Canadian NATO Intern Charged With Spying, Cites Unpaid Position As Motive
A Canadian intern at NATO military headquarters in Belgium is facing espionage charges, marking the first time in recorded history that a Canadian intern has been accused of doing something substantive at work.
Sources at NATO expressed shock that the alleged spy managed to access classified documents, given that most interns at the Brussels facility are typically assigned to fetch coffee and update the shared Google calendar. "We assumed the binders labelled TOP SECRET were a training exercise," said one official. "He was supposed to be organising the supply closet."
The intern, whose LinkedIn profile reportedly still lists him as "seeking full-time opportunities in international relations," allegedly passed materials to a foreign power in exchange for what prosecutors described as "a modest but consistent stipend," believed to be the first income he had received in fourteen months.
Global Affairs Canada released a statement expressing deep concern, deep embarrassment, and deep uncertainty about whether the intern was technically their responsibility or Belgium's. The Prime Minister's Office confirmed it was reviewing the file, which is diplomatic code for waiting until Friday afternoon to comment.
Career counsellors at Canadian universities are now updating their guidance materials. "We used to tell students that an unpaid NATO internship was a great line on the CV," one adviser noted. "We're revising that to include a footnote about treason."
The intern's parents, reached at their home in Ottawa, said they were surprised by the charges but relieved to learn their son had, at long last, found paying work.