One of the senior White House officials has suggested kicking Canada out of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group as US former President Donald Trump increases pressure on Ottawa, even suggesting Canada be made into the 51st state.
Following the Financial Times, Peter Navarro, one of Trump’s close advisors, is urging Canada to be kicked out of the alliance that comprises the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Trump has also indicated that he intends to restore 25% tariffs on imports from Canada when a temporary reprieve ends on March 4.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose term ends on March 9, was allegedly overheard on an open mic declaring that Trump’s annexation plans were “real.” This, however, has prompted neither the White House nor Trudeau’s office to make a statement on the issue.
Navarro, who is famous for his tough trade position, believes that Canada is not doing enough to stem migration and drug smuggling into the US and therefore its membership in the Five Eyes group is questionable. It is not certain if Trump is backing Navarro’s suggestion, but the suggestion is said to be under consideration by his administration officials.
The post-World War II Five Eyes coalition allows the sharing of intelligence among its member states, such as operations like the CIA-staffed Pine Gap base in Australia. It was referred to by a retired CIA official, Dennis Wilder, as the “most successful intelligence-sharing arrangement in history” and warned that kicking out Canada would serve rivals like China and Russia.
Although Canada contributes less to intelligence than the other members, officials caution that dropping any country would make the alliance weaker. In the meantime, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon admitted Canada’s military value, warning that dropping it from Five Eyes would end up hurting US interests.