Canada is failing badly
June 24 is Canada's National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism, a day that most Canadians are most probably unaware of. It marks the bombing of two Air India flights by Sikh terrorists leading to the deaths of more than 320 peop...
June 24, 2024
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10:49
Episode 224 - What is in store for a Russia-Taliban 'marriage of convenience'?
Russian/Soviet history in Afghanistan is not a good news story. From the 'Great Game' of the 19th century to the Soviet invasion in 1979 (and ignominious withdrawal in 1989), Moscow does not have happy memories of involvement in the count...
June 11, 2024
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21:25
Episode 222 - Why language matters when it comes to terrorism
Terrorism is a scary concept: hell, it is based on the word 'terror'. As a consequence the way we talk about it is important. Of late, the vocabulary used to describe terrorism has shifted and crimes not normally seen as having a nexus to...
May 27, 2024
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29:30
Episode 220 - Why can't those in favour of peace in Gaza denounce what was clearly an act of Hamas terrorism last October?
The war in Gaza is heartwrenching to say the least. Then again, most wars are, as those who suffer most are civilians. This is why war is usually - not always but usually - a bad idea we should avoid at all costs. And yet there are some w...
May 13, 2024
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25:13
Episode 223 - Are we seeing a spike in terrorist activity Down Under?
In mid April 2024 Australia witnessed two horrific acts of violence, one in a mall and one in a church. The former resulted in deaths but was not deemed to be terrorist in nature while the latter, in which an Orthodox Bishop was stabbed, ...
May 09, 2024
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27:14
Episode 221 - Why is professionalism so important, especially in national security?
It has long been accepted that certain activities should be carried out by people who have a professional background: no one wants brain surgery performed by your Uncle Clem from Moose Jaw. And yet there is a tendency of late, especially ...
May 06, 2024
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26:50