New York : In a significant development in the ongoing diplomatic crisis between India and Canada, David Cohen, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, revealed that shared intelligence among the Five Eyes partners played a pivotal role in the Trudeau administration’s assertion of a potential link between Indian government agents and the assassination of separatist Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver.
The Five Eyes alliance, comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom, and known for its intelligence-sharing capabilities, has taken center stage in this evolving international dispute.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ignited the controversy earlier this week when he claimed that Ottawa possessed credible intelligence implicating Indian agents in Nijjar’s murder, a charge vehemently denied by India as “absurd and motivated.”
Cohen, shedding light on the intelligence-sharing process, stated, “I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information among the Five Eyes partners. There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think that’s as far as I’m comfortable going.”
However, Cohen refrained from divulging the specific nature of the intelligence provided by the Five Eyes partners to the Canadian government.
Trudeau had previously indicated that Canadian officials had been collaborating closely with intelligence agencies since the summer to ensure a thorough understanding of the situation. In addressing the Canadian Parliament, Trudeau emphasized that any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil would constitute an unacceptable violation of the country’s sovereignty and international norms.
“If the allegations prove to be true, it is a potentially very serious breach of the rules-based international order in which we like to function,” Cohen added during the interview.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed deep concern over Trudeau’s allegations, affirming Washington’s desire to see accountability in the matter. Blinken underscored the importance of a thorough investigation and cooperation between India and Canada.
Meanwhile, Trudeau, during a news conference in New York City, failed to provide concrete evidence supporting his claims. The Canadian Prime Minister reiterated that there were “credible reasons” to believe that India was linked to Nijjar’s death.
This escalating diplomatic standoff has led to both countries expelling each other’s senior diplomats and India suspending visa services for Canadian citizens. The situation continues to evolve rapidly, with global observers closely monitoring developments in this high-stakes diplomatic conflict.
