Épisodes

  • Canadian ISIS Terrorist Convicted
    Dec 6 2025

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    🇨🇦🔥 Canadian ISIS Terrorist Convicted | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up
    This week on Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — breaks down a dramatic week of national-security developments that span espionage, terrorism, hybrid warfare, and intelligence oversight.


    From collapsed spy cases in the U.K. 🇬🇧… to Russian hybrid attacks sweeping across Europe 🌍… to Canada’s conviction of a returning ISIS fighter 🇨🇦 — this episode shows how Western democracies are confronting fast-moving, multi-domain threats.


    🎧 Before you hit play, consider these questions:


    ❓ What does the collapse of one of the U.K.’s biggest China-related espionage prosecutions mean for democratic accountability and hostile-state intelligence operations?


    ❓ How did a former British military instructor end up accused of spying for Russia — and what does this reveal about insider threats in modern conflict zones?


    ❓ Are humanitarian organizations now being used as covert platforms for Kremlin influence operations in Europe?


    ❓ How serious is Russia’s escalating hybrid-warfare campaign targeting European infrastructure, politics, and civil society?


    ❓ Why is Canada’s national-security watchdog warning that federal budget cuts will weaken oversight at the worst possible moment?


    ❓ And most importantly: what do the convictions of Jamal and Hussien Borhot tell us about Canada’s ongoing ISIS returnee problem — and the national-security risks posed by Canadians who fought for terrorist groups abroad?


    All of these questions — and many more — are answered with intelligence-driven analysis, operational context, and real-world insight throughout the episode.


    If you value informed, independent national-security commentary, please consider supporting the show on Buzzsprout. 🙏🎙️


    ⏱️ Chapters


    00:00 — Intro
    01:35 — Segment 1: Collapse of Major China Spy Case in the U.K.
    05:07 — Segment 2: British Military Instructor Accused of Spying for Russia
    08:45 — Segment 3: Kremlin-Linked Humanitarian Front Exposed in France
    12:40 — Segment 4: Russia’s Hybrid Warfare Intensifies Across Europe
    15:55 — Segment 5: NSIRA Warns Budget Cuts Will Limit Intelligence Oversight
    18:40 — Segment 6: Canadian ISIS Terrorist Convicted — The Borhot Case
    21:45 — Segment 7: Inquiry Confirms Putin Authorized 2018 Novichok Attack
    22:25 — Outro


    🎓 Course Mentioned in This Episode


    Sabotage and Proxy Operations in Modern Intelligence
    University of Ottawa – Professional Development Institute


    https://pdinstitute.uottawa.ca/PDI/Courses/National-Security/Sabotage-and-Proxy-Operations/Course.aspx?CourseCode=S0245


    💡 Support the Podcast
    If GIWW helps you understand and navigate today’s rapidly evolving threat environment, please consider supporting the show:


    👉 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2336717/support
    Every contribution helps sustain the research, analysis, and independent reporting that make this podcast possible. Thank you. 🙏🎙️

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    24 min
  • Is Canada Safe? Inside CSIS Director's Speech.
    Nov 20 2025

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    🔍🇨🇦 Is Canada Safe? Inside CSIS Director’s Speech | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up


    This week on Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — breaks down one of the most significant national-security weeks in recent memory.

    From a BBC journalist under secret-service investigation 🇬🇧… to Iranian-directed threats inside Canada 🇨🇦… to a major act of sabotage on NATO-linked infrastructure 🇵🇱 — this episode shows how fast the threat environment is intensifying across Canada and its allies.

    🎧 Before you hit play, consider these questions:

    ❓ How did a BBC reporter become entangled in a probe tied to Chinese intelligence — and what does it say about press freedom in democracies?

    ❓ Why are Russia and China ramping up their espionage in Canada’s Arctic, and what vulnerabilities are they exploiting?

    ❓ What does it mean when 1 in 10 CSIS terrorism investigations now involves a minor?

    ❓ How close did Iranian intelligence come to carrying out potentially lethal plots on Canadian soil — and how did CSIS disrupt them?

    ❓ Why are provincial referendums the new battleground for foreign interference?

    ❓ What does the Polish railway sabotage reveal about the expanding hybrid war against NATO countries?

    All of these questions — and many more — are answered with analysis, context, and intelligence-driven insight throughout the episode.

