Allies of the United States see the group chat between top US officials about a planned attack in Yemen that accidentally included a journalist as a jaw-dropping security breach which casts doubt on intelligence-sharing with Washington and the security of joint military operations.
Publish dateWednesday 26 March 2025 - 09:22
Story Code : 311017
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Monitoring: The “appalling” and “reckless” verdict by a European diplomat on a discussion on the Signal messaging program about attacks on Houthi rebels was “deeply shocking,” said Neil Melvin, a security expert at the Royal United Services Institute, a defense think tank.
“This appears to be a complete disregard for normal security protocols by some of the most senior American officials,” he said.
Beyond the security concerns raised by the leaked conversation, U.S. officials have been scorning the country’s transatlantic allies, as Vice President J.
The criticism is another blow to a long-standing relationship already strained by President Donald Trump’s outspoken “America First” approach and disregard for friendly nations.
Melvin said that for U.S. allies, “the alarm bell has been ringing for a long time.”
However, European officials have publicly insisted that all is well in the transatlantic relationship.
“We have a very close relationship with the United States on security, defense and intelligence issues,” said Dave Parris, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “They are our closest ally on these issues, have been for many years and will be for many years to come.”
The French Foreign Ministry said, “The United States is our ally and France intends to continue to work with Washington, as well as with all our European allies and partners, to address the challenges we face today – particularly in the area of European security.”
Since taking office, the Trump administration has halted government funding for programs that support democratic principles around the world and presented a less welcoming face to visitors.
US embassies in at least 17 countries have posted warnings for would-be travelers that engaging in behavior deemed harmful by the government could get them deported. Several European countries have issued warnings about visiting the United States after international tourists were caught up in Trump’s border crackdown.
Trump has appalled allies with his repeatedly stated aim of taking over Greenland an autonomous Danish territory that Vance and second lady Usha Vance are due to visit this week and his desire to make Canada the 51st state.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country has to “take greater ownership” of its own defense in the face of threats: “We have to look out for ourselves.”
Nathalie Loiseau, a member of the European parliament, told the BBC that she was “flabbergasted” by the breach.
“If I was (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, I would feel jobless. Russia has nothing more to do. You don’t even need to spy on the US administration. They leak by themselves,” she said.
US reliability questioned
The European diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, suggested the security breach could make allies question the reliability of the US as a partner.
The diplomat expressed hope that the Signal lapse was due to a lack of experience in government rather than a deliberate disregard for security.
Britain could be particularly vulnerable to US security breaches. Its intelligence network is intertwined with the US in the Five Eyes alliance, and the militaries of these countries work more closely than any other country.
The RAF provided air-to-air refuelling for US aircraft during the attack on the Houthis, but the UK’s armed forces secretary, Luke Pollard, insisted that no British personnel were at risk.
“We have great confidence that the measures we have taken with our allies, including the United States, remain intact,” he told lawmakers.
The United States has been the pillar of European security since World War II, and Trump is not the first president to bear that burden.
“Since the Obama administration, there has been a lot of frustration in the US security establishment about the Europeans’ failures,” Melvin said.
Trump has gone far beyond his predecessors in changing decades-old security arrangements. He has long argued that the United States needs to completely rethink its relationship with the rest of the world, saying that other countries are “abusing” its military might by not paying enough for their own defense.
“There is a real sense of divorce,” says Max Bergman, a former State Department official who now works at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “that America is not only disinterested in the transatlantic alliance, but that it sees Europe essentially as an enemy.”
“It is quite clear at this point, it is quite clear that it is going to be almost impossible to count on the United States to defend democracy in the world,” said Kevin Casas Zamora, secretary general of the International Democracy Group IDEA.
NATO leaders note that Trump’s criticism and the war in Ukraine have caused most member states to miss the target of spending at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense.
Trump’s re-election and rapprochement with Putin have accelerated Europe’s military plans, with countries scrambling to increase arms production and build their own security structures – including a “coalition of the willing” led by Britain and France to help secure a future ceasefire in Ukraine.
