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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

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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Where are all the right-wing terrorism mass casualty attacks?

  • OTTAWA—I have just returned from Oslo where I was thrilled to catch up with one of my favourite terrorist experts, Thomas Hegghammer. Thomas and
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | December 19, 2016

Where are all the right-wing terrorism mass casualty attacks?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | December 19, 2016
  • OTTAWA—I have just returned from Oslo where I was thrilled to catch up with one of my favourite terrorist experts, Thomas Hegghammer. Thomas and

Where are all the right-wing terrorism mass casualty attacks?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | December 19, 2016
  • OTTAWA—I have just returned from Oslo where I was thrilled to catch up with one of my favourite terrorist experts, Thomas Hegghammer. Thomas and

Terrorism, honour, and modelling

  • On June 30, 2009, the bodies of three young women and a middle-aged woman were found in a car that had been submerged in
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | December 15, 2016
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Ralph Goodale, is tasked with keeping Canadians safe from a number of threats, including terrorism attacks. Gurski cautions that it is difficult to draw blanket conclusions about the motivations of terrorists. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Terrorism, honour, and modelling

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | December 15, 2016
  • On June 30, 2009, the bodies of three young women and a middle-aged woman were found in a car that had been submerged in

Terrorism, honour, and modelling

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | December 15, 2016
  • On June 30, 2009, the bodies of three young women and a middle-aged woman were found in a car that had been submerged in
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Ralph Goodale, is tasked with keeping Canadians safe from a number of threats, including terrorism attacks. Gurski cautions that it is difficult to draw blanket conclusions about the motivations of terrorists. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Why don’t most people become terrorists?

  • OTTAWA—As I have noted in earlier columns, I am a Sherlock Holmes fan. The first story published in The Strand magazine under the title,
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | December 12, 2016
Islamic terrorists, pictured on Flickr. The world needs to reach out to the 'silent majority' and make them part of the answer. So let us celebrate the reality that terrorism remains the preferred choice of a very small number of people and exaggerating the scale of the problem is not helpful, writes Phil Gurski. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Why don’t most people become terrorists?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | December 12, 2016
  • OTTAWA—As I have noted in earlier columns, I am a Sherlock Holmes fan. The first story published in The Strand magazine under the title,

Why don’t most people become terrorists?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | December 12, 2016
  • OTTAWA—As I have noted in earlier columns, I am a Sherlock Holmes fan. The first story published in The Strand magazine under the title,
Islamic terrorists, pictured on Flickr. The world needs to reach out to the 'silent majority' and make them part of the answer. So let us celebrate the reality that terrorism remains the preferred choice of a very small number of people and exaggerating the scale of the problem is not helpful, writes Phil Gurski. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Who should our spies spy on?

  • OTTAWA—In the wake of news out of Quebec that police in that province were given court warrants to intercept the communications of journalists, it
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | December 5, 2016
CSIS director Michel Coulombe, pictured in this file photo, did not testify before the Senate National Security and Defence Committee last week, but Brian Rumig, assistant director of CSIS operations, told the committee that CSIS had spied on reporters either directly or indirectly. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Who should our spies spy on?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | December 5, 2016
  • OTTAWA—In the wake of news out of Quebec that police in that province were given court warrants to intercept the communications of journalists, it

Who should our spies spy on?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | December 5, 2016
  • OTTAWA—In the wake of news out of Quebec that police in that province were given court warrants to intercept the communications of journalists, it
CSIS director Michel Coulombe, pictured in this file photo, did not testify before the Senate National Security and Defence Committee last week, but Brian Rumig, assistant director of CSIS operations, told the committee that CSIS had spied on reporters either directly or indirectly. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

How much tolerance is too much?

  • Living in a liberal democracy is generally a good thing. Not that there aren’t problems that arise from time to time, but those who
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | November 25, 2016
Recent events have raised a lot of debate and emotion in Montreal about intolerance and religious freedoms, writes Phil Gurski. Photograph courtesy of John Lian, Wikimedia Commons.

How much tolerance is too much?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | November 25, 2016
  • Living in a liberal democracy is generally a good thing. Not that there aren’t problems that arise from time to time, but those who

How much tolerance is too much?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | November 25, 2016
  • Living in a liberal democracy is generally a good thing. Not that there aren’t problems that arise from time to time, but those who
Recent events have raised a lot of debate and emotion in Montreal about intolerance and religious freedoms, writes Phil Gurski. Photograph courtesy of John Lian, Wikimedia Commons.

How much data retention is reasonable in counter terrorism?

