He temporarily suspended sharing intelligence with the US.
Britain's decision to temporarily suspend intelligence sharing with the US marks a significant rift between close allies.
According to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN, the United Kingdom has stopped sharing intelligence with the U.S. about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean, fearing that doing so could make Britain an "accomplice" in U.S. military attacks – which London considers a violation of international law.
This decision marks a significant rift between Britain and its closest ally – the United States – and reflects growing skepticism about the legitimacy of the US military campaign in Latin America.
For many years, Britain – a country controlling several Caribbean territories where intelligence bases are located – has assisted the U.S. in locating suspected drug-carrying vessels, enabling the U.S. Coast Guard to intercept them. Typically, these vessels would be stopped, searched, the crew arrested, and the drugs seized.
This intelligence is typically sent to the Southern Interagency Task Force, a Florida-based unit comprised of representatives from numerous partner nations, tasked with coordinating efforts to reduce illegal drug trafficking.
However, since the US began conducting airstrikes on maritime targets in September, Britain has become concerned that Washington may be using intelligence provided by Britain to select targets for attack. British officials believe that the US attacks, which killed 76 people, violated international law, according to sources who spoke to CNN. The suspension of intelligence sharing began more than a month ago.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, also stated last month that these airstrikes violated international law and constituted "extrajudicial killings." Sources indicate that the United Kingdom agrees with this view.
The British embassy in Washington and the White House declined to comment, while a Pentagon official told CNN that the US Department of Defense... "We will not discuss intelligence matters."
The White House has repeatedly asserted that all of the administration's actions "are in full compliance with the Law of Armed Conflict," a branch of international law established to prevent attacks on civilians.
