Even the closest partnerships can require strategic distance
The article discusses the complexities of international alliances, particularly between Britain and the United States during the Cold War. It highlights a historical instance where MI5 distanced itself from the CIA due to trust issues, emphasizing the need for strategic distance in partnerships. This theme is echoed in contemporary relations, as leaders like Prime Minister Mark Carney express concerns over U.S. policies impacting national interests.
- ▪Britain's MI5 sidelined the CIA in the 1970s due to trust issues.
- ▪Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated a desire for a more conditional relationship with the U.S.
- ▪The historical context includes MI5's response to a KGB agent's offer of intelligence.
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Open this photo in gallery:The headquarters of the British Security Service (MI5) in 2015. Britain’s decision in the 1970s to sideline the CIA while it expelled 105 KGB spies was reached to prioritize national security over an alliance.Peter Nicholls/ReutersShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountRichard Kerbaj’s latest book is The Defector: The Untold Story of the KGB Agent who Exposed the CIA and Saved MI5. In his speech at Davos earlier this year, Prime Minister Mark Carney signalled his intent to pursue a more conditional relationship with Washington, fed up with U.S. President Donald Trump’s increasingly hostile stance toward Canada.Beneath Mr.
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