  • OTTAWA—A new salvo has been fired in the continual contest that pits national security vs. privacy rights in Canada. A Federal Court judge has
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | November 14, 2016
CSIS director Michel Coulombe, pictured in this file photo on the Hill, has stated that valuable intelligence was gleaned from that metadata, intelligence that could very well have made a significant contribution to a terrorism investigation. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

How much data retention is reasonable in counter terrorism?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | November 14, 2016
  • OTTAWA—A new salvo has been fired in the continual contest that pits national security vs. privacy rights in Canada. A Federal Court judge has

How much data retention is reasonable in counter terrorism?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | November 14, 2016
  • OTTAWA—A new salvo has been fired in the continual contest that pits national security vs. privacy rights in Canada. A Federal Court judge has
CSIS director Michel Coulombe, pictured in this file photo on the Hill, has stated that valuable intelligence was gleaned from that metadata, intelligence that could very well have made a significant contribution to a terrorism investigation. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Current threat scenario is serious, requires a more adult conversation

  • One of the great Canadian novels of the 20th century was Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLennan. It is the story of the troubles between
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | November 7, 2016
Police officers, pictured in Ottawa on Oct. 22, 2014, the day of the shootings on the Hill and at the National War Memorial. The Hill Times photograph by Chris Plecash

Current threat scenario is serious, requires a more adult conversation

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | November 7, 2016
  • One of the great Canadian novels of the 20th century was Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLennan. It is the story of the troubles between

Current threat scenario is serious, requires a more adult conversation

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | November 7, 2016
  • One of the great Canadian novels of the 20th century was Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLennan. It is the story of the troubles between
Police officers, pictured in Ottawa on Oct. 22, 2014, the day of the shootings on the Hill and at the National War Memorial. The Hill Times photograph by Chris Plecash

Why can’t we identify terrorists before it is too late?

  • OTTAWA—Woodstock, Ont., a small city just up the road from where I grew up, is having a tough time of it. A nurse has
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | October 31, 2016

Why can’t we identify terrorists before it is too late?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | October 31, 2016
  • OTTAWA—Woodstock, Ont., a small city just up the road from where I grew up, is having a tough time of it. A nurse has

Why can’t we identify terrorists before it is too late?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | October 31, 2016
  • OTTAWA—Woodstock, Ont., a small city just up the road from where I grew up, is having a tough time of it. A nurse has

What’s up with all the Islamophobia?

  • I have a fear of heights. This fear makes it hard for me even to climb ladders. I know it sounds silly and irrational
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | October 24, 2016
Around 200 demonstrators gathered in east Minneapolis on Sept. 17, 2016, for a peaceful rally to denounce forms of Islamophobia. Photograph courtesy of Fibonacci Blue

What’s up with all the Islamophobia?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | October 24, 2016
  • I have a fear of heights. This fear makes it hard for me even to climb ladders. I know it sounds silly and irrational

What’s up with all the Islamophobia?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | October 24, 2016
  • I have a fear of heights. This fear makes it hard for me even to climb ladders. I know it sounds silly and irrational
Around 200 demonstrators gathered in east Minneapolis on Sept. 17, 2016, for a peaceful rally to denounce forms of Islamophobia. Photograph courtesy of Fibonacci Blue

Can terrorism be forgiven?

  • OTTAWA—Imagine that you are the parent of Steven Sotloff, or Alan Henning, or Moaz al-Kasasbeh, all of whom were assassinated brutally by the Islamic
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | October 10, 2016

Can terrorism be forgiven?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | October 10, 2016
  • OTTAWA—Imagine that you are the parent of Steven Sotloff, or Alan Henning, or Moaz al-Kasasbeh, all of whom were assassinated brutally by the Islamic

Can terrorism be forgiven?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | October 10, 2016
  • OTTAWA—Imagine that you are the parent of Steven Sotloff, or Alan Henning, or Moaz al-Kasasbeh, all of whom were assassinated brutally by the Islamic

What Lord Voldemort and terrorism have in common

  • OTTAWA—In the Harry Potter novels, the villain is known as Lord Voldemort. He is in many ways a terrorist. He is ideologically driven (he
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | October 3, 2016

What Lord Voldemort and terrorism have in common

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | October 3, 2016
  • OTTAWA—In the Harry Potter novels, the villain is known as Lord Voldemort. He is in many ways a terrorist. He is ideologically driven (he

What Lord Voldemort and terrorism have in common

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | October 3, 2016
  • OTTAWA—In the Harry Potter novels, the villain is known as Lord Voldemort. He is in many ways a terrorist. He is ideologically driven (he

