Trump's Russian intel leak: implications for the 'Five Eyes' alliance

There's alarm amongst intelligence communities about allegations that U-S President Donald Trump shared highly classified information with senior Russian officials in Washington last week. But concern about what the President is alleged to have divulged goes well beyond U-S borders, with implications for allies, including Australia. It's alleged Mr Trump revealed highly-classified information about a plot, by self-proclaimed Islamic State, to top Russian officials during a meeting last week in the Oval Office. The Washington Post newspaper cited what it said were current and former U-S officials as saying the disclosure potentially jeopardised a source of intelligence. It's believed the information related to an I-S terror threat related to the use of laptop computers on aircraft. It's also believed Mr Trump's alleged sharing of the information came before the U-S had shared it with its closest intelligence partners - the so-called Five Eyes alliance, which consists of the U-S, the U-K, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. The group formed in the aftermath of the Second World War and acts as the intelligence eyes and ears of the western world, with a network of shared secretive, high tech surveillance stations and satellites that eavesdrop on telecommunications and internet traffic worldwide.

President Donald Trump meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Source: President Donald Trump meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.