Michelle Shephard

2 weeks ago | thewalrus.ca | Michelle Shephard

The cognitive dissonance begins from above. The stunning aquiline waters and jagged Cuban coastline of Guantánamo Bay come into view, and our plane makes a dramatic arc before landing on the US naval base that Amnesty International dubbed “the gulag of our times.” Of the 123 people on board, 107 of us are here to watch the military prosecution of the five men the Pentagon says planned, funded, and executed the September 11, 2001, attacks that killed 2,977 people. We’re ranked by group.

1 month ago | airmail.news | Michelle Shephard

When I first met Scott Payne, with whom I co-wrote Code Name: Pale Horse—How I Went Undercover to Expose America’s Nazis, he was wearing what I would come to learn was his usual uniform, no matter the season. Backwards baseball cap, sleeveless T-shirt to reveal the bulging tattoo-sleeved arms, jeans, and cowboy boots. Looking at this man, who was my opposite in so many ways, I wondered what the hell I’d gotten myself into.

Nov 7, 2024 | thestar.com | Michelle Shephard

When terrorist groups or cult leaders recruit new members, there are some commonalities they look for: isolation, past traumas, social, economic or mental depression. And, perhaps most importantly, a sense of victimhood. I thought about these factors in the desperate search for answers after the U.S. election. How can a man — a convicted felon — who is blatantly misogynistic, racist, homophobic, Islamophobic and democracy-phobic win?

Jan 21, 2024 | therecord.com | Michelle Shephard

By Michelle Shephard, Special to Star Khaled Al-Hammadi, Special to the Star In a war where public opinion is a powerful weapon, and truth among the casualties, enter the Houthis. Michelle Shephard is an independent journalist and filmmaker and the Star's former national security correspondent. Khaled Al-Hammadi is an award-winning journalist.

Jan 21, 2024 | thestar.com | Michelle Shephard

In a war where public opinion is a powerful weapon, and truth among the casualties, enter the Houthis. The Yemeni rebel group, which was re-designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization this week, has emerged as a major player in the Israel-Hamas war since the dramatic hijacking of a cargo ship in November and a series of attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. Already a Subscriber?