NightOwl

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One point Arya does not mention is that the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference which took place earlier this year also revealed India likely used “clandestine activities” to interfere with Canada’s 2021 federal election.

Arya’s suggestion that India fund and support right-wing think tanks and political actors in Canada echo intelligence reports that came to light during the inquiry, including one report which stated Canada’s spy agency has a “body of intelligence” indicating Indian “proxy agents may have attempted to interfere in democratic processes,” something that reportedly includes “the clandestine provision of illicit financial support to various Canadian politicians.”

The report suggests the secret funds are designed to “secure the election of pro-(Government of India) candidates or gaining influence over candidates who take office.”

Iraq’s government has been under pressure to expel the US since January 2020, when a US drone strike in Baghdad killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani and PMF leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. After the strike, the Iraqi parliament voted to expel US forces, but the US refused to leave.

Critics point out that the appointments of individuals associated with the New Right to key historical posts align with some conservatives’ efforts to set aside long-standing historical disputes, which have been obstacles to improving relations with Japan.

Washington has been pushing for the two neighbours to move past their resentments and form a trilateral defence alliance.

“In the face of threats from the North, history revisionists are exploiting the current security environment, which favours stronger defence cooperation with Japan, to push their narratives,” Yang Kee-ho, a Japanese studies professor at Sungkonghoe University, told This Week in Asia.