This week, the federal Conservative and New Democratic Parties of Canada are demanding a parliamentary probe into how a man alleged to have dismembered a person with a sword on behalf of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) on foreign soil in 2015 was subsequently granted Canadian citizenship.

It’s a good question, even more pressing because the man in focus, Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, 62, and his son, Mostafa, 26, went on to be arrested north of Toronto last week on six criminal charges related to plotting a terrorist attack, again at the alleged service of ISIS, but this time on Canadian soil.

The answer, however, is likely to be the by-now familiar and relatively straightforward matter of the failure of key Canadian security institutions to adequately share information and move it up their chains of command once in hand. Therefore, too narrow a focus for a truly useful review.

True to form on addressing matters of national security and the nefarious dealings of hostile foreign states and other entities, the Trudeau government is making matters worse by attempting to soft-shoe the issue aside. Per usual, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc has referred the matter to the RCMP and promised a review of Canada’s screening practices. Going quiet behind the police instead of levelling with Canadians on some of the real issues in play likely has to do with the government’s panicked inkling of the depth of long-overlooked terror problems that are merely personified in the single instance of the elder Eldidi.

First, it is obvious to say that Canada’s immigration screening system is utterly inadequate. Eldidi’s alleged actions in hacking off the hands and feet of a prisoner accused by ISIS of being a spy were captured on a video released in June 2015 by Dijlah State, a subsect of ISIS in western Iraq. Such publicly-circulated ISIS propaganda videos are thankfully rare enough that it can be safely assumed that each of the main security and intelligence agencies of the Five Eyes alliance—including Canada’s CSIS—would have personally watched it.

Each of the Five Eyes lead intelligence agencies would have then taken steps to identify the visible face of the attacker and share this information with both allies and their domestic law enforcement, immigration, and border security agencies.

In this case, one of these agencies in the Canadian chain clearly dropped the ball. It is the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) that makes the call on whom to admit at our border. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) body handles credentials. Both do their work through close cooperation with CSIS and the RCMP. Either CSIS failed to pick up on the video making the international rounds and did not manage to circulate this information to the CBSA, IRCC, and the RCMP—or the CBSA and the IRCC failed to make use of it.

Communication between and up the chain of these security bodies is by now a publicly well-known weakness in the wake of their botched efforts to manage the freedom convoy in the winter of 2022 and more recent revelations of foreign interference in Canada’s political processes. Therefore, little news about the failings of this system is likely to be revealed through a probe narrowly focused on Canada’s screening practices.

Don’t forget about ISIS just yet

The nature and threats of terror activity writ large to the safety of Canadians is a far more urgent matter for an inquiry. While ISIS has been widely assumed to be a spent paramilitary force, it is indeed still amongst us. This is true in terms of foreign-born individuals, like Eldidi, who are allegedly directly recruited and engaged in their services overseas. Not only do we face the challenge of keeping foreign terrorists out of Canada, but we also have the ongoing—and arguably larger—problem of repatriating Canadian citizens who have left the country for the purpose of joining ISIS’ (and other terror groups’) cause abroad. Recent cases of such “Canadian Extremist Travellers” would indicate their numbers to be in the low hundreds, likely up slightly to match pace with escalating conflicts in the Middle East, since the last official count by Public Safety Canada in 2017.

Compounding this problem is the capacity of ISIS to recruit new members and inspire service through social media mis- and disinformation campaigns. For every Eldidi, there are likely dozens more lone wolf individuals already in Canada slipping down the dark rabbit hole of ISIS propaganda that swirls online. Look no further than the group of Western teenagers who just recently conspired to turn a Taylor Swift concert in Austria into a vehicular homicide and explosives rampage.

Far from on the wane, ISIS carries on in Canadian society as a decentralized ideology vocalized by a handful of influential “weathermakers” running stochastic terror campaigns in cyberspace: forever repeating hateful messaging and violent instruction until, inevitably, some number of lone wolves are worn down enough to do their bidding. There is nothing unique about ISIS in this regard. Violent extremist groups associated with Islamic fundamentalism are joined by ideological, political, and religious groups across the spectrum in promoting their projects to susceptible minds across the internet. This wide range of terror motivations is being met by a Canadian system meant to prosecute, deradicalize, and reintegrate, which is simply not up to the task.

Deradicalization is an intensive and bespoke process that must be tailored to the needs of the individual in question. Simply stated, there will be no one-size-fits-all intervention or counselling program to lead wildly different radicalized groups back from the path of violence—and waiting to address a growing problem will only add to its tremendous expense. Apart from common roots in isolation, the pathways people take to different violent ideologies are formed by biographical events and accidents. Undoing such pathways is often just as personal.

Far more useful than focusing on border screening lapses in isolation would be a diagnosis of Canada’s capacity to identify and intervene in cases where groups are edging towards violence before it’s too late. With an eye on generational progress, educating young people about stochastic terrorism and its dynamics in cyberspace through school-based programs will be essential.

The Liberal government’s latest efforts to downplay another national security issue contribute to the inevitability of violent attacks from within Canadian borders and beyond them.

