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Thursday, November 21, 2024
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Phil Gurski

Phil Gurski worked for more than 30 years as an intelligence analyst in Canada, including 15 at CSIS. He is the author of The Threat from Within: Recognizing Al Qaeda-inspired Radicalization and Terrorism in the West. He is president and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting.

A rare insight into Canada’s most secretive spy agency

  • OTTAWA—I never thought I’d see this day. My old stomping grounds, the Communications Security Establishment, also known as Canada’s “electronic spy agency,” has just
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 20, 2020
CSE chief Shelly Bruce, pictured April 8, 2019, at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa at a press conference to discuss cyber threats to Canada's democratic process. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A rare insight into Canada’s most secretive spy agency

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 20, 2020
  • OTTAWA—I never thought I’d see this day. My old stomping grounds, the Communications Security Establishment, also known as Canada’s “electronic spy agency,” has just

A rare insight into Canada’s most secretive spy agency

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 20, 2020
  • OTTAWA—I never thought I’d see this day. My old stomping grounds, the Communications Security Establishment, also known as Canada’s “electronic spy agency,” has just
CSE chief Shelly Bruce, pictured April 8, 2019, at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa at a press conference to discuss cyber threats to Canada's democratic process. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A rare insight into Canada’s most secretive spy agency

  • OTTAWA—I never thought I’d see this day. My old stomping grounds, the Communications Security Establishment, also known as Canada’s “electronic spy agency,” has just
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 20, 2020
CSE chief Shelly Bruce, pictured April 8, 2019, at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa at a press conference to discuss cyber threats to Canada's democratic process. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A rare insight into Canada’s most secretive spy agency

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 20, 2020
  • OTTAWA—I never thought I’d see this day. My old stomping grounds, the Communications Security Establishment, also known as Canada’s “electronic spy agency,” has just

A rare insight into Canada’s most secretive spy agency

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 20, 2020
  • OTTAWA—I never thought I’d see this day. My old stomping grounds, the Communications Security Establishment, also known as Canada’s “electronic spy agency,” has just
CSE chief Shelly Bruce, pictured April 8, 2019, at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa at a press conference to discuss cyber threats to Canada's democratic process. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The first rule of spy club: you do not talk about spy club

  • Ottawa—It should come as no surprise to any Canadian that what our intelligence agencies do on a daily basis is rarely, if ever, disclosed
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 13, 2020
Shelly Bruce, a linguist and former intelligence analyst, leads Canada's codebreaking agency, the Communications Security Establishment. CSE, National Defence, and CSIS, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, are responsible for doing Canada's foreign intelligence work. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The first rule of spy club: you do not talk about spy club

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 13, 2020
  • Ottawa—It should come as no surprise to any Canadian that what our intelligence agencies do on a daily basis is rarely, if ever, disclosed

The first rule of spy club: you do not talk about spy club

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 13, 2020
  • Ottawa—It should come as no surprise to any Canadian that what our intelligence agencies do on a daily basis is rarely, if ever, disclosed
Shelly Bruce, a linguist and former intelligence analyst, leads Canada's codebreaking agency, the Communications Security Establishment. CSE, National Defence, and CSIS, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, are responsible for doing Canada's foreign intelligence work. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

More questions than answers on the Rideau Hall ‘incident’

  • In the wake of a strange Canada Day 2020—thanks COVID-19!—we did have some excitement this year, just not what we wanted or expected. On
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 6, 2020
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured during one of the daily press conferences he held in front of Rideau Cottage, where he and his family live on the grounds of Rideau Hall, this spring. Mr. Trudeau was not home on July 2 when Manitoba man Corey Hurren forced his way onto the property with several guns, and made a threat against Mr. Trudeau. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

More questions than answers on the Rideau Hall ‘incident’

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 6, 2020
  • In the wake of a strange Canada Day 2020—thanks COVID-19!—we did have some excitement this year, just not what we wanted or expected. On

More questions than answers on the Rideau Hall ‘incident’

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 6, 2020
  • In the wake of a strange Canada Day 2020—thanks COVID-19!—we did have some excitement this year, just not what we wanted or expected. On
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured during one of the daily press conferences he held in front of Rideau Cottage, where he and his family live on the grounds of Rideau Hall, this spring. Mr. Trudeau was not home on July 2 when Manitoba man Corey Hurren forced his way onto the property with several guns, and made a threat against Mr. Trudeau. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Our problem with China is much bigger than the fate of the two Michaels

  • OTTAWA—Canadian governments are not the greatest in using the information intelligence agencies give them. You have to feel for the families of the so-called
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 6, 2020
We cannot give in to China’s bullying with respect to Michael Spavor, left, and Michael Kovrig, who have been detained by Chinese authorities since December 2018. There must be a better way that uses diplomatic pressure, including that of our allies, and still follows the tenets of international law. We all know what happens when you kowtow to the local hoodlum, writes Phil Gurski. Photographs courtesy of Twitter and the International Crisis Group

Our problem with China is much bigger than the fate of the two Michaels

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 6, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Canadian governments are not the greatest in using the information intelligence agencies give them. You have to feel for the families of the so-called

Our problem with China is much bigger than the fate of the two Michaels

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 6, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Canadian governments are not the greatest in using the information intelligence agencies give them. You have to feel for the families of the so-called
We cannot give in to China’s bullying with respect to Michael Spavor, left, and Michael Kovrig, who have been detained by Chinese authorities since December 2018. There must be a better way that uses diplomatic pressure, including that of our allies, and still follows the tenets of international law. We all know what happens when you kowtow to the local hoodlum, writes Phil Gurski. Photographs courtesy of Twitter and the International Crisis Group

Once you think you have a handle on where terrorism is going it throws you for a loop

  • OTTAWA—We have been living in a post-9/11 world now for almost two decades. The events of that fateful day led to two military invasions
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 29, 2020
Ground Zero in New York City, after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre complex in Lower Manhattan, conducted by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaida. Photograph courtesy of Pixabay

Once you think you have a handle on where terrorism is going it throws you for a loop

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 29, 2020
  • OTTAWA—We have been living in a post-9/11 world now for almost two decades. The events of that fateful day led to two military invasions

Once you think you have a handle on where terrorism is going it throws you for a loop

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 29, 2020
  • OTTAWA—We have been living in a post-9/11 world now for almost two decades. The events of that fateful day led to two military invasions
Ground Zero in New York City, after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre complex in Lower Manhattan, conducted by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaida. Photograph courtesy of Pixabay

‘Peace in our time,’ Afghan style?