    If you value informed, independent national-security analysis, consider supporting the show on Buzzsprout. Your support truly keeps GIWW going. 🙏🎙️

    ⏱️ Chapters

    00:00 Intro
    01:45 Segment 1 – BBC Journalist Under Probe Over China-Spy Allegations
    07:20 Segment 2 – Russia & China Ramp Up Espionage in Canada’s Arctic
    12:55 Segment 3 – One in Ten CSIS Terrorism Investigations Involves a Minor
    18:20 Segment 4 – CSIS Foils Potentially Lethal Iranian Threats
    23:55 Segment 5 – Foreign Interference Targeting Provincial Referendums
    28:35 Segment 6 – The Diplomacy in What CSIS Didn’t Say
    32:10 Segment 7 – Polish Railway Sabotage on Key Ukraine Aid Route
    34:10 Outro
    35:40 End

    🎓 Course Mentioned in This Episode

    Sabotage and Proxy Operations in Modern Intelligence
    University of Ottawa – Professional Development Institute
    https://pdinstitute.uottawa.ca/PDI/Courses/National-Security/Sabotage-and-Proxy-Operations/Course.aspx?CourseCode=S0245

    💡 Support the Podcast

    If GIWW helps you navigate an increasingly complex threat landscape, please consider supporting the show:
    👉 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2336717/support


    Support the show

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    35 min
  • Sex Spies Invade Silicon Valley
    Oct 31 2025

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    🔍 Sex Spies Invade Silicon Valley | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up


    This week on Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — explores how espionage, seduction, and psychological warfare are colliding in the heart of the global tech industry.


    🇬🇧 In the United Kingdom, a major espionage trial collapses after political hesitation prevents officials from labeling China an “active threat,” exposing how politics can cripple counterintelligence.


    🇷🇺 Across Britain, Russian-backed saboteurs are sentenced under the new National Security Act, marking the first convictions for state-directed arson and hybrid warfare on Western soil.


    💋 In Silicon Valley, Russian and Chinese operatives deploy “sexpionage” tactics — leveraging seduction and emotional manipulation to infiltrate high-tech industries and steal intellectual property.


    🕵️‍♀️ Former Russian operative Aliia Roza warns that these covert programs are not relics of the Cold War, but active 21st-century operations targeting engineers, researchers, and AI developers.


    🇻🇪 And in Venezuela, the regime claims to have captured a CIA-linked mercenary group — a stark reminder of how propaganda, perception, and hybrid warfare shape modern intelligence conflicts.


    Each story this week reveals a chilling truth: the most effective espionage weapon today isn’t technology — it’s human emotion.


    🎧 Chapters
    0:00 – Intro
    1:45 – UK China Spy Case Collapses
    5:40 – Russian Saboteurs Convicted Under New National Security Act
    9:15 – Sex Spies Invade Silicon Valley
    13:50 – Digital Seduction & Emotional Manipulation
    18:40 – Former Russian Spy Aliia Roza’s Warning
    21:45 – Venezuela’s “CIA-Linked Mercenary” Claims
    22:35 – Outro


    🧠 Learn More


    📘 Register for Neil’s upcoming University of Ottawa Professional Development Institute course:


    “The Psychology Behind Human Sources in Intelligence Collection”
    👉 https://pdinstitute.uottawa.ca/PDI/Courses/National-Security/Psychology-Behind-Human-Sources/Course.aspx?CourseCode=S0238


    🎙 Support independent intelligence analysis:


    🔗 Buzzsprout – Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up

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    24 min
  • Canada's Cyber Defences Under Fire
    Oct 24 2025

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    🔍 Canada’s Cyber Defences Under Fire | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up
    This week on Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — examines how espionage, sabotage, and cyber warfare are converging to test the resilience of Western democracies.


    🇵🇱 In Poland, authorities arrest eight individuals linked to Russian-directed sabotage — part of a wider hybrid campaign targeting NATO infrastructure and logistics routes supporting Ukraine.


    🇷🇴 In Romania, security services foil a coordinated plot against a commercial courier network, exposing how Moscow’s proxy operations are expanding beyond the battlefield.


    🇬🇧 In the U.K., three men are arrested under the new National Security Act for assisting Russian intelligence, reinforcing how deeply human espionage networks have penetrated Western societies.


    🇳🇱 In the Netherlands, intelligence chiefs reveal they are now sharing less data with Washington — a rare signal of strained trust within the Western alliance.


    🇨🇦 Back home, CSIS calls for greater precision in Canada’s new lawful-access powers under Bill C-2, while a federal audit warns of “significant gaps” in Canada’s cyber defences — raising serious questions about how prepared we are to face a full-scale digital assault.


    🇦🇺 And in Australia, new proposals to expand ASIO’s interrogation powers have sparked a heated debate about the balance between national security and democratic oversight.


    Each story this week underscores one message: the threats of espionage, sabotage, and cyber intrusion are not distant — they’re already here.


