Canadian Intelligence Eh
Everywhere you look these days terrorism and violent extremism dominate the headlines. Whether you follow what is happening in Afghanistan or Iraq, or in the West writ large, we are inundated with news of attacks by groups and individuals fighting for a 'cause'.In a world of multiple voices and opinions it can be very hard to know where to turn. One choice is to look to those who actually worked in counterterrorism in the national security world. In these half-hour podcasts 30-year Canadian intelligence veteran Phil Gurski is joined by a fascinating array of individuals with something meaningful to say about these issues as they provide insight into what they mean and what we need to do about them.
Episodes
310 episodes
Episode 311 - A look at conflict hot zones in 2026
That conflict is part of the human condition goes without saying. What is challenging is determining what kinds of information to rely on when thinking about ongoing conflicts. After all, there is a lot of disinformation and misinformatio...
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28:08
Episode 310 - What was it like to be a sniper in Afghanistan?
Fighting terrorism is complicated. My background is in security intelligence and I know a lot about what goes into a terrorism investigation. When it comes to the military, things are different. On occasions, soldiers need to use lethal f...
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27:10
Episode 309 - Is this the end of the ayatollahs?
It is hard not to be riveted to our screens with what is transpiring in Iran right now. Near a half century of rule by Shia fundamentalists appears, at least to some, to on the brink of collapse as mass demonstrations have led to hundreds...
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25:45
Episode 308 - Language and terrorism: what is the link?
Not surprisingly, terrorism is a very emotive term. When acts take place, the media will often use words and language that vary widely in scope. Some say that we should eschew some vocabulary that may or not be inaccurate, or lead to bias...
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20:15
Episode 307 - What is the role of a foreign ministry in national security?
When we think of intelligence we normally go to spy agencies, be they those which run human sources, collect signals, or do surveillance (on the ground or in the air/space). And yet the people we send abroad as diplomats have access to a ...
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32:30
Spies Like Us Season 3 Episode 14 - 2026: more doom, gloom...and boom?
Happy New Year fans!! Like many sites Spies Like Us can have a look ahead episode. Here the lads prognosticate on what we can expect to happen in 2026. Oh, and advice from the Hardy Boys on how to use a cut out operative if you are a fore...
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33:39
Episode 306 - How is AI posing a challenge to policing?
You cannot read just about anything these days and not come across the role of AI in everything. We may not be able to agree on whether this new technology is good or bad, but it is not going away. Like all new developments, however, it i...
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25:08
Episode 305 - Why can't just about anyone run a major intelligence service or police force?
There seems to be this movement that anyone should have the opportunity to try their hand at anything. This includes complicated jobs such as security intelligence agencies or law enforcement organisations. But what happens if an outsider...
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28:10
Spies Like Us Season 3 Episode 13: the year that was and the foreign agent registry that wasn't
As 2025 draws to a close, Al, Phil and Neil look back at what made national security headlines this year, wonder why Gary Anandasangaree is still Canada's Public Safety Minister, and figure out why Neil can't be host of the podcast. Despi...
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29:40
Episode 304 - When words betray bad guys
As a linguist (and former multilingual foreign intelligence analyst) and counter terrorism specialist, I can proudly say I had a cool career. The chance to combine language skills, a background in linguistics proper and my interest in ter...
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19:12
Spies Like Us Season 3 Episode 12 - ISIS terrorism across the world
The boys are back - with Al having returned from a Top Secret mission to Casablanca where he ate and drank too much - and just in time to weigh in on a whole bunch of foiled and successful terrorist attacks! With Grizzly Bear's reappearan...
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32:37
Episode 303 - Is there a jihad in southern Thailand?
Have you ever been to Thailand? I have, but I cannot talk about it.... I do know, however, that it is a very popular spot for tourists - and Thai cuisine is the best! But there is a longstanding, albeit slow simmering, jihadi conflict in ...
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21:46
Spies Like Us Season 3 Episode 11: For the sake of the FBI and the US, Patel should 'kash' out
While Al is AWOL - didn't he just get back from vacation? - Neil and Phil fill (!) in ably and are joined by former FBI Agent Lauren Anderson to talk about what the heck if happening at the FBI. No fake guns or challenge coins were harmed...
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42:21
Episode 302 - How hard is it to leave a terrorist group?sode
Joining a terrorist group has to be one of life's more complicated decisions. Do I believe in the cause? Am I aware of what the group actually does? What if I change my mind? Can I get out or will I be killed for trying? I talk to a forme...
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20:59
Episode 301 - Do we need to create a new class of terrorism, or is this overcomplicating matters?
We have all become too familiar with terrorism over the decades, especially since 9/11. There are all kinds of groups which use violence in the pursuit of all kinds of goals and they all have some form of ideology they use to justify thei...
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24:23
Spies Like Us Season 3 Episode 10 - It's a national security day in Mr. Roger's neighbourhood
An Al-less trio - which makes Neil and Phil a dynamic duo! - weighs in on CSIS Director Dan Rogers first ?annual? threat overview speech and what Canadians should take away from it. From terrorism to foreign interference to transnational repres...
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35:38
Episode 300 - What do Arctic nations need to do to protect their security?
Canada is one of few nations which actually borders the Arctic (unlike China which describes itself as a 'near-Arctic nation). Long considered marginal because of snow and ice, the region is garnering more interest thanks to global warmin...
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24:22
Spies Like Us Season 3 Episode 9 - Remembering those who fought for Canada
To mark Remembrance Day, an important time to pay their respects to the Canadian women and men who paid the ultimate sacrifice, the lads talk about the role that intelligence played in the Afghan conflict.
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32:14
Episode 299 - Is there really a 'Christian genocide' in Nigeria? No!
It seems like the word 'genocide' is thrown around a lot these days. Whether it applies in all cases remains a contentious issue (look at the claim that Israel is engaged in a 'genocide' against Palestinians). The US now says Nigeria is a...
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28:05
Episode 298 - Have we entered the era of 'violent populism'?
When it comes to language there are lots of opposites: black and white, up and down, in and out, right and left. The latter terms are often thrown around when talking about political movements (and this usage apparently dates back to the ...
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30:00
Season 3 Episode 8 - There's no fun in the UAE but lots of funny business in Indian actions abroad
After attending an early Remembrance Day ceremony at the National Beechwood Cemetery, the guys keep the serious tone by looking at why the UAE is sponsoring genocide in Sudan, why India is sponsoring assassinations abroad and why the worl...
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40:55
Episode 297 - Wait, AQ is still active in Afghanistan?
I cannot recall how many times I have heard a world leader, or a self-styled 'terrorism expert', expound that a given terrorist group has been 'totally defeated' (that is exactly what Donald Trump said about ISIS in Iraq and Syria in 2019...
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23:40
Spies Like Us Season 3 Episode 7 - There is nothing scarier than bad immigration
In a special (post) Hallowe'en edition of 'Spooks Like Us', your favourite ex-spies weigh in why the Brits are frightfully good at prosecuting sabotage, why Canada is horror-ible at removing threats to national security, and whether anyon...
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35:16
Episode 296 - Does diversified trade trump security in Canada?
To say that Canada-China relations have been rocky would be putting it mildly. From the heyday of the first Trudeau (Pierre) to the depths of the PRC's kidnapping of two Canadians several years ago, it has not been an easy road. Furthermo...
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23:40
Episode 295 - Afghanistan is not known as the 'graveyard of empires' for nothing
After 9/11, the US, Canada and many other nations sent troops to Afghanistan to find and punish Al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden and bring 'democracy' to the country. Thousands of casualties - on both sides - later, the US pulled out in th...
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20:23