UK halts some intelligence sharing with US over drug boat strikes – report

The UK has stopped sharing some intelligence with the US on suspected drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean amid concerns over America’s lethal strikes against the vessels.

Downing Street did not deny reporting by CNN that the UK is withholding intelligence to its ally to avoid being complicit in US military strikes it believes may breach international law.

Britain has long assisted the US in identifying vessels suspected of smuggling narcotics based on intelligence gathered in its overseas territories in the region.

That information helped the US Coast Guard locate the ships, seize the drugs and detain their crews, CNN cited sources as saying.

But since the Trump administration began carrying out strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in early September, UK officials have become concerned their intelligence may be used to acquire targets for the attacks they believe may be illegal.

The death toll from the US attacks in the Pacific and the Caribbean Sea has climbed to more than 70.

The intelligence-sharing pause started more than a month ago, CNN reported, quoting sources as saying Britain shares UN’s human rights chief Volker Turk’s assessment that the strikes amount to extrajudicial killing.

The reports could provide an awkward backdrop for a meeting between Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and her US counterpart Marco Rubio expected on Wednesday at the G7 foreign ministerial summit in Canada.

Asked about the pause in intelligence sharing, a No 10 spokesman did not deny the move.

“We don’t comment on security or intelligence matters,” the official said in response to repeated questions.

“The US is our closest partner on defence, security and intelligence, but in line with a long-standing principle, I’m just not going to comment on intelligence matters.”

He added that “decisions on this are a matter for the US” and that “issues around whether or not anything is against international law is a matter for a competent international court, not for governments to determine”.