Intelligence gathering, sharing key for Canada, says Trudeau

BRUSSELS — Canada’s deeply entrenched role in the fight against global extremism is more focused these days on intelligence-gathering — and sharing — than on putting more boots on the ground in the Middle East, Justin Trudeau suggested Thursday.

“The track record has shown that collaboration and co-operation between allies, friends and partners has saved lives and keeps all of our citizens safe,” Trudeau said at the outset of a day-long NATO meeting in Brussels.

“We are going to continue to collaborate and to work together to ensure we’re doing everything we can to keep citizens and our communities safe.”

It was in this way that Trudeau brushed aside concerns that NATO’s agreement to increase intelligencesharing in the fight against terrorism comes amid accusations that President Donald Trump and others in the U.S. are playing fast and loose with sensitive secrets.

The White House has come under fire in recent days over revelations that Trump shared Israeli intelligence in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. And the British government assailed U.S. officials for leaking sensitive details and crime-scene photos from the investigation into Monday’s deadly terrorist attack in Manchester.

Trump issued a statement Thursday saying the White House intends to get to the bottom of what he called “deeply troubling” leaks, which he said “pose a grave threat to our national security.”

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders held a working dinner Thursday inside the sparkling new Brussels headquarters to discuss how they can better co-ordinate efforts in the fight against terrorism — and better share the burden of paying for defence.

The decision to zero in on those two major priorities were part of an effort to woo Trump, whose country is a driving force behind the military alliance — a body he described as “obsolete” during last year’s election campaign.

One big source of anxiety among the allies was that Trump never explicitly endorsed Article 5 — the self-defence clause that means an attack on one member generates a response by all.

The calls for unity — and a strong alliance — were coming fast and furious throughout the day, with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel laying it on particularly thick.

“Our common values are not obsolete,” Michel said as Trump sat behind him with his fellow leaders, his arms crossed.

Trump appeared, in his way, to try to put those fears to rest as he dedicated a monument commemorating how NATO came to the defence of the U.S. after 9/11.

“We will never forsake the friends who stood by our side,” Trump said.

Kate Purchase, director of communications for Trudeau, said Trump delivered a similar reassurance in the room.

“I think he actually did make a commitment to the NATO table,” she said.

All 28 NATO allies, including Canada, are already part of the anti-ISIL coalition, and the military alliance has been involved in training Iraqi forces. Still, Trump had been urging the alliance to take on a bigger role.