  • OTTAWA—I would imagine that few Canadians are paying attention to what is happening in Afghanistan these days, especially with the continuing lockdowns over the
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 22, 2020
Canada, of course, was among the first to join the U.S. in sending troops to hunt down the actors behind the attacks in New York and Washington. Yes, progress has been made here and there but at what cost, writes Phil Gurski. Photograph courtesy of Department of National Defence

‘Peace in our time,’ Afghan style?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 22, 2020
  • OTTAWA—I would imagine that few Canadians are paying attention to what is happening in Afghanistan these days, especially with the continuing lockdowns over the

‘Peace in our time,’ Afghan style?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 22, 2020
  • OTTAWA—I would imagine that few Canadians are paying attention to what is happening in Afghanistan these days, especially with the continuing lockdowns over the
Canada, of course, was among the first to join the U.S. in sending troops to hunt down the actors behind the attacks in New York and Washington. Yes, progress has been made here and there but at what cost, writes Phil Gurski. Photograph courtesy of Department of National Defence

Intelligence and the next pandemic

  • OTTAWA—When you work in intelligence you take your direction on what to collect or investigate from the government of the day. This applies differently
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 11, 2020
The Canadian Security Establishment building in Ottawa. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a new requirement: information on this and other viruses that can wreak havoc on our economy and our lives, as we have all witnessed over the past few months. Solid, accurate intelligence on future outbreaks can help governments prepare in advance and perhaps lead to responses that were not as fly-by-night as those for the novel coronavirus, writes Phil Gurski. Photograph courtesy Eshko Timiou/Wikipedia Commons

Intelligence and the next pandemic

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 11, 2020
  • OTTAWA—When you work in intelligence you take your direction on what to collect or investigate from the government of the day. This applies differently

Intelligence and the next pandemic

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 11, 2020
  • OTTAWA—When you work in intelligence you take your direction on what to collect or investigate from the government of the day. This applies differently
The Canadian Security Establishment building in Ottawa. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a new requirement: information on this and other viruses that can wreak havoc on our economy and our lives, as we have all witnessed over the past few months. Solid, accurate intelligence on future outbreaks can help governments prepare in advance and perhaps lead to responses that were not as fly-by-night as those for the novel coronavirus, writes Phil Gurski. Photograph courtesy Eshko Timiou/Wikipedia Commons

A rare look at what keeps CSIS up at night

  • OTTAWA—None of us should be surprised that security intelligence services are not open books. What kind of ‘secret’ intelligence agency does not have secrets?
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 4, 2020
CSIS director David Vigneault, pictured on May 13, 2019, at the House Public Safety and National Security Committee meeting on the Hill.

A rare look at what keeps CSIS up at night

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 4, 2020
  • OTTAWA—None of us should be surprised that security intelligence services are not open books. What kind of ‘secret’ intelligence agency does not have secrets?

A rare look at what keeps CSIS up at night

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 4, 2020
  • OTTAWA—None of us should be surprised that security intelligence services are not open books. What kind of ‘secret’ intelligence agency does not have secrets?
CSIS director David Vigneault, pictured on May 13, 2019, at the House Public Safety and National Security Committee meeting on the Hill.

Privacy and our spy agencies

  • OTTAWA—Why do we have intelligence agencies? Have you ever asked yourself that? The agencies, which work in this world, do so secretly for reasons I
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 1, 2020
CSIS director David Vigneault, pictured May 13, 2019, at the House Public Safety and National Security Committee meeting on the Hill. The Hill Times file photograph by Andrew Meade

Privacy and our spy agencies

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 1, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Why do we have intelligence agencies? Have you ever asked yourself that? The agencies, which work in this world, do so secretly for reasons I

Privacy and our spy agencies

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 1, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Why do we have intelligence agencies? Have you ever asked yourself that? The agencies, which work in this world, do so secretly for reasons I
CSIS director David Vigneault, pictured May 13, 2019, at the House Public Safety and National Security Committee meeting on the Hill. The Hill Times file photograph by Andrew Meade

What will terrorism look like post-COVID?

  • OTTAWA—As we continue to live through the novel coronavirus, there is certainly a lot to worry about. Will I get the illness? Will someone
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 20, 2020
A U.S. Special Forces Soldier, pictured Sept. 5, 2016, attached to Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, waits for nightfall prior to starting a nighttime operation. Afghan special forces and Green Berets partnered for a month-long operation. Photograph courtesy of U.S. Army

What will terrorism look like post-COVID?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 20, 2020
  • OTTAWA—As we continue to live through the novel coronavirus, there is certainly a lot to worry about. Will I get the illness? Will someone

What will terrorism look like post-COVID?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 20, 2020
  • OTTAWA—As we continue to live through the novel coronavirus, there is certainly a lot to worry about. Will I get the illness? Will someone
A U.S. Special Forces Soldier, pictured Sept. 5, 2016, attached to Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, waits for nightfall prior to starting a nighttime operation. Afghan special forces and Green Berets partnered for a month-long operation. Photograph courtesy of U.S. Army

Misogyny is horrible, but it is not ‘terrorism’

  • The abuse of women in society is a crime that must be condemned: we can do so without conflating it with terrorism. In this
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 14, 2020
A memorial for the victims of Toronto's deadly van attack in 2018. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Misogyny is horrible, but it is not ‘terrorism’

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 14, 2020
  • The abuse of women in society is a crime that must be condemned: we can do so without conflating it with terrorism. In this

Misogyny is horrible, but it is not ‘terrorism’