    🎧 Chapters

    0:00 – Intro
    1:30 – Poland detains eight people suspected of sabotage
    5:40 – Romania foils Russian-backed sabotage attempt
    10:20 – UK arrests three men for spying for Russia
    14:55 – Dutch intelligence services share less with the U.S.
    19:30 – India never provided evidence on Sikh separatists
    23:15 – Bill C-2 expands CSIS lawful-access powers
    26:50 – CSIS warns new powers need “precision”
    30:05 – Canada’s cyber defences under fire
    32:50 – ASIO’s expanded interrogation powers
    34:00 – Outro


    🧠 Learn More
    📘 Register for Neil’s upcoming University of Ottawa Professional Development Institute course:


    “Sabotage and Proxy Operations in Modern Intelligence”
    👉 https://pdinstitute.uottawa.ca/PDI/Courses/National-Security/Sabotage-and-Proxy-Operations/Course.aspx?CourseCode=S0245


    🎙 Support independent intelligence analysis:
    🔗 Buzzsprout – Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up

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    34 min
  • Chinese Espionage Targets Hydro Quebec
    Oct 18 2025

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    🔍 Chinese Espionage Targets Hydro-Québec | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up


    This week on Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — examines how espionage, secrecy, and accountability are colliding across the intelligence world.


    🇨🇦 In Canada, the Hydro-Québec espionage trial exposes how foreign states target innovation in clean energy and battery technology — echoing earlier breaches at Winnipeg’s National Microbiology Lab.


    🇬🇧 In the U.K., MI5’s frustration grows after the collapse of the China spy prosecutions, raising questions about whether Western legal systems can handle modern espionage.


    🇺🇸 In the U.S., the arrest of strategist Ashley Tellis for unlawfully holding top-secret defence files blurs the line between academia and national security responsibility.


    🌎 And globally, President Trump confirms he authorized CIA covert operations in Venezuela — reigniting debate about the limits of executive power and covert action.


    Each story underscores a critical truth: foreign interference, espionage, and secrecy are redefining global security.


    🎧 Chapters
    0:00 – Intro
    1:45 – Ashley J. Tellis charged with holding U.S. top-secret files
    8:15 – MI5 frustration after collapse of China spy trial
    14:20 – UK releases witness statements amid espionage fallout
    19:00 – NSIRA slams CSIS over secret surveillance technology
    22:30 – CSIS commits to “ongoing review” following watchdog report
    25:15 – Chinese espionage targets Hydro-Québec
    28:30 – Hydro-Québec testimony reveals unauthorized publications
    30:00 – Trump confirms CIA covert operations in Venezuela
    31:10 – Outro


    🧠 Learn More
    📘 Register for Neil’s upcoming University of Ottawa Professional Development Institute course:


    “The Psychology Behind Human Sources in Intelligence Collection”


    👉 https://pdinstitute.uottawa.ca/PDI/Courses/National-Security/The-Psychology-Behind-Human-Sources/Course.aspx?CourseCode=S0236


    🎙 Support independent intelligence analysis:


    🔗 Buzzsprout – Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up


    Stay curious. Stay informed. Stay safe.


    #Espionage #HydroQuebec #China #CSIS #MI5 #CIA #NationalSecurity #IntelligenceAnalysis #GlobalIntelligenceWeekly #NeilBisson

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    32 min
  • Terrorist Attack on Synagogue in UK.
    Oct 3 2025

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    🚨🌍 This week on the Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up 🎙️


    From London to Manchester, Berlin to Ottawa, the headlines tell a chilling story: espionage, sabotage, foreign interference, and terrorism are no longer distant threats — they are reshaping our democracies right now.


    ⚖️ In the UK, Crown Prosecutors made history by charging a Chinese government official with espionage.


    🇩🇪 In Germany, a far-right aide was jailed for spying on behalf of Beijing.


    🇵🇱 In Poland, a Ukrainian suspect was detained for the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.


    🇨🇦 Here at home, Canada’s spy watchdog flagged bias risks in terrorism-linked audits, raising tough questions about oversight.


    🕍 And in Manchester, a horrific terrorist attack on a synagogue during Yom Kippur exposed the evolving tactics of extremists — and the resilience of communities in the face of hate.


    ⚔️ Canada also took the unprecedented step of designating India’s Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity, blurring the line between organized crime and terrorism.


    👉 Every story this week reveals how intelligence and national security challenges are unfolding across borders — and why vigilance matters.


    Producing this podcast takes hours of research, careful analysis, and turning open-source reporting into actionable intelligence. If you value this work and want to keep intelligence insights accessible to everyone, please consider supporting the show on Buzzsprout 💻☕.

    🔗 Stay curious. Stay informed. Stay safe.

