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America’s Five Eyes partners – Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand – fear that US President Donald Trump’s deep state crackdown and spy apparatus overhaul could destabilize their intelligence network, reports The Wall Street Journal. What’s driving their concerns?
Trump may see Five Eyes as a bloated racket exploiting US resources, per the WSJ. The US spends nearly $100 billion on intelligence – 10 times more than the other four combined.
Five Eyes were entangled in the Trump-Russia collusion narrative, largely pushed by US intelligence.
The FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane probe, later debunked, was triggered by an Australian tip in 2016.
Britain’s GCHQ may have wiretapped Trump during his 2016 campaign, as the White House suggested in 2017.
Trump hasn’t directly targeted Five Eyes lately, but their unease suggests they have plenty to hide.
What Triggered the Panic?
The “world’s most powerful spy alliance” sounded the alarm as Trump’s intelligence picks, Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard, near confirmation in Congress.
Gabbard, nominated for director of National Intelligence, vowed to fight weaponized intelligence, citing Iraq War lies and the Russia collusion hoax.
Patel, set to lead the FBI, pledged to curb overseas operations and increase transparency.
