http://globalbrief.ca/tomquiggin Just another Global Brief weblog Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:26:35 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Undermining National Institutions Tariq Ramadam's North American visit is raising the usual series of arguments. The Swiss born scholar and public speaker is the grandson of Hassan Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in 1928. Mr Ramadam has been declared persona non grata in various ... http://globalbrief.ca/tomquiggin/2010/03/19/tariq-ramadan-and-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-north-america/ This blog was co-written with Sheryl Saperia of the Canadian Coalition Against Terror. State Immunity and Terrorist Financing Money is the lifeblood of any operation, and a terrorist operation is no exception. Terrorists require funds for a whole range of activities including recruiting, training and paying operatives; traveling; document forgery; bribing ... http://globalbrief.ca/tomquiggin/2010/03/19/attacking-the-lifeline-of-terrorism/ Karl Rove says in his recently released book that he is proud of “water boarding.” This form of activity is known to most of the rest of the world as torture. Mr Rove does claim that water boarding is not torture, but he has no support for such claims. ... http://globalbrief.ca/tomquiggin/2010/03/12/karl-rove-proud-of-failure/ The long awaited Air India report may be released this spring. It will, once again, spur more debate on how to balance the roles of law enforcement and intelligence in the response to terrorism. The Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182 ... http://globalbrief.ca/tomquiggin/2010/03/11/the-air-india-report-enforcement-and-intelligence/ Geert Wilders is a friend and beneficiary of terrorism. Terrorism is a political act which aims to sow fear among the target population through violence and propaganda. The aim of this act is to force political change. In today’s world of fast paced social media, ... http://globalbrief.ca/tomquiggin/2010/03/07/geert-wilders-terrorisms-best-friend/ Why talk about border intelligence? Despite much discussion concerning the decline of the influence of the state, the reality is that the state can chose to exercise significant control over its territory. Borders still exist and the state can exercise its influence when it chooses. In order to ... http://globalbrief.ca/tomquiggin/2010/03/04/border-intelligence/ Ideology matters. In many countries, including Canada, you can face state sponsored sanctions if you are believed to "espouse" the ideology of, for example, al Qaeda. But what is the ideology of al Qaeda? Do those who make such observations and accusations understand this issue themselves? When studying a terrorist group, ... http://globalbrief.ca/tomquiggin/2010/02/28/know-your-enemy-assessing-terrorist-ideologies/ Does academic literature have an effect on national security and the lives of individuals? Should academics consider the possible impact that their writings may have if they are writing on matters of terrorism, intelligence or national security? The answer is yes. Words matter. Recent proceedings in ... http://globalbrief.ca/tomquiggin/2010/02/21/words-matter-academia-terrorism-and-national-security/ Urban legends or myths tend to grow up around groups or individuals that are in the news. Al Qaeda is no different. Many "facts" about al Qaeda are often shown to be little more than urban legends that have developed because of a lack of actual knowledge. ... http://globalbrief.ca/tomquiggin/2010/02/21/al-qaeda-and-urban-legends/ The capture of the man alleged to be the senior military commander of the Taliban raises more questions than it answers. On the surface, this would appear to be a good news story about the capture of a leading “bad guy” in the ongoing Afghanistan conflict. Below the surface, however, ... http://globalbrief.ca/tomquiggin/2010/02/18/taliban-leader-captured-now-what/