Canadians lack understanding of CSE and why it needs to snoop

  • OTTAWA—If there is one spy agency in Canada that is poorly understood and about which much of little veracity has been published it has
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | September 5, 2016
Canadians have a lack of understanding of CSE, overseen by Chief Greta Bossenmaier, and there are times when surveillance of Canadians is justified, writes Phil Gurski. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canadians lack understanding of CSE and why it needs to snoop

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | September 5, 2016
  • OTTAWA—If there is one spy agency in Canada that is poorly understood and about which much of little veracity has been published it has

Canadians lack understanding of CSE and why it needs to snoop

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | September 5, 2016
  • OTTAWA—If there is one spy agency in Canada that is poorly understood and about which much of little veracity has been published it has
Canadians have a lack of understanding of CSE, overseen by Chief Greta Bossenmaier, and there are times when surveillance of Canadians is justified, writes Phil Gurski. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Secrecy in security may be frustrating, but it’s necessary

  • OTTAWA—The public has a complicated relationship with intelligence agencies. On the one hand, we love to watch James Bond and Jason Bourne films, despite
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 29, 2016
Communications Security Establishment (CSE) chief Greta Bossenmaier's job requires knowing a lot of things, or overseeing people who know a lot of things, that ordinary Canadians do not know. Phil Gurski writes that secrecy is essential to security and law-enforcement agencies.

Secrecy in security may be frustrating, but it’s necessary

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 29, 2016
  • OTTAWA—The public has a complicated relationship with intelligence agencies. On the one hand, we love to watch James Bond and Jason Bourne films, despite

Secrecy in security may be frustrating, but it’s necessary

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 29, 2016
  • OTTAWA—The public has a complicated relationship with intelligence agencies. On the one hand, we love to watch James Bond and Jason Bourne films, despite
Communications Security Establishment (CSE) chief Greta Bossenmaier's job requires knowing a lot of things, or overseeing people who know a lot of things, that ordinary Canadians do not know. Phil Gurski writes that secrecy is essential to security and law-enforcement agencies.

What threat do returning foreign fighters pose?

  • OTTAWA—As we still reel from the foiled terrorist attack this month in Strathroy, Ont., we can still rest assured that attacks, successful or not,
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 22, 2016
Police on Oct. 22, 2014, the day Michael Zehaf-Bibeau stormed Parliament and killed a ceremonial guardsman at the National War Memorial. The Hill Times photograph by Chris Plecash

What threat do returning foreign fighters pose?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 22, 2016
  • OTTAWA—As we still reel from the foiled terrorist attack this month in Strathroy, Ont., we can still rest assured that attacks, successful or not,

What threat do returning foreign fighters pose?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 22, 2016
  • OTTAWA—As we still reel from the foiled terrorist attack this month in Strathroy, Ont., we can still rest assured that attacks, successful or not,
Police on Oct. 22, 2014, the day Michael Zehaf-Bibeau stormed Parliament and killed a ceremonial guardsman at the National War Memorial. The Hill Times photograph by Chris Plecash

Do Canadian authorities have enough counter terrorism tools?

  • OTTAWA—Last week in the small southwestern Ontario town of Strathroy a young man known to police for having terrorist connections was killed by security
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 15, 2016
Aaron Driver, an ISIS supporter, was killed by Ontario police on Aug. 10. Photograph courtesy Facebook

Do Canadian authorities have enough counter terrorism tools?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 15, 2016
  • OTTAWA—Last week in the small southwestern Ontario town of Strathroy a young man known to police for having terrorist connections was killed by security

Do Canadian authorities have enough counter terrorism tools?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 15, 2016
  • OTTAWA—Last week in the small southwestern Ontario town of Strathroy a young man known to police for having terrorist connections was killed by security
Aaron Driver, an ISIS supporter, was killed by Ontario police on Aug. 10. Photograph courtesy Facebook

Should the media publish photos of terrorists?

  • Media have one important job to do: report the news. Sometimes they also bring in people to help us understand the news and speculate
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 3, 2016
The French flag flies at the French Embassy on Bastille Day, the day a radicalized driver plowed through a crowd of national-day revellers in Nice, killing 84 people. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Should the media publish photos of terrorists?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 3, 2016
  • Media have one important job to do: report the news. Sometimes they also bring in people to help us understand the news and speculate

Should the media publish photos of terrorists?

