China has used a very small terrorist threat emanating from a handful of Uyghur Islamist extremists to launch an enormous crackdown in what it calls Xinjiang - the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). It has incarcerated up to 1 million Uyghurs in euphemistically termed 'vocational centres' and is trying very hard to erase all signs of Uyghur language and culture - all as part of the 'Global war on terrorism'. Borealis is joined by GWU's Sean Roberts to discuss his new book on this humanita...
Sep 29, 2020•46 min•Season 3Ep. 61
Just about every job these days lists a BA as a basic requirement. That goes for national security as well. Except that knowledge and experience are much more important qualities and often come without a BA. It is time to stop ruling out great Canadians from our intelligence agencies just because they never went to university. About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Economics and Technology (SE...
Sep 28, 2020•9 min
In a time when many say we need to focus on right-wing terrorism, a stabbing in Paris is an uncomfortable exception. Borealis weighs in on why this attack is important and has significant implications for France and the West. About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Economics and Technology (SET) hub at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute (PDI). He worked as a senior st...
Sep 27, 2020•9 min
Far too many Canadians left our fair land to join terrorist groups such as ISIS. Some killed people abroad. Some came home but few have been charged. Then there is the Burlington man who maintained he killed for ISIS but lied about it. He has been charged with a terrorism 'hoax'. What should happen to him? Borealis gives some ideas. About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Economics and Technolo...
Sep 27, 2020•10 min
Australia's domestic spies are ramping up their CT efforts against right wing extremists, probably at the expense of looking at jihadis; What is driving this? Is it the right move? Should other nations follow suit? Mentionned articles: Asio reveals up to 40% of its counter-terrorism cases involve far-right violent extremism CIA letting less intelligence on Russia reach Trump: report About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programm...
Sep 24, 2020•10 min
Phil Gurski, Canadian intelligence veteran, author on five books about terrorism, and hosts of the podcast "An Intelligent Look at Terrorism," joins David to discuss the sources of terror, the war on terror, and much more. About my guest David Pakman: The David Pakman Show (TDPS) is a multi-platform politics and news talk show currently airing on television, radio, and the Internet, hosted by David Pakman. The focus of the show is modern North American politics and society, with frequent discuss...
Sep 22, 2020•17 min•Season 3Ep. 60
As the trial of the New Zealand/Australian white supremacist who killed 51 Muslims at prayer in a mosque in Christchurch came to a close questions were asked. Why did this happen? What did the authorities know? Could they have prevented it? Borealis looks at how investigations are done in this regard. About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Economics and Technology (SET) hub at the University o...
Sep 22, 2020•11 min
A recent US case where a pair of 'Boogaloo Bois' tried to deal with the terrorist group Hamas has raised some interesting questions on US counter terrorism practice. Why is there a distinction between 'domestic' and 'international' terrorism? Borealis has a few suggestions for his American friends. About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Economics and Technology (SET) hub at the University of O...
Sep 19, 2020•10 min
We all hate terrorists and terrorism, right? We all want to see these actors punished for what they do, right? So what if some accused of terrorist offences are not in fact terrorists at all? Borealis looks at the cases of Paul Rusesabagina and Eskinder Nega in Africa where two governments are using the word 'terrorism' to stop the activities of opposition parties. About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the...
Sep 16, 2020•10 min
Edward Snowden and Julian Assange are painted as courageous whistleblowers and maybe they are to some extent. Yet there is little in life that is uniquely positive and this goes as well for the smashers of secrets. It is time for a much more nuanced discussion on intelligence leaks. Read: Wikileaks, Snowden and the impact on Canadian intelligence About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Economic...
Sep 16, 2020•6 min
It is no secret that there is consensus on what terrorism means. Today the confusion is growing as more and more crimes are being called 'terrorism' in nature. What does this all mean? UK researcher and former PREVENT officer Liam Duffy joins Borealis in the discussion. About my guest Liam Duffy: Liam is a Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) specialist and Director of SINCE 9/11, a London-based educational charity which aims to create a legacy of hope from the tragedy of the Septembe...
