At a meeting outside London in May, MI5 chief Ken McCallum asked the FBI director, Kash Patel, to keep a key surveillance position open in Britain for an agent working in high-tech surveillance. And that's when the relationship between MI5 and the FBI, a key part of the Five Eyes alliance, began to suffer, the New York Times reports. Patel reportedly agreed to McCallum's request. But whether or not Patel was aware, the job was already on the chopping block as part of US budget cuts and ultimately disappeared despite Patel's promise. The agent was quietly relocated back to the US, leaving British officials stunned and questioning Patel's reliability.
This episode, detailed by current and former American officials, has reportedly rattled the Five Eyes intelligence alliance—comprised of the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Allies were already uneasy about Patel's leadership, viewing him as inexperienced, openly partisan, and quick to remove agents who investigated President Trump, the Times reports. Just last week, the FBI Agents Association accused Patel of disregarding the law to launch "a campaign of erratic and arbitrary retribution," per Reuters. And abroad, Patel fired the FBI's top representative in Australia because she'd kneeled during racial justice protests in 2020.
Patel's missteps abroad have been more than bureaucratic. In New Zealand, he handed out 3D-printed replica pistols as gifts to officials—gifts that had to be destroyed for violating local laws. He also showed up at formal intelligence gatherings in casual attire, breaking with decades of protocol. The friction over the lost London posting is particularly troubling for MI5, which relies heavily on US intelligence support. The two agencies have worked closely for generations, dating back to World War II. Now, America's closest intelligence allies are left questioning the future of a partnership they've long considered indispensable, reports the Times.
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