With so much written about terrorism these days it is easy to forget that there is actual counter terrorism work to be done. Identifying terrorists, following them, interviewing them, stopping them - this is real CT work. Borealis talks with veteran FBI agent Brig Barker about his years helping to prevent terrorist attacks. Brig Barker is a proven counterterrorism agent/supervisor/senior level manager, with numerous extended deployments to the Middle East and Africa. 26 years of U.S. government ...
Nov 24, 2021•42 min•Season 5Ep. 114
What is the world of CVE (Countering Violent Extremism) all about? Many acronyms, many mandates, many claims. What is the reality of all this? Borealis is joined by Mike King. Mike King , a social psychologist working on violent extremism, radicalization, & CVE. Director of Research at Edmonton's Organization for the Prevention of Violence and an Adjunct Professor at University of Toronto . Phil Gurski is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Directo...
Nov 17, 2021•33 min•Season 5Ep. 113
The facts are that most terrorist attacks in the world are carried out by Muslims and most victims are Muslim. Why, then, are many in the Islamic world in denial about these facts? Borealis is joined by UK activist and Sufi Muslim Ahmed Patel to talk about these issues. Ahmed Patel, the brother-in-law of the London 7/7 bomber Mohammed Siddique, is an excellent example of a British Muslim who stood up against religious radicalization. From an outside observer’s perspective, it would appear that p...
Nov 10, 2021•26 min•Season 5Ep. 112
Quick Hits #178 - Conspiracy theories are as old as time and most are utterly ridiculous. Those who suscribe to them are for the most part harmless. On rare occasions, a person will decide to act on them in a violent way. How serious is this threat? Borealis looks at the infamous 'Q' of QAnon to delve into this issue. See also: ► Are end-of-Earthers and conspiracy theorists that dangerous? ► America’s QAnon problem is infecting Canada. What should we do about it? ► Years After Being Debunked, In...
Nov 08, 2021•11 min
There are so many voices out there when it comes to terrorism and what it all means. This makes it hard to know whom to talk and listen to. Borealis has a great talk with James Dorsey, senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, a syndicated columnist and the author of the blog, The Turbule...
Nov 03, 2021•34 min•Season 5Ep. 111
Quick Hits #177 - An ongoing UK inquiry into the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack in which 22 died and hundreds were injured is raising serious questions about what UK intelligence knew and when regarding this ISIS-inspired plot. Is the ensuing criticism fair? Borealis provides a former insider's perspective on how counter terrorism actually works. About the host Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security, ...
Nov 01, 2021•11 min
The movement of money around the world is dizzying. Not surprisingly, bad actors use these platforms to finance their operations. So what is being done about it? Borealis has an in-depth conversation with former RCMP officer and money laundering/terrorist financing specialist Archie Alafriz. Archie Alafriz is a retired member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who served most of his career in the National Security Program. He is a threat finance (AML/CFT) specialist and a published author. He ...
Oct 27, 2021•34 min•Season 5Ep. 110
How is the 'war on terrorism' going? What are we doing well? Not well? What are our moral obligations to those suffering under terrorist rule? Borealis President Phil Gurski talks with Conor to talk about this and more - have a listen! ►Watch Conor on Youtube Phil Gurski 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 a...
Oct 13, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 109
Quick Hits #176 - Terrorists like to portray themselves as masterminds of violence. Some are pretty dumb. See also: ► Top 10 Worst Terrorist Group Names ► Top 10 Worst Right-Wing Extremism Group Names 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 strategic analyst at CSIS (...
Oct 12, 2021•12 min
Canada is a big county and when it comes to security there are multiple levels of jurisdiction: municipal, provincial, first nations and federal. How do all the players get along in the national security sandbox? Borealis has a fascinating discussion with Canadian Senator Vern White, former RCMP and Chief of Police in Durham and Ottawa Senator White has worked with the RCMP, moving through the ranks from Constable to Assistant Commissioner. He has served in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia...
Oct 06, 2021•26 min•Season 5Ep. 108
Quick Hits #175 - The Matrix franchise has been around since 1999 and is a trilogy of very cool films. They are full of simulated violence in which humans are battling the machines which are using them to drain their lifeforce. Matrix Resurrections is coming out in December: what do the films tell us about terrorism and what happens when reality emulate art? ►Read mentioned article: Red-pilled: Can The Matrix Resurrections reclaim Neo from the alt-right? ►Watch video version on Youtube About Phi...
