Journalism of Courage
The United Kingdom has reportedly stopped sharing some intelligence inputs with the United States regarding suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean as it doesn’t want to be complicit with America in its military strikes against the suspected drug boats and believes that the strikes are illegal, CNN reported quoting sources familiar with the matter.
The decision by London marks a significant break from its closest ally and intelligence sharing partner in Washington and highlights the question of US strikes against the suspected drug traffickers in Latin America, whether the strikes are legal or not.
Ever since the US started to strike suspected drug carrying boats from September onwards, the UK became skeptical that its intelligence inputs would be utilised by America to shortlist targets. The US military has carried out at least 19 strikes so far against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and off the Pacific Ocean of Latin America and killed 76 people and some British officials believe the strikes by the US military violate international law.
France’s foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot also echoed a similar sentiment and said that the French government is concerned about US military operations in the Caribbean because they violate international law.
On the sidelines of the Group Seven foreign ministers’ summit in Canada, Barrot said, “We have observed with concern the military operations in the Caribbean region, because they violate international law and because France has a presence in this region through its overseas territories, where more than a million of our compatriots reside,” Reuters reported.
(with inputs from Reuters)