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 14, 2020
  • The abuse of women in society is a crime that must be condemned: we can do so without conflating it with terrorism. In this
A memorial for the victims of Toronto's deadly van attack in 2018. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Halting disinformation in a time of pandemic: the need to tread very carefully

  • OTTAWA—A newish term we have all begun to see much more often these days is that of “disinformation” (a.k.a. “misinformation”). We all read about
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 27, 2020
According to Privy Council President Dominic LeBlanc, the federal government is considering introducing legislation to make it an offence to knowingly spread misinformation that could harm people. And it is eliciting opposing views from MPs, writes Phil Gurski. Photograph courtesy of Facebook

Halting disinformation in a time of pandemic: the need to tread very carefully

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 27, 2020
  • OTTAWA—A newish term we have all begun to see much more often these days is that of “disinformation” (a.k.a. “misinformation”). We all read about

Halting disinformation in a time of pandemic: the need to tread very carefully

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 27, 2020
  • OTTAWA—A newish term we have all begun to see much more often these days is that of “disinformation” (a.k.a. “misinformation”). We all read about
According to Privy Council President Dominic LeBlanc, the federal government is considering introducing legislation to make it an offence to knowingly spread misinformation that could harm people. And it is eliciting opposing views from MPs, writes Phil Gurski. Photograph courtesy of Facebook

Surveillance and COVID-19: what if some of the cures raise equally challenging issues?

  • OTTAWA—Governments around the world are struggling to deal with the novel coronavirus: what if some of the cures raise equally challenging issues? I confess
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 27, 2020
As an aside, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) have teamed up on the CIRA-Canadian Shield, a protected domain name system (DNS) service, that prevents Canadians from connecting to malicious websites that might infect their devices and steal their personal information. This is seen as even more necessary than normal, insofar as COVID-19 is opening the door to all kinds of malicious online actors, writes Phil Gurski. Image courtesy of Pixabay

Surveillance and COVID-19: what if some of the cures raise equally challenging issues?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 27, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Governments around the world are struggling to deal with the novel coronavirus: what if some of the cures raise equally challenging issues? I confess

Surveillance and COVID-19: what if some of the cures raise equally challenging issues?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 27, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Governments around the world are struggling to deal with the novel coronavirus: what if some of the cures raise equally challenging issues? I confess
As an aside, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) have teamed up on the CIRA-Canadian Shield, a protected domain name system (DNS) service, that prevents Canadians from connecting to malicious websites that might infect their devices and steal their personal information. This is seen as even more necessary than normal, insofar as COVID-19 is opening the door to all kinds of malicious online actors, writes Phil Gurski. Image courtesy of Pixabay

No, Canada should not be selling arms to Saudi Arabia

  • OTTAWA—Why would any country sell weapons to a regime that saws its critics into pieces and spreads terrorist ideology around the world? The arms
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 15, 2020
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and U.S. President Donald Trump, pictured in the Oval Office on March 14, 2017. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

No, Canada should not be selling arms to Saudi Arabia

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 15, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Why would any country sell weapons to a regime that saws its critics into pieces and spreads terrorist ideology around the world? The arms

No, Canada should not be selling arms to Saudi Arabia

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 15, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Why would any country sell weapons to a regime that saws its critics into pieces and spreads terrorist ideology around the world? The arms
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and U.S. President Donald Trump, pictured in the Oval Office on March 14, 2017. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

What now for the environmental movement in Canada?

  • OTTAWA—Until recently, the environmental protest movement was definitely on the rise. Protests in British Columbia, Ontario, and elsewhere against the construction of the Trans
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 13, 2020
Demonstrators, pictured on Feb. 24, 2020, supporting the Wetʼsuwetʼen nation against the building of the Coastal Gasoline pipeline through their traditional territory march through downtown Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

What now for the environmental movement in Canada?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 13, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Until recently, the environmental protest movement was definitely on the rise. Protests in British Columbia, Ontario, and elsewhere against the construction of the Trans

What now for the environmental movement in Canada?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 13, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Until recently, the environmental protest movement was definitely on the rise. Protests in British Columbia, Ontario, and elsewhere against the construction of the Trans
Demonstrators, pictured on Feb. 24, 2020, supporting the Wetʼsuwetʼen nation against the building of the Coastal Gasoline pipeline through their traditional territory march through downtown Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Peace in Afghanistan? Not likely in our time

  • OTTAWA—I am sure that you have all heard the Pottery Barn rule, right? It says, “if you break it you buy it.” In other
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 6, 2020
U.S. marines, pictured on Dec. 25, 2001, in Kandahar, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikipedia

Peace in Afghanistan? Not likely in our time

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 6, 2020
  • OTTAWA—I am sure that you have all heard the Pottery Barn rule, right? It says, “if you break it you buy it.” In other

Peace in Afghanistan? Not likely in our time

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 6, 2020
  • OTTAWA—I am sure that you have all heard the Pottery Barn rule, right? It says, “if you break it you buy it.” In other
U.S. marines, pictured on Dec. 25, 2001, in Kandahar, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikipedia

What role for Canadian intelligence during the COVID-19 crisis?

  • OTTAWA—We see our intelligence sector as there to protect us from threats like terrorism and foreign espionage—what about pandemics? I don’t know where most
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 30, 2020
CSIS director David Vigneault, pictured at the House Public Safety and National Security Committee on May 13, 2019. CSIS is mandated to advise the government on the following threats, as outlined in the CSIS Act: espionage or sabotage; foreign-influenced activities that are clandestine or deceptive or involve a threat to any person; acts of serious violence against persons or property for the purpose of achieving a political, religious, or ideological objective; and acts that could lead to the destruction or overthrow by violence of, the constitutionally established system of Government in Canada. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

What role for Canadian intelligence during the COVID-19 crisis?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 30, 2020
  • OTTAWA—We see our intelligence sector as there to protect us from threats like terrorism and foreign espionage—what about pandemics? I don’t know where most

