U.S. tapping Stephen Harper’s phone? Unlikely, says intelligence expert

OTTAWA – The U.S. eavesdropping agency may be snooping on dozens of world leaders, but one intelligence expert says it’s unlikely the National Security Agency is listening to Stephen Harper’s calls.

Wesley Wark, a visiting professor at the University of Ottawa, points to an agreement among the so-called Five Eyes countries that they won’t spy on one another.

The Five Eyes — Canada, the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand — have been exchanging information for decades and their signals intelligence agencies co-operate closely.

In addition, Wark says, Harper’s working style — controlled and discreet — makes him an unattractive target for U.S. spies.

British newspaper The Guardian — citing documents from whistleblower Edward Snowden — reports that the NSA monitored the phone conversations of 35 world leaders after being given the numbers by an official in another U.S. government agency.

Canada’s eavesdropping agency, the Communications Security Establishment, says the Five Eyes do not target each other’s citizens.