Sep 15, 2020•48 min•Season 3Ep. 59
Intelligence agencies exist to provide the best information possible to those who run the country. They are given general requirements, hunt for the information, and package it up for their clients. In this they must be able to act independently. Borealis weighs in on a report that the Trump Administration told its spies not to report on Russia and right-wing extremism. Related articles: ► D.H.S. Downplayed Threats From Russia and White Supremacists, Whistle-Blower Says ► Al Qaeda’s Franchise Re...
Sep 14, 2020•10 min
An idea hatched over a beer one year ago today led to the ‘ Today in Terrorism ‘ series. How has that first year been? Are there lessons from the past for us today? Borealis reflects on 365 terrorist attacks over history, one for each calendar day. ►Read my daily blog Today in terrorism About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Economics and Technology (SET) hub at the University of Ottawa’s Prof...
Sep 11, 2020•10 min
When you read about an act of violence do you immediately assume that the perpetrator is mentally ill? What about terrorism? What is the link? Borealis talks to Canadian forensic psychiatrist Peter Collins to shed light on these issues. About my guest Peter Collins: Peter Collins is the Operational Forensic Psychiatrist with the Criminal Behaviour Analysis Section of the OPP and an Associate Professor with the Division of Forensic Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. About the host Phil Gurs...
Sep 08, 2020•35 min•Season 3Ep. 58
Given the enormous interest in all things terrorism we are inundated with so-called ‘expertise’. Except a lot of experts are not experts. Take the term ‘self-radicalisation’: it is a myth. Two recent cases illustrate why radicalisers are so important. About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Economics and Technology (SET) hub at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute (PDI)...
Sep 07, 2020•9 min
The Fenians were Irish Americans seeking to put pressure on Britain to free Ireland and hence could be seen as 'freedom fighters'. Except that they carried out attacks in Canada and assassinated one of the leaders of Canadian independence. So, are they terrorists instead? Borealis dives into the neverending debate of freedom fighter vs terrorist. About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Economic...
Sep 03, 2020•10 min
The rights we fought to have over centuries are worth protecting: but what if they feed terrorism? An interesting trial is about to open this week in France. It will cover those responsible for the 2015 ‘Charlie Hebdo’ terrorist attacks in which twelve people were killed by the brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi over the journal’s decision to publish the ‘Muhammad cartoons’ (images deemed offensive by some). The brothers were in turn killed by French police and it is their accomplices who will sta...
Sep 02, 2020•6 min
“War is not healthy for children and other living things” or so said the anti-Vietnam War slogan. We have used wars to 'resolve' things for millennia, seldom with good results. So why do many insist we are at 'war' with terrorism? Borealis discusses our need for a new paradigm. ►Buy Phil's book An End to the War on Terrorism About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Economics and Technology (SET)...
Sep 01, 2020•10 min
How can security intelligence and law enforcement agencies and communities work better together? Can they have meaningful exchanges to help keep us all safe? Borealis is joined by Kamran Bhatti, a youth outreach worker within Muslim communities in Canada to discuss these issues. About my guest Kamran Bhatti: Kamran Bhatti is a Canadian Muslim community leader and former head of a youth program in the Hamilton area. About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and ...
Sep 01, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Season 3Ep. 57
ISIS was very good at producing propaganda to entice Westerners to leave their countries and join up in the mid 2010s. That was when not much was known about how violent they were. So how can a Toronto-area couple who sought to join in 2019 not have known about the true nature of this terrorist bunch? Borealis looks at this breaking news. ►Yet another Canadian couple charged with seeking to join ISIS - https://borealisthreatandrisk.com/yet-another-canadian-couple-charged-with-seeking-to-join-isi...