What role for Canadian intelligence during the COVID-19 crisis?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 30, 2020
  • OTTAWA—We see our intelligence sector as there to protect us from threats like terrorism and foreign espionage—what about pandemics? I don’t know where most
CSIS director David Vigneault, pictured at the House Public Safety and National Security Committee on May 13, 2019. CSIS is mandated to advise the government on the following threats, as outlined in the CSIS Act: espionage or sabotage; foreign-influenced activities that are clandestine or deceptive or involve a threat to any person; acts of serious violence against persons or property for the purpose of achieving a political, religious, or ideological objective; and acts that could lead to the destruction or overthrow by violence of, the constitutionally established system of Government in Canada. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

No, COVID-19 is not an ‘intelligence failure’

  • Intelligence organizations do a lousy job of explaining what they do to the public. They also do a lousy job of sharing how they
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 26, 2020
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair is a member of the government's cabinet committee on coronavirus. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

No, COVID-19 is not an ‘intelligence failure’

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 26, 2020
  • Intelligence organizations do a lousy job of explaining what they do to the public. They also do a lousy job of sharing how they

No, COVID-19 is not an ‘intelligence failure’

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 26, 2020
  • Intelligence organizations do a lousy job of explaining what they do to the public. They also do a lousy job of sharing how they
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair is a member of the government's cabinet committee on coronavirus. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A call for humility in national security ‘expertise’

  • OTTAWA—‘Experts’ can help Canadians understand national security and public safety threats, but only if they are truly knowledgeable. One thing I have tried to
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 23, 2020
RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki, pictured Sept. 17, 2019, at RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A call for humility in national security ‘expertise’

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 23, 2020
  • OTTAWA—‘Experts’ can help Canadians understand national security and public safety threats, but only if they are truly knowledgeable. One thing I have tried to

A call for humility in national security ‘expertise’

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 23, 2020
  • OTTAWA—‘Experts’ can help Canadians understand national security and public safety threats, but only if they are truly knowledgeable. One thing I have tried to
RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki, pictured Sept. 17, 2019, at RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

When will the government wake up about China?

  • OTTAWA—When I was a kid growing up in southwestern Ontario, there was one thing that was indisputable: if something bore the label ‘Made in
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 16, 2020
CSIS Director David Vigneault, pictured at the House Public Safety Committee on the Hill on May 13, 2019. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

When will the government wake up about China?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 16, 2020
  • OTTAWA—When I was a kid growing up in southwestern Ontario, there was one thing that was indisputable: if something bore the label ‘Made in

When will the government wake up about China?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 16, 2020
  • OTTAWA—When I was a kid growing up in southwestern Ontario, there was one thing that was indisputable: if something bore the label ‘Made in
CSIS Director David Vigneault, pictured at the House Public Safety Committee on the Hill on May 13, 2019. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

When other people’s disputes come to our shores

  • OTTAWA—There are very few countries like Canada. Warts and all—and there are a lot of warts, as we are currently witnessing, with respect to
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 9, 2020
How can we allow this to take place? In my view, this activity constitutes a threat to the security and safety of this country, as stated in the CSIS Act, and I have no idea whether my former CSIS colleagues are on this, but to its credit, the RCMP is looking into the matter, writes Phil Gurski. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

When other people’s disputes come to our shores

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 9, 2020
  • OTTAWA—There are very few countries like Canada. Warts and all—and there are a lot of warts, as we are currently witnessing, with respect to

When other people’s disputes come to our shores

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 9, 2020
  • OTTAWA—There are very few countries like Canada. Warts and all—and there are a lot of warts, as we are currently witnessing, with respect to
How can we allow this to take place? In my view, this activity constitutes a threat to the security and safety of this country, as stated in the CSIS Act, and I have no idea whether my former CSIS colleagues are on this, but to its credit, the RCMP is looking into the matter, writes Phil Gurski. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Increasingly diverse makeup of Canadian resource protests: is violence around the corner?

  • OTTAWA—We all recognize the right to express dissent: so what do we do when groups espousing violence jump on the bandwagon? Looking briefly at
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 2, 2020
Ottawa Police officers, pictured in Ottawa on Feb. 24, 2020, watching demonstrators who took to the streets to support the Wetʼsuwetʼen hereditary chiefs who are opposed to the $6.6-billion Coastal Gasoline pipeline through their traditional territory. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Increasingly diverse makeup of Canadian resource protests: is violence around the corner?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 2, 2020
  • OTTAWA—We all recognize the right to express dissent: so what do we do when groups espousing violence jump on the bandwagon? Looking briefly at

Increasingly diverse makeup of Canadian resource protests: is violence around the corner?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | March 2, 2020
  • OTTAWA—We all recognize the right to express dissent: so what do we do when groups espousing violence jump on the bandwagon? Looking briefly at
Ottawa Police officers, pictured in Ottawa on Feb. 24, 2020, watching demonstrators who took to the streets to support the Wetʼsuwetʼen hereditary chiefs who are opposed to the $6.6-billion Coastal Gasoline pipeline through their traditional territory. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

When will Canada stand up to states that engage in terrorism against their own citizens?

  • OTTAWA—Indian Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar paid an official visit to Canada the week before Christmas. As he outlined in a piece for
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | February 24, 2020
India's Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who paid an official two-day visit to Canada on Dec. 20, 2019. As he outlined in a piece for the National Post, he argued for a 'wider and deeper Indo-Canadian enterprise,' citing shared democratic values, pluralism, civil society and a market economy. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

When will Canada stand up to states that engage in terrorism against their own citizens?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | February 24, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Indian Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar paid an official visit to Canada the week before Christmas. As he outlined in a piece for

When will Canada stand up to states that engage in terrorism against their own citizens?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | February 24, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Indian Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar paid an official visit to Canada the week before Christmas. As he outlined in a piece for
India's Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who paid an official two-day visit to Canada on Dec. 20, 2019. As he outlined in a piece for the National Post, he argued for a 'wider and deeper Indo-Canadian enterprise,' citing shared democratic values, pluralism, civil society and a market economy. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

