David B. Harris

David B. Harris is a Canadian lawyer and, "noted terrorism expert."[1] He is a former contractor with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service where he served as a senior manager between 1988-1990.[2] As of 2015 he is director of the international intelligence program at Insignis Strategic Research and a frequent media commentator on issues related to terrorism.[1][3][4] He is a former Senior Fellow for Terrorism and National Security at the now-defunct Canadian Coalition for Democracies.

Notably, Harris has suggested that Canada's immigration policy encourages the use of Canada as a base for terrorists, and has consistently advocated for harsher Canadian laws to combat terrorism. He is an outspoken defender of the Canadian government's use of security certificates to detain terrorism suspects without trial.

Public statements

In an October 2001 interview with PBS, Harris was sharply critical of Canadian immigration policy. He stated that "Montreal is the place you probably want to be if you are an Algerian extremist" and that Canada's then-current immigration policy was "making Canada a kind of Islamic extremist aircraft carrier for the launching of major assaults against the U.S. mainland." [5]

In a June 2002 interview with 60 Minutes, Harris stated that there were at least 50 terrorist groups then operating within Canada, including the Irish Republican Army, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Al Qaeda. [6]

In an April 2006 interview, Harris expressed his support for the Conservative government's apparent willingness to crack down on terrorism, and praised the antiterror legislation introduced by the previous Liberal government. [7]

References

  1. 1 2 Aedan, Helmer (17 November 2015). "Canada quietly ramped up security: Expert". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  2. ↑ "A terrible legacy". Ottawa Citizen. 7 June 2010. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012.
  3. ↑ Willing, John (23 November 2015). "Syrian refugees being limited to women, children and families: report". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "Securing Public Spaces". The Hill Times. 3 June 2013.
  5. ↑ "Is Canada a Safe Haven for Terrorists?". PBS. 2001-10-01. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
  6. ↑ "U.S. news program alleges Canada home to dozens of terrorist groups". CBC News. 2002-04-26. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
  7. ↑ "Q&A with terrorism expert David Harris". Maclean's. 2002-06-19. Archived from the original on 2006-12-11. Retrieved 2007-01-10.

External links

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