Commentary
The arrest of a Canadian intern accused of spying inside NATO’s senior military headquarters in Belgium reaches beyond one person or one failed security check. It shows how hostile states can combine espionage, criminal networks, technology, and trusted access to weaken an alliance without firing a shot.
Belgian prosecutors allege that the intern, who is of Chinese origin, conducted espionage for an unidentified third country while interning at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, known as SHAPE, in Mons, Belgium. They also accuse her of belonging to a criminal organization.
The suspect has not been convicted, and the allegations have not been tested in court. Belgian authorities have not identified the foreign state or the alleged criminal group….