The gnawing question of when to release terrorists from custody

  • OTTAWA—There is no such thing as zero-risk: we need to have systems in place to measure danger as best we can If you have
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | February 17, 2020
The U.K. public is in an uproar and the Boris Johnson government is rushing through legislation to amend early release for terrorists Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikipedia

The gnawing question of when to release terrorists from custody

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | February 17, 2020
  • OTTAWA—There is no such thing as zero-risk: we need to have systems in place to measure danger as best we can If you have

The gnawing question of when to release terrorists from custody

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | February 17, 2020
  • OTTAWA—There is no such thing as zero-risk: we need to have systems in place to measure danger as best we can If you have
The U.K. public is in an uproar and the Boris Johnson government is rushing through legislation to amend early release for terrorists Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikipedia

Let’s see if a new GOC ‘terrorism prosecution unit’ gets it right

  • OTTAWA—Terrorism is a hard crime to prosecute. The things that terrorists do are not so difficult: murder or attempted murder is relatively straightforward one
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | February 10, 2020
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured on Jan. 27, 2020, on the Hill, has directed the ministers of justice and public safety in their mandate letters to 'coordinate efforts to prosecute terror suspects to the fullest extent of the law' and create a new Office of Director of Terrorism Prosecutions. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Let’s see if a new GOC ‘terrorism prosecution unit’ gets it right

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | February 10, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Terrorism is a hard crime to prosecute. The things that terrorists do are not so difficult: murder or attempted murder is relatively straightforward one

Let’s see if a new GOC ‘terrorism prosecution unit’ gets it right

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | February 10, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Terrorism is a hard crime to prosecute. The things that terrorists do are not so difficult: murder or attempted murder is relatively straightforward one
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured on Jan. 27, 2020, on the Hill, has directed the ministers of justice and public safety in their mandate letters to 'coordinate efforts to prosecute terror suspects to the fullest extent of the law' and create a new Office of Director of Terrorism Prosecutions. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

So now our protectors cannot access open information?

  • We live in a world where everyone seems to want to share a lot, sometimes too much, about their lives. Whether its FaceBook or
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | February 3, 2020

So now our protectors cannot access open information?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | February 3, 2020
  • We live in a world where everyone seems to want to share a lot, sometimes too much, about their lives. Whether its FaceBook or

So now our protectors cannot access open information?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | February 3, 2020
  • We live in a world where everyone seems to want to share a lot, sometimes too much, about their lives. Whether its FaceBook or

No such thing as privacy intrusions in the age of oversharing

  • Law-enforcement and security agencies use a wealth of sources in their investigations, including openly available data. We live in a world where everyone seems
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | January 20, 2020
Those who work in national security and public safety do not profile, writes columnist Phil Gurski. Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

No such thing as privacy intrusions in the age of oversharing

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | January 20, 2020
  • Law-enforcement and security agencies use a wealth of sources in their investigations, including openly available data. We live in a world where everyone seems

No such thing as privacy intrusions in the age of oversharing

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | January 20, 2020
  • Law-enforcement and security agencies use a wealth of sources in their investigations, including openly available data. We live in a world where everyone seems
Those who work in national security and public safety do not profile, writes columnist Phil Gurski. Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
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Distrust in CSIS makes us less safe

  • OTTAWA—It should come as a surprise to no one that people in many parts of the world lack confidence in important public institutions. Whether
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | September 2, 2019
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is responsible for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, which in turn has a mandate to protect Canadians from terror attacks and other security threats. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Distrust in CSIS makes us less safe

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | September 2, 2019
  • OTTAWA—It should come as a surprise to no one that people in many parts of the world lack confidence in important public institutions. Whether

Distrust in CSIS makes us less safe

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | September 2, 2019
  • OTTAWA—It should come as a surprise to no one that people in many parts of the world lack confidence in important public institutions. Whether
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is responsible for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, which in turn has a mandate to protect Canadians from terror attacks and other security threats. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

State terrorism is making a comeback

  • OTTAWA—These days when we read or think about terrorism we tend to go in two directions: either we think about terrorist groups: Al Qaeda,
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 26, 2019
A protester holds a sign during an Aug. 15, 2019 demonstration against the Indian government's crackdown in Kashmir at the Delta Hotel in Ottawa, where the Indian High Commission in Canada was holding a national day reception. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

State terrorism is making a comeback

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 26, 2019
  • OTTAWA—These days when we read or think about terrorism we tend to go in two directions: either we think about terrorist groups: Al Qaeda,

State terrorism is making a comeback

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 26, 2019
  • OTTAWA—These days when we read or think about terrorism we tend to go in two directions: either we think about terrorist groups: Al Qaeda,
A protester holds a sign during an Aug. 15, 2019 demonstration against the Indian government's crackdown in Kashmir at the Delta Hotel in Ottawa, where the Indian High Commission in Canada was holding a national day reception. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Making CSIS ‘smarter’ at counter-terrorism easier said than done

  • They say that no matter what you do, you can always do it better; there is inevitably room for improvement. Then again, they also
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 19, 2019
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, pictured on May 16, 2019 while announcing the expansion of the Security Infrastructure Program to guard against hate-motivated crimes. Mr. Goodale is the minister ultimately responsible for CSIS. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Making CSIS ‘smarter’ at counter-terrorism easier said than done

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 19, 2019
  • They say that no matter what you do, you can always do it better; there is inevitably room for improvement. Then again, they also

Making CSIS ‘smarter’ at counter-terrorism easier said than done

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 19, 2019
  • They say that no matter what you do, you can always do it better; there is inevitably room for improvement. Then again, they also
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, pictured on May 16, 2019 while announcing the expansion of the Security Infrastructure Program to guard against hate-motivated crimes. Mr. Goodale is the minister ultimately responsible for CSIS. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Why Canada should not be in a hurry to re-embrace Saudi Arabia

