 "Top White House official wants Canada out of Five Eyes; experts warn move could hurt US")
A top White House official has suggested expelling Canada from the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network as US President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on the country, which he has discussed turning into the 51st US state.
According to a Financial Times report, citing sources familiar with his efforts within the US administration, Peter Navarro, a close adviser to the president, is advocating for Canada’s removal from the Five Eyes group, which includes the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
Trump has expressed a desire to annex Canada and plans to reinstate 25 percent tariffs on imports from the country once a one-month reprieve ends on March 4.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, set to leave office on March 9, was recently overheard on an open mic warning that Trump’s ambitions to incorporate Canada are a “real thing.”
“We would never ever jeopardise our national security … with allies like Canada,” FT quoted Navarro as saying.
According to the report, while the White House did not respond to a request for comment, Trudeau’s office declined to say anything on the issue.
Trump surprised US allies by targeting Canada for tariffs alongside Mexico, alleging that Ottawa was not doing enough to curb migrant and drug flows into the US.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe people familiar with the situation said Navarro, who has easy access to the Oval Office due to his close relationship with Trump, is arguing that the US should increase pressure on Canada by evicting the country from the Five Eyes.
While it’s unclear if Trump supports the idea, it’s under discussion among his officials, FT reported.
The Five Eyes has long been a crucial intelligence-sharing alliance, facilitating the exchange of sensitive information and coordinated operations, including the CIA-led Pine Gap satellite station in Australia, which is vital for intelligence on China.
Dennis Wilder, a former CIA official who was the top editor of the US president’s daily intelligence briefing, told Financial Times that the Five Eyes was “by far the most successful intelligence-sharing arrangement in world history”.
He noted that the partnership emerged when American and British code breakers worked together to break German secret communications during the second world war, and was expanded to include the other allies in 1956.
“Any disruption in these decade-old understandings would be met with cheers from our adversaries in Moscow, Beijing, Tehran and Pyongyang,” FT quoted Wilder as saying.
Although Canada and New Zealand contribute the least intelligence within the group, expelling any member would invite backlash from other allies and intelligence officials in Washington and elsewhere.
One Five Eyes intelligence official warned that removing Canada from the decades-old network would be highly risky.
“Sitting where I’m sitting and looking at the array of threats that are coming at us we need all the partners we can get,” FT quoted the intelligence official as saying.
Steve Bannon, the former White House strategist who aided Trump’s 2016 campaign, emphasised that Canada should understand Trump’s intentions regarding annexation are serious, not merely trolling Trudeau.
He said Canada lacks the resources for self-defence, especially as China seeks to expand its influence in the Arctic.
However, he cautioned that expelling Canada from the Five Eyes would be counterproductive and ultimately harm the US.
“Canada punches way above their weight. If you look at military history, they’ve been the best ally we’ve had,” FT quoted Bannon as saying.
Navarro was a White House trade adviser during Trump’s first term and spent several months in prison last year for defying a congressional subpoena related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack investigation.
His trade views align closely with Trump, who often refers to him as “my Peter” and appointed him as a senior counselor for trade and manufacturing in December.
With inputs from agencies
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