Oct 05, 2021•11 min
Quick Hits #174 - There are those out there who want authorities to stop calling Islamist terrorism by that name. Alternatives include "faith-based terrorism" and "terrorists abusing religious motivations". In this Quick Hits podcast, Borealis argues why this is wrong-headed and counterproductive. ►Read mentioned article: Police may drop ‘Islamist’ term when describing terror attacks ►Watch video version: https://borealisthreatandrisk.com/why-what-we-call-terrorism-matters/ About Phil Gurski: Ph...
Oct 02, 2021•11 min
When it comes to stopping terrorism all information should be used, right? It is not as simple as that. In order to charge a potential wrongdoer the data must be in the form of evidence, not intelligence. Borealis talks about these issues with 30-year Toronto police veteran Gavin Horner. Gavin Horner is a licenced Private Investigator for the province of Ontario. He works primarily in the Greater Toronto Area. He retired after 32½ years with the Toronto Police Service. He retired as a Detective ...
Sep 29, 2021•29 min•Season 5Ep. 107
Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig touched down on Canadian soil on Saturday after being arbitrarily detained in China for 1020 days. As Canada celebrates the return of the “two Michaels,” it’s worth asking what this hostage diplomacy saga tells us about Canada-China relations and global affairs more broadly. ►Listen to The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson About Phil Gurski: Phil is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. and Programme Director for the Security...
Sep 28, 2021•7 min
Quick Hits 173 - Why do some academics try to tell national security professionals how to do their jobs? Is there no better way to manage this relationship? Borealis looks at the Acorn TV series Outlier to examine how 'town and gown' should work better. About 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 wo...
Sep 24, 2021•11 min
Is it possible to be an 'ex-jihadi'? How would we know? What about state-run efforts at 'de-radicalisation'? Borealis has a fascinating conversation with Jesse Morton, often described as the #1 Al Qaeda recruiter in the US in the mid 2000s and now very much involved in undermining Islamist terrorism. Jesse Morton was once a jihadist propagandist (then known as Younes Abdullah Muhammad) who ran Revolution Muslim, a New York City-based organization active in the 2000s that connected Muslims in the...
Sep 15, 2021•56 min•Season 5Ep. 106
Jeff Sammut was joined by president and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting and author Phil Gurski on Canada Now to talk about the 9/11 terrorist attacks, 20 years later. ► Catch Jeff live weekdays from 1-3pmET on Sirius XM Canada Talks channel 167 About 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 ...
Sep 09, 2021•36 min
Phil Gurski joins Destiny for his 4rth appearance on his livestream. They discuss Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover, the latest New Zealand attack, ISIS, Incels, Canada's mass graves and the January 6th Washington riots. ►Follow Destiny on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC554eY5jNUfDq3yDOJYirOQ 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 Professiona...
Sep 08, 2021•44 min•Season 5Ep. 106
Quick Hits 172 - Afghanistan has fallen to the Taliban and already the fingers are being pointed at whose fault it was. Several have called this an 'intelligence failure'. Is it? Borealis weighs in on who 'lost' Afghanistan. Read more: https://borealisthreatandrisk.com/was-afghanistan-an-intelligence-failure/ About 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...
Sep 06, 2021•14 min
On August 12, 22-year old Jake Davison killed his mother and four others (including a 3-year old girl) in Plymouth, UK, before taking his own life. Despite initial police statements that this was not a series of acts of terrorism the 'he was an incel' bandwagon got going fairly quickly. What we know does not, however, give much support to the theory. Phil Gurski is joined by the world's foremost authority on incels, Naama Kates, to look at this case and at more general issues surrounding what we...
Sep 01, 2021•30 min•Season 5Ep. 105
Quick Hits 171 - The Taliban have seized power in Afghanistan two weeks before the U.S. and Joe Biden was set to complete its troop withdrawal following a costly two-decade war. Former CSIS intelligence veteran Phil Gurski looks at what we know and what’s next for Afghanistan. About 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 Developmen...