Aug 27, 2020•9 min
What do we do once we try, convict, sentence and incarcerate terrorists? Leave them there or try to get them to abandon their views? Phil Gurski talks to Nancy Yammout , a Lebanese woman who goes into prisons to see if she can make a difference. About the guest Nancy Yammout Nancy and Maya Yamout, also known as the "Mulan Sisters" or the "Kamikaze Sisters," are social workers active in Beirut, Lebanon and internationally as the president and vice president of Rescue Me - Crime Prevention . Rescu...
Aug 25, 2020•36 min•Season 3Ep. 56
When we read and hear about terrorism where does your mind go? Most probably to the world of Islamist terrorism/jihadism since the vast majority of attacks can be traced to them. What about environmental terrorism? Is this on the horizon? Borealis weighs on on the reality of this form of violent extremism. ►Should we be worried about ecoterrorism? - https://borealisthreatandrisk.com/quick-hits-65-ecoterrorism/ About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk ...
Aug 24, 2020•10 min
Borealis weighs in on the latest Know Your History Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War trailer and discusses his own experiences working in intelligence during the Cold War. What can this trailer tell us about the threats we in the West face today, ranging from foreign espionage to foreign interference to terrorism? Can a ‘game’ help us understand these? About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Econ...
Aug 22, 2020•5 min
How complicated does a terrorist act have to be? Do terrorists have to master complicated technologies to achieve their ends? No, all it takes is a car. Borealis weighs in on vehicular ramming attacks. Using a car or truck as a weapon isn’t unique to 2020. A 2018 report from San Jose State University’s Mineta Transportation Institute identified vehicle ramming as an increasingly common terrorism tactic. ISIS and Al Qaeda, in particular, encourage followers to drive into unsuspecting pedestrians....
Aug 21, 2020•10 min
What would you do if you came to realise that the group your spouse was part of was one that undermined liberal democracy? And wanted to establish an Islamic State? Borealis talks to a Canadian who found herself in this situation and what she decided to do. About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Economics and Technology (SET) hub at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute...
Aug 18, 2020•24 min•Season 3Ep. 55
Should criminology students do placements with law enforcement institutions? Their professors apparently don't think so. Security studies are not surprisingly very popular with academics in part because they are sexy. But sometimes academics get it very wrong and make some very stupid decisions based on some kind of 'principle'. Borealis weighs in on a move by Carleton University's Institute of Criminology to end cooperation with law enforcement in Canada. ► See also: Arguing against the claim t...
Aug 13, 2020•9 min
How many of you have ever heard of the Fenian threat to Canada? Yes, there was a terrorist movement in the 1860s that threatened Canada and killed one of the 'fathers' of Confederation in 1868. University of Toronto's David Wilson joins Borealis to talk about this forgotten violent chapter of Canadian history. About the guest, David Wilson: With a background in modern North Atlantic history, David A. Wilson specializes in Modern Irish History and the Irish in North America. A Fellow of the Royal...
Aug 11, 2020•39 min•Season 3Ep. 53
Debate is the backbone of democratic society. Reasoned, civil exchanges of ideas is what we must protect. Unfortunately, there is a movement to stifle debate and silence voices (or get them fired). Borealis weighs in on this phenomenon. About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Economics and Technology (SET) hub at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute (PDI). He worked as ...
Aug 10, 2020•11 min
News has just come out that Saudi Arabia sent a hit squad to Canada to kill former counter terrorism officer Saad al-Jabri. Saudi has a history of this, having killed Washington Post reporter and dissident Jamal Kashoggi in Istanbul in October 2018. What should Canada do in reponse? Borealis weighs in. About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, Economics and Technology (SET) hub at the University ...
Aug 08, 2020•10 min
The explosion yesterday in Beirut that killed hundreds and wounded thousands sure looks like a terrorist attack. All indications point to this being a tragic accident. What does this say about our reaction to events of this nature? https://borealisthreatandrisk.com/subscribe/ A large blast in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, has killed at least 70 people and injured more than 4,000 others, the health minister says. Videos show smoke billowing from a fire, then a mushroom cloud following the blast a...
Aug 05, 2020•8 min