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    29 min
  • MI6 Goes Dark with Recruiting Spies
    Sep 26 2025

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    MI6 Goes Dark with Recruiting Spies | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up

    Espionage is evolving fast — and this week’s episode of Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up takes you inside the latest threats and innovations shaking the intelligence world.

    From MI6’s bold leap into the dark web with its Silent Courier spy recruitment portal, to CSIS and RCMP’s warning that outdated Canadian laws are undermining counterterrorism and espionage investigations, this episode breaks down the global intelligence landscape you need to know about.

    Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — analyzes this week’s most urgent cases of espionage, sabotage, terrorism, and foreign interference.

    🔎 Key questions answered in this episode:

    • How could a massive telecom network near the UN General Assembly have been weaponized?
    • Why did Britain’s outgoing spy chief call out Russia, China, Iran, and Islamist extremism?
    • What does MI6’s Silent Courier portal mean for the future of spy recruitment?
    • Why was an Austrian energy executive fired over Russian espionage links?
    • How is China infiltrating Taiwan’s democratic institutions?
    • What does the indictment of an American and Israeli spying for Iran reveal about global HUMINT?
    • Why are Canada’s laws leaving it vulnerable to foreign interference?

    👉 If you value deep analysis of today’s security threats, don’t forget to subscribe, like, comment, and share. Support the show on Buzzsprout and explore more insights on Neil’s Substack.

    ⏱️ Chapters

    00:00 – Intro
    01:45 – Secret Service busts illicit telecom network near UN
    05:40 – MI6 Chief Richard Moore’s farewell: Russia, China, Iran & Islamist terror
    10:15 – Main Story: MI6 launches Silent Courier dark web portal
    15:40 – Austria fires energy executive over Russian espionage ties
    18:45 – Taiwan convicts four ex-officials for spying on China’s behalf
    21:40 – American & Israeli indicted for spying for Iran
    24:15 – CSIS & RCMP warn Parliament on outdated “lawful access” laws
    26:00 – Outro


    ⚠️ Espionage. Sabotage. Foreign interference. These aren’t distant threats — they’re happening now, shaping our world and affecting your life. Stay curious. Stay informed. Stay safe.


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    27 min
  • Russian Spies Arrested in England
    Sep 19 2025

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    Russian Spies Arrested in England | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap Up


    Welcome to the Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap Up—the podcast where intelligence meets real-world events.


    This week, Neil Bisson, Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network and a retired CSIS Intelligence Officer, takes you inside the latest developments in espionage, terrorism, and foreign interference that are shaping global security.


    🇨🇦 Canada is moving to dissolve Samidoun, a Vancouver-based group already listed as a terrorist entity—raising questions about how extremist organizations exploit legal loopholes.


    🇬🇧 Britain drops high-profile charges against two men accused of spying for China, while MI5 faces dual scandals: unlawful surveillance of a BBC journalist and a new investigation into false evidence given in court in the Agent X case.


    🇨🇳 In New York, a Chinese dissident who founded a democracy group pleads guilty to spying for Beijing, exposing how the CCP continues to target activists abroad.


    🇷🇺 In Essex, England, three people are arrested under the UK’s new National Security Act for allegedly working with Russian intelligence—an operation that may extend beyond espionage into sabotage.


    🌍 In Lithuania, fifteen suspects are charged with terrorism over a parcel bomb plot linked to Russian military intelligence, confirming warnings about Moscow’s sabotage tradecraft.


    🇺🇸 In the United States, President Donald Trump says he’ll push to designate Antifa as a “major terrorist organization,” igniting fierce debate over domestic extremism and constitutional limits.


    Each story reveals how espionage, sabotage, and extremism are not distant threats but active challenges with real-world consequences for Canada, its allies, and democratic societies worldwide.


    If you find value in the insights and analysis in this podcast, please consider supporting us on Buzzsprout—your contributions help sustain the work and expand our reach to a wider audience.


    👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review—it really makes a difference in growing our community of informed listeners.


    ⏱️ Chapters
    00:00 – Intro
    01:47 – Canada moves to dissolve Samidoun terrorist entity
    07:25 – UK drops espionage charges against two men accused of spying for China
    11:50 – MI5 admits to unlawful surveillance of BBC journalist
    16:35 – Chinese dissident in New York pleads guilty to spying for Beijing
    20:40 – MI5 investigated for false evidence in Agent X case
    24:55 – Russian spies arrested in Essex under UK National Security Act
    28:10 – Lithuania charges 15 suspects over Russia parcel bomb plot
    31:15 – Trump calls for Antifa to be designated a terrorist organization
    32:11 – Outro

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    33 min