Aug 30, 2021•14 min
The last thing anyone wants to be told is that a loved one has been taken hostage by a criminal gang or terrorist group. What next? What can be done? Borealis talks to Rachel Briggs, former founder of Hostage UK and Hostage US on this fascinating issue! Rachel Briggs OBE is one of the world’s leading experts on international hostage taking. She was the first Director of Hostage UK and Founding Executive Director of Hostage US, non-profits that support hostages and their families. ► Find out more...
Jul 16, 2021•53 min•Season 4Ep. 103
The home of the Nazi movement in the 1930s and 1940s now has a significant 'neo'-Nazi extremist movement in addition to problems with jihadis. Complicating things are 35 different security agencies. Borealis talks with ICRS's Peter Neumann to get the lowdown on what is happening there. About my guest Peter Neumann: Peter Neumann is Professor of Security Studies at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, and served as Founding Director of its International Centre for the Study of Ra...
Jul 14, 2021•36 min•Season 4Ep. 102
We would all like to 'predict' the future, right? We generally can't but that does not mean we can construct and use scenarios to be better prepared for what is coming down the pipe. Borealis is joined by Minke Meijnders, instructor at the University of Ottawa's Security, Economics and Technology program to talk about the importance of these tools. ►Link to Minke's course Strategic Foresight and National Security Analysis About my guest Minke Meijnders: Minke Meijnders is an expert in Strategic ...
Jul 07, 2021•34 min•Season 4Ep. 101
Quick Hits 170 - No one seems to be able to agree on what terrorism is or is not and lots of people call all things terrorism that may not be. So, why not get rid of the term and charge suspects with (attempted) murder? Former CSIS analyst Phil Gurski weighs in on the benefits of doing so. See also: ► Dutch court convicts woman for spreading IS propaganda ► Episode 100 - Borealis talks with American terrorism guru Brian Jenkins ► Cancel Canada Day: Is the country going to hell in a handbasket? A...
Jul 01, 2021•13 min
To commemorate the 100th podcast in the An Intelligent View of Terrorism/Canadian Intelligence Eh series Borealis President Phil Gurski is delighted to welcome back US terrorism specialist Brian Jenkins to answer a simple question: whither terrorism? About my guest Brian Michael Jenkins: Brian Michael Jenkins is a senior adviser to the president of the RAND Corporation and author of numerous books, reports, and articles on terrorism-related topics, including Will Terrorists Go Nuclear? (2008, Pr...
Jun 30, 2021•48 min•Season 4Ep. 100
In recent years some have said that Islamist terrorism is a thing of the past. AQ, ISIS and others are not as dangerous as they once were and we can see this in the lower level of activity of late. Is this accurate? Borealis talks to former UK FCO official Suzanne Raine on why vigilance is the better strategy. Read What should we do when the terrorists go quiet? About my guest Suzanne Raine: Suzanne Raine worked for 24 years in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national s...
Jun 23, 2021•31 min•Season 4Ep. 99
Canada is an outlier in the Western world in not having a separate foreign intelligence devoted to HUMINT. The conversation sometimes comes up that maybe we should create one - but where and how? In this Quick Hits episode, former CSIS Intelligence Analyst Phil Gurski looks at what Canada should do in this regard. See also: ► I, spy: Does Canada need a foreign intelligence service? ► Can someone please tell me why Canada does not have a foreign intelligence service? ► How Canada makes a huge con...
Jun 22, 2021•13 min
On June 6, 2021, a man rammed a pickup truck into Muslim Pakistani Canadian pedestrians at an intersection in London, Ontario, Canada. Four people were killed , and another was wounded; all were from the same family. The attack was the largest mass killing in London’s history. It was condemned by Canadian leaders , and called terrorism by Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and Premier of Ontario Doug Ford. The suspect is charged with four counts of ter...
Jun 21, 2021•20 min
Episode 98 - Spies and cops have related, but different, responsibilities. The former live in the shadows while they collect intelligence. The latter are more open as they collect evidence to lay charges and go to court. How do we square these two professions? Borealis is joined by former RCMP strategic analyst Angus Smith to discuss these and other issues About my guest Angus Smith: Angus Smith worked in the Canadian intelligence community for 30 years, a career that included work on Latin Amer...
Jun 16, 2021•39 min•Season 4Ep. 98
