US intel involvement risks 'ensnaring' Washington in ongoing India-Canada row: Report
Canada developed the most definitive intelligence that led to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to make allegations against India, triggering a diplomatic standoff, The New York Times reported citing Western allied officials.
In the aftermath of the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, US intelligence agencies shared context with their Canadian counterparts, contributing to Canada's determination of India's role in the incident. However, what appears to be the crucial piece of evidence, intercepted communications involving Indian diplomats in Canada, indicating their involvement in the plot, was collected by Canadian officials, as confirmed by allied officials, according to the report in the NYT.
While US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken has called upon India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, US officials have been cautious about triggering any diplomatic backlash from India.
Nevertheless, the revelation of US intelligence involvement risks «ensnaring» Washington in the ongoing diplomatic dispute between Canada and India, just as the US seeks to strengthen its partnership with New Delhi, NYT reported.
US intelligence agencies did not become aware of the plot or evidence implicating India until after Nijjar was killed, according to the allied officials.
Prior to his killing on June 18 outside a gurduwara, Canadian authorities had repeatedly warned Nijjar about the threats against him and advised him to avoid going to the temple.
After his death, American officials informed their Canadian counterparts that they had not possessed any advance information about the plot. They emphasized that if they had, they would have promptly shared it with Ottawa under the «duty to warn» doctrine observed by intelligence