  • OTTAWA—I never worked in foreign affairs or for Foreign Affairs (or Global Affairs Canada, as it is now known, having once been designated External
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 12, 2019
I fail to see why so many states are still fawning over Saudi Arabia, and especially over the king-in-waiting and international star Muhammad bin Salman, writes Phil Gurski. Conservative MP Erin O’Toole has said that a government led by Andrew Scheer will try to 'win some trust' with the Saudis by focusing on improving business links. Mr. O’Toole acknowledges that for some Canadians re-establishing ties with Saudi Arabia will be a 'tough sell.' Ya think? Photograph courtesy of the Kremlin

Why Canada should not be in a hurry to re-embrace Saudi Arabia

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 12, 2019
  • OTTAWA—I never worked in foreign affairs or for Foreign Affairs (or Global Affairs Canada, as it is now known, having once been designated External

Why Canada should not be in a hurry to re-embrace Saudi Arabia

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 12, 2019
  • OTTAWA—I never worked in foreign affairs or for Foreign Affairs (or Global Affairs Canada, as it is now known, having once been designated External
I fail to see why so many states are still fawning over Saudi Arabia, and especially over the king-in-waiting and international star Muhammad bin Salman, writes Phil Gurski. Conservative MP Erin O’Toole has said that a government led by Andrew Scheer will try to 'win some trust' with the Saudis by focusing on improving business links. Mr. O’Toole acknowledges that for some Canadians re-establishing ties with Saudi Arabia will be a 'tough sell.' Ya think? Photograph courtesy of the Kremlin

Why former spies and diplomats must have freedom to speak

  • OTTAWA—When you agree to work for an organization that deals with classified information, you’re required to sign off on documents that say you will
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 5, 2019
The Prime Minister's Office, pictured in Ottawa. There are a lot of Canadians who served our nation well and who have valuable contributions to make to help our citizenry understand complex realities. They must have the freedom to do so without government or civil service busybodies trying to narrow what they do, writes Phil Gurski. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Why former spies and diplomats must have freedom to speak

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 5, 2019
  • OTTAWA—When you agree to work for an organization that deals with classified information, you’re required to sign off on documents that say you will

Why former spies and diplomats must have freedom to speak

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 5, 2019
  • OTTAWA—When you agree to work for an organization that deals with classified information, you’re required to sign off on documents that say you will
The Prime Minister's Office, pictured in Ottawa. There are a lot of Canadians who served our nation well and who have valuable contributions to make to help our citizenry understand complex realities. They must have the freedom to do so without government or civil service busybodies trying to narrow what they do, writes Phil Gurski. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Why we must hold back on using the terrorism label

  • OTTAWA—July 22 marks a sombre anniversary in Canada. A year ago, people were enjoying a summer’s evening on Toronto’s Danforth Avenue, sitting in cafés, having
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 29, 2019
Pictured in July 2018, people in Toronto left floral tributes for 18-year-old Reese Fallon with the message 'We are #Danforth.' What happened on the Danforth on July 22, 2018, was a terrible crime that killed two, wounded many more, and scarred even more for life. And yet there is nothing to support the theory that the assailant was a terrorist, writes Phil Gurski. Photograph by Kasuga & courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

Why we must hold back on using the terrorism label

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 29, 2019
  • OTTAWA—July 22 marks a sombre anniversary in Canada. A year ago, people were enjoying a summer’s evening on Toronto’s Danforth Avenue, sitting in cafés, having

Why we must hold back on using the terrorism label

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 29, 2019
  • OTTAWA—July 22 marks a sombre anniversary in Canada. A year ago, people were enjoying a summer’s evening on Toronto’s Danforth Avenue, sitting in cafés, having
Pictured in July 2018, people in Toronto left floral tributes for 18-year-old Reese Fallon with the message 'We are #Danforth.' What happened on the Danforth on July 22, 2018, was a terrible crime that killed two, wounded many more, and scarred even more for life. And yet there is nothing to support the theory that the assailant was a terrorist, writes Phil Gurski. Photograph by Kasuga & courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

BCCLA case shows how ignorant Canadians really are about CSIS

  • OTTAWA—As spy agencies go, ours in Canada is not that different from others in the Western world. Okay, CSIS does not have the sexiness
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 22, 2019
Protesters, pictured in Ottawa on Jan. 8, 2018, out in solidarity with Indigenous peoples who had been arrested at Wet’suwet’en camp in British Columbia. Canadians need to appreciate that CSIS acts as an 'early warning system' on threats to national security and public safety. It has a lower threshold of investigative power than law enforcement does. It collects intelligence, not evidence, and does so to keep up on what may morph into real threats to Canada. Everything it did in looking into the Northern Gateway protest movement was not only allowed, it was required, writes Phil Gurski. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

BCCLA case shows how ignorant Canadians really are about CSIS

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 22, 2019
  • OTTAWA—As spy agencies go, ours in Canada is not that different from others in the Western world. Okay, CSIS does not have the sexiness

BCCLA case shows how ignorant Canadians really are about CSIS

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 22, 2019
  • OTTAWA—As spy agencies go, ours in Canada is not that different from others in the Western world. Okay, CSIS does not have the sexiness
Protesters, pictured in Ottawa on Jan. 8, 2018, out in solidarity with Indigenous peoples who had been arrested at Wet’suwet’en camp in British Columbia. Canadians need to appreciate that CSIS acts as an 'early warning system' on threats to national security and public safety. It has a lower threshold of investigative power than law enforcement does. It collects intelligence, not evidence, and does so to keep up on what may morph into real threats to Canada. Everything it did in looking into the Northern Gateway protest movement was not only allowed, it was required, writes Phil Gurski. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Would you shill for Osama bin Laden?