Clarkson said Europe was more powerful than many gave it credit for, and that cutting the transatlantic link would also hurt America.
“You shouldn’t underestimate Europe’s military-industrial capacity,” he said. “There are all sorts of things that could go wrong… but there’s also an element here that the Americans are waking up a sleeping giant.”/Arab News
“This appears to be a complete disregard for normal security protocols by some of the most senior American officials,” he said.
Beyond the security concerns raised by the leaked conversation, U.S. officials have been scorning the country’s transatlantic allies, as Vice President J.
The criticism is another blow to a long-standing relationship already strained by President Donald Trump’s outspoken “America First” approach and disregard for friendly nations.
Melvin said that for U.S. allies, “the alarm bell has been ringing for a long time.”
However, European officials have publicly insisted that all is well in the transatlantic relationship.
“We have a very close relationship with the United States on security, defense and intelligence issues,” said Dave Parris, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “They are our closest ally on these issues, have been for many years and will be for many years to come.”
The French Foreign Ministry said, “The United States is our ally and France intends to continue to work with Washington, as well as with all our European allies and partners, to address the challenges we face today – particularly in the area of European security.”
Since taking office, the Trump administration has halted government funding for programs that support democratic principles around the world and presented a less welcoming face to visitors.
US embassies in at least 17 countries have posted warnings for would-be travelers that engaging in behavior deemed harmful by the government could get them deported. Several European countries have issued warnings about visiting the United States after international tourists were caught up in Trump’s border crackdown.
Trump has appalled allies with his repeatedly stated aim of taking over Greenland an autonomous Danish territory that Vance and second lady Usha Vance are due to visit this week and his desire to make Canada the 51st state.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country has to “take greater ownership” of its own defense in the face of threats: “We have to look out for ourselves.”
Nathalie Loiseau, a member of the European parliament, told the BBC that she was “flabbergasted” by the breach.
“If I was (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, I would feel jobless. Russia has nothing more to do. You don’t even need to spy on the US administration. They leak by themselves,” she said.
US reliability questioned
The European diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, suggested the security breach could make allies question the reliability of the US as a partner.
The diplomat expressed hope that the Signal lapse was due to a lack of experience in government rather than a deliberate disregard for security.
Britain could be particularly vulnerable to US security breaches. Its intelligence network is intertwined with the US in the Five Eyes alliance, and the militaries of these countries work more closely than any other country.
The RAF provided air-to-air refuelling for US aircraft during the attack on the Houthis, but the UK’s armed forces secretary, Luke Pollard, insisted that no British personnel were at risk.
“We have great confidence that the measures we have taken with our allies, including the United States, remain intact,” he told lawmakers.
The United States has been the pillar of European security since World War II, and Trump is not the first president to bear that burden.
“Since the Obama administration, there has been a lot of frustration in the US security establishment about the Europeans’ failures,” Melvin said.
Trump has gone far beyond his predecessors in changing decades-old security arrangements. He has long argued that the United States needs to completely rethink its relationship with the rest of the world, saying that other countries are “abusing” its military might by not paying enough for their own defense.
“There is a real sense of divorce,” says Max Bergman, a former State Department official who now works at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “that America is not only disinterested in the transatlantic alliance, but that it sees Europe essentially as an enemy.”
“It is quite clear at this point, it is quite clear that it is going to be almost impossible to count on the United States to defend democracy in the world,” said Kevin Casas Zamora, secretary general of the International Democracy Group IDEA.
NATO leaders note that Trump’s criticism and the war in Ukraine have caused most member states to miss the target of spending at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense.
Trump’s re-election and rapprochement with Putin have accelerated Europe’s military plans, with countries scrambling to increase arms production and build their own security structures – including a “coalition of the willing” led by Britain and France to help secure a future ceasefire in Ukraine.
Clarkson said Europe was more powerful than many gave it credit for, and that cutting the transatlantic link would also hurt America.
“You shouldn’t underestimate Europe’s military-industrial capacity,” he said. “There are all sorts of things that could go wrong… but there’s also an element here that the Americans are waking up a sleeping giant.”/Arab News
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