UK Halts Intelligence Flow to US Amid Caribbean Killings – Reports
Venezuelan Navy war ships General Soublette, right, and Admirante Brion, left, anchor off Isla de Aves
The UK has stopped sharing intelligence with the US on suspected Caribbean drug trafficking boats, sources told CNN.The UK, which maintains intelligence assets across several Caribbean territories, has previously helped the US Coast Guard to locate and intercept alleged drug-smuggling vessels by boarding them and arresting the crew. But after the US began lethal attacks on the vessels in September the UK paused sharing intelligence, fearing it was being used to select targets. The halt began more than a month ago, sources told CNN. They said the British government considers the strikes, which claimed the lives of at least 76, illegal and do not want to be complicit. On October 31, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for a halt to the “extrajudicial killing” in the Caribbean by the US. He insisted on the necessity of prompt, independent and transparent investigations into US attacks. The UK’s move marks an unusual break with its closest ally and shows the British government’s skepticism over the legality of the US operations, the report stressed.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro previously rejected Washington’s drug-trafficking accusations, stressing that US actions in the Caribbean are intended to justify war, with the ultimate goal of seizing Venezuela’s vast oil and gas reserves.Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has recently cautioned against attacks on the South American country amid rising US pressure, calling on neighboring nations to uphold peace and stability.
AmericasMaduro Blasts US Over Trying to Justify War For Venezuela’s Oil Wealth1 November, 08:11 GMT
