US, UK SPY CHIEFS WARN OF THREAT TO WORLD ORDER 'NOT SEEN SINCE COLD WAR'

The heads of the United States of America and United Kingdom foreign intelligence agencies called for a Gaza ceasefire on Saturday, saying that the world order was "under threat in a way we haven't seen since the cold war".

CIA Director Bill Burns and UK MI6 chief Richard Moore said their agencies had exploited our intelligence channels to push hard for restraint and de-escalation.

In an opinion piece for the Financial Times, the two spymasters said a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war could end the suffering and appalling loss of life of Palestinian civilians and bring home the hostages after 11 months of hellish confinement.

Burns also warned of the growing and “troubling” defense relationship between Russia, China, Iran and North Korea that he said threatens both Ukraine and Western allies in the Middle East. North Korea has sent ammunition and missiles to Russia to use against Ukraine, while Iran supplies Moscow with attack drones.

Burns said the CIA had yet to see evidence of China sending weapons to Russia, “but we see lot of things short of that.” And he warned Iran against supplying ballistic missiles to Moscow, saying “it would be a dramatic escalation” of the relationship.

Burns has been heavily involved in efforts to broker an end to the fighting, traveling to Egypt in August for high-level talks aimed at bringing about a hostage deal and at least a temporary halt to the conflict.

So far there has been no agreement, though United States officials insist a deal is close. US President Joe Biden said recently that just a couple more issues remain unresolved. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has said reports of a breakthrough are exactly inaccurate."

The US and the United Kingdom are both staunch allies of Israel, though London diverged from Washington on Monday by suspending some arms exports to Israel because of the risk they could be used to break international law.

Burns and Moore also stressed the strength of the trans-Atlantic relationship in the face of an unprecedented array of threats, including an assertive Russia, an ever-more powerful China and the constant threat from international terrorism all complicated by rapid technological change.

They highlighted Russia's reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe and the cynical use of technology to spread lies and disinformation designed to drive wedges between us. We saw it coming, and were able to warn the international community so we could all rally to Ukraine's defense, they said.

The joint article comes just days before UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Washington on September 13, where he will be received by US President Joe Biden.

They will discuss, among other things, "continuing robust for Ukraine" and the desire to achieve a truce in Gaza, the White House said on Friday. This meeting takes place at a time when the two nations' stance on Israel is diverging.

London has announced the suspension of 30 arms export licences to Israel, citing a risk that they could be used in violation of international law in war-destroyed Gaza.

With inputs from agencies.

2024-09-07T16:15:12Z dg43tfdfdgfd