We cannot afford to be complacent in the post-9/11 world.
Once a loose organization, Al Qaeda is, unfortunately, transforming itself into a powerful ideological movement.
Witness its increased terrorist activities in Europe. The resulting heightened security levels in Canada support Thomas L. Friedman’s thesis in his best-selling The World is Flat that the dimensions of terrorism know no borders.
Canada takes solace in our distance from the new terrorist battlefields. As a result, our energy infrastructure in Ontario, pipelines in the west, electrical power grids, BC Ferries and other infrastructures remain critically vulnerable to this new warfare. This infrastructure is essential, not just to Canada but also to the United States. We cannot be complacent.
The terrorists taking up the cause of jihad have placed Canada on their target list. Recall that Canada formally declared war on terrorism in 2001, sent troops to Afghanistan and deployed most of our naval assets to the Persian Gulf. Yes, we are indeed a target.
Don Denton, Business Edge
Canadian Ken Taylor, CEO of The Virtus Management Group, offers strategic counterterrorism services internationally.
So how do we prepare? A growing number of entrepreneurs are becoming proactive in this war by offering their services as part of the growing counterterrorist security industry.
One such entrepreneur is former soldier Ken Taylor, founder and CEO of The Virtus Management Group, which has offices in both Victoria and Ottawa. Since 9/11, Taylor has built an international company offering strategic counterterrorism services to a wide range of international public and private organizations.
“Terrorism is driven by two things,” says Taylor. “First, terrorists need the operational ability to conduct their form of war and second they need motivation.
“To defeat them, we must address these two issues. By planning and being proactive, by taking the attack to them, we can reduce their operational ability. To reduce their motivation is a much larger and complex issue.”
But at what cost? These funds could be spent on health care, education and social services. Very little tangible value comes from airport security screening and other security measures.
Our political leaders must establish a delicate balancing act – weighing the degree of security desired against factors such as the cost to passengers and society, passenger inconvenience and wait times, and the degree of intrusiveness that Canadians are prepared to accept.
In her April 2005 report to the House of Commons, Auditor General Sheila Fraser observed that security and intelligence activities accounted for more than $1 billion in federal expenditures for 2004.
Following Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S., the federal government allocated $7.7 billion for security, including increased intelligence and policing, greater air security and initiatives aimed at strengthening border security.
“In Canada, the port authorities alone have spent $850 million for security,” Taylor said. He added he has heard of at least one oil company operating in Saudi Arabia that spent $8 million on security in 2004.
Every Canadian city should be developing a counterterrorism plan. But where does the expertise come from?
“The skill level in crafting counterterrorism plans seems to me to range widely across Canada,” Taylor says. “In most cases, cities and towns rely upon their emergency measures organizations to produce (such) plans. Unfortunately, the skill level can be different between the experts in Toronto and those found in a small British Columbia town.”
Many of these organizations are headed by retired RCMP officers or retired city police, he adds. “Generally they have a broad range of skills, but I sense few have the prerequisite training in counterterrorism planning,” he adds. “There is much to do.”
Taylor recently had lunch with the CEO of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, retired rear admiral Lui Tuck Yew, whose port is recognized as one of the most secure in the world. His firm also conducts ongoing meetings with other global port authorities to develop what Taylor calls the best practices to guide for the “toughest counterterrorism assignment, port security.”
“There is a common need for intellectual capital in counterterrorism and assisting in crafting corporate security blueprints” in the energy, banking and government sectors, adds Taylor.
In order to reduce the terrorists’ organizational capability, it is necessary to maintain international relationships with others in the industry. Taylor’s firm provides counterterrorism analysis and strategic planning, among other services.
“I collaborate with a number of international firms who supply the physical components of anti-terrorism,” he notes. “An example is our growing relationship with firms such as SOC-SMG International Force Protection, a recognized global leader in their field.”
Unfortunately, in Canada, there are few regulations governing this emerging industry. Taylor advises first contacting the Canadian Industrial and International Security Directorate (CIISD) in Ottawa. Firms registered in its database have undergone corporate security checks. There are also international associations such as the International Association of Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, the International Counterterrorism Officers Association and the American Society for Industrial Security.
“We maintain memberships in these professional associations,” Taylor adds.
Taylor believes there is a long list of vulnerable targets across Canada, including in B.C. “BC Ferries, for example, is very exposed,” he says.
“The unchecked baggage of walk-on passengers poses a threat.”
So what can we do to reduce terrorists’ motivation? There is much – but that must wait for another column. Unfortunately, the terrorism industry is a growing industry, and there are opportunities for Canadian firms to participate internationally.
Web Watch: www.virtusmg.com
Note: This article was originally published in 2005.