  • OTTAWA—There are all kinds of consultants out there—heck, even I call myself a consultant these days. You would imagine that good consultants have a
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 15, 2019
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the de facto military leader in Sudan whose security forces killed more than 100 pro-democracy protesters in Khartoum in April. Screen capture image courtesy of France24

Would you shill for Osama bin Laden?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 15, 2019
  • OTTAWA—There are all kinds of consultants out there—heck, even I call myself a consultant these days. You would imagine that good consultants have a

Would you shill for Osama bin Laden?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 15, 2019
  • OTTAWA—There are all kinds of consultants out there—heck, even I call myself a consultant these days. You would imagine that good consultants have a
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the de facto military leader in Sudan whose security forces killed more than 100 pro-democracy protesters in Khartoum in April. Screen capture image courtesy of France24

Countering violent extremism in Canada needs better scrutiny

  • OTTAWA—If there is one buzzword that has gained a lot of ground in Canada and elsewhere in the post 9/11 period it is CVE
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 8, 2019
In Canada, countering violent extremism is big business. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale's department has spent tens of millions on it since the early 2010s. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Countering violent extremism in Canada needs better scrutiny

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 8, 2019
  • OTTAWA—If there is one buzzword that has gained a lot of ground in Canada and elsewhere in the post 9/11 period it is CVE

Countering violent extremism in Canada needs better scrutiny

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 8, 2019
  • OTTAWA—If there is one buzzword that has gained a lot of ground in Canada and elsewhere in the post 9/11 period it is CVE
In Canada, countering violent extremism is big business. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale's department has spent tens of millions on it since the early 2010s. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

What the annual CSIS report tells us about national security and public safety

  • OTTAWA—It should come as a surprise to no one in this country that the activities of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) are secret.
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 1, 2019
CSIS Director David Vigneault, pictured May 13, 2019, at the House Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on the Hill. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

What the annual CSIS report tells us about national security and public safety

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 1, 2019
  • OTTAWA—It should come as a surprise to no one in this country that the activities of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) are secret.

What the annual CSIS report tells us about national security and public safety

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 1, 2019
  • OTTAWA—It should come as a surprise to no one in this country that the activities of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) are secret.
CSIS Director David Vigneault, pictured May 13, 2019, at the House Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on the Hill. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

CSIS is damned when it does and damned when it doesn’t

  • OTTAWA—Cast a sympathetic eye on Canada’s spy agency, CSIS (when is the last time someone asked that of you?). It is subject to incredibly intense scrutiny
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 24, 2019
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale; Vincent Rigby, associate deputy minister of public safety; RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki; and CSIS Director David Vigneault, pictured May 13, 2019, at the House Public Safety and National Security Committee. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

CSIS is damned when it does and damned when it doesn’t

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 24, 2019
  • OTTAWA—Cast a sympathetic eye on Canada’s spy agency, CSIS (when is the last time someone asked that of you?). It is subject to incredibly intense scrutiny

CSIS is damned when it does and damned when it doesn’t

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 24, 2019
  • OTTAWA—Cast a sympathetic eye on Canada’s spy agency, CSIS (when is the last time someone asked that of you?). It is subject to incredibly intense scrutiny
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale; Vincent Rigby, associate deputy minister of public safety; RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki; and CSIS Director David Vigneault, pictured May 13, 2019, at the House Public Safety and National Security Committee. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

We live in a world obsessed with terrorism, but Canada doesn’t have a terrorism problem

  • OTTAWA—It might strike the reader as odd that someone with so much invested in counterterrorism is here making the suggestion that we need to
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 17, 2019
Terrorism here is a blessedly tiny problem and one that will most likely remain insignificant. Furthermore, moving to underemphasize or even eliminate terrorism offences would not have that much of an impact on the agencies tasked with investigating—and thwarting—it: they could continue to collect intelligence (CSIS) and evidence (RCMP) to the same degree. The only real difference is what to do with the evidence when it comes time to lay criminal charges. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

We live in a world obsessed with terrorism, but Canada doesn’t have a terrorism problem

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 17, 2019
  • OTTAWA—It might strike the reader as odd that someone with so much invested in counterterrorism is here making the suggestion that we need to

We live in a world obsessed with terrorism, but Canada doesn’t have a terrorism problem

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 17, 2019
  • OTTAWA—It might strike the reader as odd that someone with so much invested in counterterrorism is here making the suggestion that we need to
Terrorism here is a blessedly tiny problem and one that will most likely remain insignificant. Furthermore, moving to underemphasize or even eliminate terrorism offences would not have that much of an impact on the agencies tasked with investigating—and thwarting—it: they could continue to collect intelligence (CSIS) and evidence (RCMP) to the same degree. The only real difference is what to do with the evidence when it comes time to lay criminal charges. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

We need to use term ‘genocide’ carefully before it loses all meaning, and impact

  • OTTAWA—Boy am I ever going to get some flak from this post. I intend to take issue with some of the findings of the
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 10, 2019
A public closing ceremony on June 3, 2019, marked the conclusion of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls at the Museum of History in Gatineau, Que. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

We need to use term ‘genocide’ carefully before it loses all meaning, and impact

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 10, 2019
  • OTTAWA—Boy am I ever going to get some flak from this post. I intend to take issue with some of the findings of the

We need to use term ‘genocide’ carefully before it loses all meaning, and impact

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 10, 2019
  • OTTAWA—Boy am I ever going to get some flak from this post. I intend to take issue with some of the findings of the
A public closing ceremony on June 3, 2019, marked the conclusion of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls at the Museum of History in Gatineau, Que. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Former Guantanamo Bay inmates still a hot topic, in Canada

  • OTTAWA—Canada had nothing to do with the U.S. decision to use the anachronistic Guantanamo Bay military camp in Cuba as a highly controversial—if not
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 3, 2019
Ayub Mohammed, an ethnic Uyghur from China who was in the prison camp for six years before the U.S. decided he was not a terrorist, met a Canadian woman online and married her. The two now have three children, all of whom are Canadian citizens, and Mohammed wants to move to Canada from Albania to live with his new family in Montreal. Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia

Former Guantanamo Bay inmates still a hot topic, in Canada

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 3, 2019
  • OTTAWA—Canada had nothing to do with the U.S. decision to use the anachronistic Guantanamo Bay military camp in Cuba as a highly controversial—if not

