In recent news, strained relations have occurred between India and Canada. These tensions arose following allegations by the Canadian Prime Minister that the Indian Government may have had potential links to the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader and advocate for the Khalistan Movement in Canada. The Five Eyes Alliance has further pushed these allegations into spotlight.
About the Five Eyes Alliance
The Five Eyes Alliance is an intelligence consortium made up of five nations: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These countries are signatories to the UK-USA Agreement, a treaty established for joint cooperation in signals intelligence.
Within this tight-knit multilateral agreement, these nations exchange a vast array of intelligence as part of their collaboration. Over time, the agency enlarged its core group into the ‘Nine Eyes’ and ’14 Eyes’ alliances, which included more countries as security partners. The Nine Eyes group includes the Netherlands, Denmark, France, and Norway. The 14 Eyes alliance further expands to include Belgium, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Sweden.
Origins of the Five Eyes Alliance
The origins of the Five Eyes Alliance can be traced back to World War II, when the UK and the US mutually decided to share intelligence after successfully deciphering German and Japanese codes. This resulted in the signing of the Britain-USA (BRUSA) agreement in 1943, which laid the groundwork for the subsequent UK-USA (UKUSA) agreement. This agreement was designed to facilitate intelligence sharing between the two countries to support American forces in Europe.
The UKUSA agreement was signed in 1946. Canada later joined in 1949, followed by New Zealand and Australia in 1956, thus forming the alliance. Although the Agreement had been widely known since the 1980s, it did not officially recognize until 2010 when the UKUSA agreement files were released to the public.
Working Mechanism of the Five Eyes Alliance
The member nations of the Five Eyes Alliance frequently collaborate on intelligence gathering and security issues. In recent years, mutual interests, such as countering China’s rise, have promoted closer alignment among the Five Eyes countries. Their strong bond is also attributed to shared language and mutual trust cultivated over decades of association.
In 2016, the Five Eyes Intelligence Oversight and Review Council was established, which includes the non-political intelligence oversight, review, and security entities of the Five Eyes countries.
The Five Eyes Alliance’s Role in the India-Canada Issue
The US, UK, and Australia are especially seen as close allies of India. They also host substantial Indian and Indian-origin populations, akin to Canada. Over recent years, these countries have witnessed several instances of pro-Khalistan activities.
However, given their historical closeness to both Canada (as part of the alliance) and India (an emerging global power), it is unlikely that they would align exclusively with either India or Canada. Considering the current state of affairs, countries like the US could potentially act as mediators once they possess clear intelligence and information regarding the subject matter.
