Trudeau praises benefit of sharing intelligence with the U.S. and others

Canada’s deeply entrenched role in the fight againstglobal extremism is more focused these days on intelligence-gathering — and sharing — than on putting more boots on the ground in the Middle East, Justin Trudeau suggested Thursday. (Photo: Justin Trudeau/Facebook)

BRUSSELS — Canada’s deeply entrenched role in the fight against global extremism is more focused these days on intelligence-gathering — and sharing — than on putting more boots on the ground in the Middle East, Justin Trudeau suggested Thursday.

“The track record has shown that collaboration and co-operation between allies, friends and partners has saved lives and keeps all of our citizens safe,” Trudeau said at the outset of a day-long NATO meeting in Brussels.

“We are going to continue to collaborate and to work together to ensure we’re doing everything we can to keep citizens and our communities safe.”

It was in this way that Trudeau brushed aside concerns that NATO’s agreement to increase intelligence-sharing in the fight against terrorism comes amid accusations that President Donald Trump and others in the U.S. are playing fast and loose with sensitive secrets.

The White House has come under fire in recent days over revelations that Trump shared Israeli intelligence in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. And the British government assailed U.S. officials for leaking sensitive details and crime-scene photos from the investigation into Monday’s deadly terrorist attack in Manchester.

Trump issued a statement Thursday saying the White House intends to get to the bottom of what he called “deeply troubling” leaks, which he said “pose a grave threat to our national security.”