Former Guantanamo Bay inmates still a hot topic, in Canada

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | June 3, 2019
  • OTTAWA—Canada had nothing to do with the U.S. decision to use the anachronistic Guantanamo Bay military camp in Cuba as a highly controversial—if not
Ayub Mohammed, an ethnic Uyghur from China who was in the prison camp for six years before the U.S. decided he was not a terrorist, met a Canadian woman online and married her. The two now have three children, all of whom are Canadian citizens, and Mohammed wants to move to Canada from Albania to live with his new family in Montreal. Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia

Blasphemy gives Muslims a bad name

  • OTTAWA—As noted on many, many (too many?) occasions I am a very devoted Monty Python fan. Some of my readers may not share my
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 27, 2019
Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman who was recently released after spending eight years on death row for blasphemy. She is now in Canada. Photograph courtesy Flickr

Blasphemy gives Muslims a bad name

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 27, 2019
  • OTTAWA—As noted on many, many (too many?) occasions I am a very devoted Monty Python fan. Some of my readers may not share my

Blasphemy gives Muslims a bad name

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 27, 2019
  • OTTAWA—As noted on many, many (too many?) occasions I am a very devoted Monty Python fan. Some of my readers may not share my
Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman who was recently released after spending eight years on death row for blasphemy. She is now in Canada. Photograph courtesy Flickr

It’s time to categorically reject the Norse-god inspired far right in Canada

  • OTTAWA—When I was a kid one of my favourite movies was The Vikings with Kirk Douglas (father of the much more famous, at least today, Michael)
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 20, 2019
Anti-migration groups, including alt-right groups, La Muete, Soldiers of Odin, Storm Alliance, and others, pictured on Dec. 8, 2018, on Parliament Hill protesting against Canada signing the UN Global Compact for Migration. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

It’s time to categorically reject the Norse-god inspired far right in Canada

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 20, 2019
  • OTTAWA—When I was a kid one of my favourite movies was The Vikings with Kirk Douglas (father of the much more famous, at least today, Michael)

It’s time to categorically reject the Norse-god inspired far right in Canada

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 20, 2019
  • OTTAWA—When I was a kid one of my favourite movies was The Vikings with Kirk Douglas (father of the much more famous, at least today, Michael)
Anti-migration groups, including alt-right groups, La Muete, Soldiers of Odin, Storm Alliance, and others, pictured on Dec. 8, 2018, on Parliament Hill protesting against Canada signing the UN Global Compact for Migration. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

It’s time to take the annual terrorist threat report out of Public Safety

  • OTTAWA—If there are any people at Public Safety Canada who do not already dislike me, perhaps intensely, I am confident that this column will
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 13, 2019
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, pictured May 7, 2019, at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa. His department is the wrong shop to pen one of the few pieces of information on terrorism in our country that the average Canadian can read, argues Phil Gurski. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

It’s time to take the annual terrorist threat report out of Public Safety

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 13, 2019
  • OTTAWA—If there are any people at Public Safety Canada who do not already dislike me, perhaps intensely, I am confident that this column will

It’s time to take the annual terrorist threat report out of Public Safety

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 13, 2019
  • OTTAWA—If there are any people at Public Safety Canada who do not already dislike me, perhaps intensely, I am confident that this column will
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, pictured May 7, 2019, at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa. His department is the wrong shop to pen one of the few pieces of information on terrorism in our country that the average Canadian can read, argues Phil Gurski. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

When ‘foreign fighters’ meant something very different

  • OTTAWA—I do not normally read the obituaries. It is not that I have no respect for the dead: it is just that I don’t
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 6, 2019
Upwards of 1,600 Canadians, largely though not exclusively Communist or Marxist, left our country to fight for the Spanish government against the forces of Francisco Franco, supported by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy back in the 1930s. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

When ‘foreign fighters’ meant something very different

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 6, 2019
  • OTTAWA—I do not normally read the obituaries. It is not that I have no respect for the dead: it is just that I don’t

When ‘foreign fighters’ meant something very different

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | May 6, 2019
  • OTTAWA—I do not normally read the obituaries. It is not that I have no respect for the dead: it is just that I don’t
Upwards of 1,600 Canadians, largely though not exclusively Communist or Marxist, left our country to fight for the Spanish government against the forces of Francisco Franco, supported by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy back in the 1930s. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Keep the faith and let others keep theirs

  • OTTAWA—In the Middle Ages, there was in Europe the concept of cuius regio eius religio—Latin for the concept of “the religion of the ruler dictates
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 29, 2019
At least 321 people were killed in churches and hotels on Easter morning in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan officials say the attacks were made by the National Towheed Jamaath, a local Islamist organization, and the Islamic State later claimed responsibility for the Sri Lanka terror attack. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Probath Jayatissa's Twitter handle

Keep the faith and let others keep theirs

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 29, 2019
  • OTTAWA—In the Middle Ages, there was in Europe the concept of cuius regio eius religio—Latin for the concept of “the religion of the ruler dictates

Keep the faith and let others keep theirs

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 29, 2019
  • OTTAWA—In the Middle Ages, there was in Europe the concept of cuius regio eius religio—Latin for the concept of “the religion of the ruler dictates
At least 321 people were killed in churches and hotels on Easter morning in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan officials say the attacks were made by the National Towheed Jamaath, a local Islamist organization, and the Islamic State later claimed responsibility for the Sri Lanka terror attack. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Probath Jayatissa's Twitter handle

Call religious extremism what it is: terrorism

  • OTTAWA—Pop quiz! How can you tell an election is coming up in Canada? (A) the government puts out a report that some identifiable part
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 22, 2019
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, pictured Feb. 5, 2019, after a cabinet meeting on the Hill. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Call religious extremism what it is: terrorism

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 22, 2019
  • OTTAWA—Pop quiz! How can you tell an election is coming up in Canada? (A) the government puts out a report that some identifiable part

Call religious extremism what it is: terrorism

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | April 22, 2019
  • OTTAWA—Pop quiz! How can you tell an election is coming up in Canada? (A) the government puts out a report that some identifiable part
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, pictured Feb. 5, 2019, after a cabinet meeting on the Hill. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

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