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 3, 2016
  • Media have one important job to do: report the news. Sometimes they also bring in people to help us understand the news and speculate
The French flag flies at the French Embassy on Bastille Day, the day a radicalized driver plowed through a crowd of national-day revellers in Nice, killing 84 people. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

‘Just lock them up’ is not a solution to terrorism

  • OTTAWA—Another attack has hit France—this one is particularly heinous, the murder of an 85-year old priest—and the critics are out in full force, all
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 1, 2016
Prime Minister Manuel Valls and French President François Hollande, pictured. The sheer number of attacks and the horrific casualty toll has sapped whatever confidence France’s citizens have in those who are supposed to keep them safe, writes Phil Gurski. Photographs courtesy of Wikipedia

‘Just lock them up’ is not a solution to terrorism

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 1, 2016
  • OTTAWA—Another attack has hit France—this one is particularly heinous, the murder of an 85-year old priest—and the critics are out in full force, all

‘Just lock them up’ is not a solution to terrorism

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | August 1, 2016
  • OTTAWA—Another attack has hit France—this one is particularly heinous, the murder of an 85-year old priest—and the critics are out in full force, all
Prime Minister Manuel Valls and French President François Hollande, pictured. The sheer number of attacks and the horrific casualty toll has sapped whatever confidence France’s citizens have in those who are supposed to keep them safe, writes Phil Gurski. Photographs courtesy of Wikipedia

It takes a village to raise a terrorist, and a village to stop one

  • In 1996, then-first lady Hillary Clinton published a book, It Takes a Village, which was essentially a tome on how to raise children. The
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 26, 2016
Flowers are laid on the War Memorial in Ottawa after the attack by Michael Zehaf-Bibeau on Oct. 22, 2014 that left Cpl. Nathan Cirillo shot dead. The Hill Times Photograph by Jake Wright

It takes a village to raise a terrorist, and a village to stop one

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 26, 2016
  • In 1996, then-first lady Hillary Clinton published a book, It Takes a Village, which was essentially a tome on how to raise children. The

It takes a village to raise a terrorist, and a village to stop one

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 26, 2016
  • In 1996, then-first lady Hillary Clinton published a book, It Takes a Village, which was essentially a tome on how to raise children. The
Flowers are laid on the War Memorial in Ottawa after the attack by Michael Zehaf-Bibeau on Oct. 22, 2014 that left Cpl. Nathan Cirillo shot dead. The Hill Times Photograph by Jake Wright

France making headlines for all the wrong reasons

  • OTTAWA—The horror of what happened in Nice compounds the horror of what happened in Paris in January and November 2015. These large-scale attacks got
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 25, 2016
Shoes abandoned in the rush on the street of the Hotel des Postes, July 14, 2016. France has done a terrible job of integrating Muslims, writes Phil Gurski. Integration is a two-way street, but there is a huge gap between different types of citizens. France could learn a lot about how we do things here in Canada. French prisons are breeding grounds for radicalization; this is a tough problem to solve, but something needs to be done about it. Photograph courtesy of Jesmar

France making headlines for all the wrong reasons

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 25, 2016
  • OTTAWA—The horror of what happened in Nice compounds the horror of what happened in Paris in January and November 2015. These large-scale attacks got

France making headlines for all the wrong reasons

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 25, 2016
  • OTTAWA—The horror of what happened in Nice compounds the horror of what happened in Paris in January and November 2015. These large-scale attacks got
Shoes abandoned in the rush on the street of the Hotel des Postes, July 14, 2016. France has done a terrible job of integrating Muslims, writes Phil Gurski. Integration is a two-way street, but there is a huge gap between different types of citizens. France could learn a lot about how we do things here in Canada. French prisons are breeding grounds for radicalization; this is a tough problem to solve, but something needs to be done about it. Photograph courtesy of Jesmar

The perils of ‘instant analysis’ after violent attacks

  • Today (July 22) marks the fifth anniversary of one of the darkest days in Norway’s history. Anders Behring Breivik set off bombs outside a
Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 22, 2016
Tributes placed outside of the Oslo Cathedral to commemorate the victims of the 2011 attacks in Norway, where Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons by Øyvind.

The perils of ‘instant analysis’ after violent attacks

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 22, 2016
  • Today (July 22) marks the fifth anniversary of one of the darkest days in Norway’s history. Anders Behring Breivik set off bombs outside a

The perils of ‘instant analysis’ after violent attacks

Opinion | BY PHIL GURSKI | July 22, 2016
  • Today (July 22) marks the fifth anniversary of one of the darkest days in Norway’s history. Anders Behring Breivik set off bombs outside a
Tributes placed outside of the Oslo Cathedral to commemorate the victims of the 2011 attacks in Norway, where Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons by Øyvind.

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