The early morning of September 5, 1972, will forever remain a stain on the memory of the Olympics. As athletes slept in the Olympic village in Munich, eight terrorists from Black September, an offshoot of the Palestinian group, Fatah, broke into the village and forced their way into the Israeli quarter, killing two athletes and taking nine hostages. While negotiations were ongoing for the hostages, the games went on as normal. In the end, 11 Israeli athletes were murdered, with Jewish blood once again being shed on German soil.

Now 52 years later, on July 26th, 2024, the Paris Olympics kicked off with its opening ceremony featuring performances in a display meant to celebrate global unity. To safeguard that celebration and the ensuing games, everywhere else surrounding the spectacle, the city of lights has been transformed into a fortress of security, with layers of protection spread across the city’s iconic landmarks.

The security measures have created an almost surreal scene in Paris. Usually bustling with tourists, the areas around the Seine are now dotted with checkpoints, fencing, and other conspicuous markers indicating a significant security presence. Local businesses are feeling the pinch, with some reporting a steep drop in customers due to the tight security perimeters meaning that, for many, the expected Olympic boom has turned into a financial bust.

Yet, these inconveniences are a small price to pay for the safety of millions of visitors and participants. The drop in petty crime, particularly violent theft, is a silver lining that has brought some relief to the residents and authorities alike.

Any security operation around Paris during the Olympics would be a comprehensive and highly coordinated effort. It would include a strong presence of law enforcement and military personnel, advanced surveillance technologies, and strict access controls at venues, all of this being under the main control of the French police and the Gendarmerie. Teams such as Research, Assistance, Intervention, Dissuasion (RAID) and Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN), the units that in the past have responded to major terrorist attacks on French soil including the Charlie Hebdo attacks and the attack in Toulouse targeting a Jewish school that killed children as well as the Rabbi.

The ability of these teams has been built by necessity as there has been a real significant insider threat from local terrorist networks well entrenched in France. Cases in which the supplies and funding may come from external sources, ensuring they have escape routes, but the attackers were French nationals or had settled status. Sadly, there are almost too many attacks to talk about, but a common theme is that all the perpetrators were legally in France.

From the outset, the French government has been on high alert, deploying around 30,000 police officers daily, with a surge to 45,000 during the high-profile opening ceremony on the Seine River. To back them up, 10,000 soldiers have set up the largest military presence Paris has seen since the Second World War. Their mission is to be ready to respond to any threat within 30 minutes.

The extensive security measures led to the arrest of over 200 individuals during the first week of the games. Some of these arrests were pre-emptive, targeting individuals suspected of plotting attacks or other criminal activities. Despite these arrests, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has reassured the public that there haven’t been any “tangible” terrorist threats detected so far. However, the arrests underscore the ongoing vigilance required to keep such a massive event secure​.

The Paris Olympics comes at what we keep calling “unprecedented times.” Russia’s aggression against Ukraine continues, elections across Western democracies bringing change, as well as an upcoming election in the USA, and Israel’s war against Hamas in the wake of October 7th is ongoing, all while we’ve seen a rise in hate incidents and violent attacks around the world. It is no surprise that heightened political tensions spill over into high-profile international events like the Olympics, or even a Taylor Swift concert—the high-profile artist’s recent concert in Austria was cancelled following credible threats of an ISIS attack.

While there haven’t been any major terror threats, the shadow of espionage looms over the games. French authorities arrested a Russian national believed to be involved in a plot to destabilise the games. This case is being handled as a counter-espionage operation rather than a direct terrorist threat. Additionally, there were other concerning incidents tied to Russian elements, including a bizarre episode where symbolic coffins were placed near the Eiffel Tower.

The threats the Olympics face go beyond the conventional, with advancements in technology playing a crucial role, including through cyber attacks. The ongoing war being waged by Israel against Hamas, and with rising tensions with Hezbollah and Iran, following the assassination of senior officials in all three of these organizations last week, will have significant impacts on the security at the Olympics as the games come to a close. Notably, there were threats made directly to several Israeli athletes prior to the start of the games, leading to the bolstering of their security team with additional Shin Bet guards and French security officers.

The war in Gaza has led to cries for a global Jihad, as Khaled Meshaal, the former head of Hamas’ political bureau, called for Arabs worldwide to take part in a Jihad against Israel and its supporters, which to them includes France. While the Olympics operate under the guise of promoting tolerance through respectful competition, the on-the-ground reality can be much different,  such as when protesters chanted “Heil Hitler” and waved Palestinian flags during Israel’s soccer match against Paraguay. While that may be argued as “peaceful protesting” these actions can escalate, especially if counter-protests occur, potentially leading to clashes or creating opportunities for malicious actors to exploit the situation.

As the games wind down, the focus remains on maintaining this delicate balance between security and the celebratory spirit of the Olympics. So far, there’s hope that the worst has been avoided and that Paris 2024 will be remembered for its sporting achievements rather than any security incidents. For now, though, the vigilance continues, with French authorities determined to ensure that their time as hosts doesn’t become another stain in the history of the Olympics.