Another attack could follow
CHRISTINA BOYLE, JOHN KELLY AND MATT PEARCE
Britain began mobilising troops to help protect key locations yesterday as the government warned of the potential for another terrorist attack in the wake of a suicide bombing that killed 22 people outside a Manchester arena.
For the first time in 10 years, the government raised its terrorism threat level from ‘‘severe’’ to ‘‘critical’’ after the militant group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Monday night attack that also injured at least 59 people leaving an Ariana Grande concert.
‘‘The work undertaken throughout the day has revealed that it is a possibility we cannot ignore that there is a wider group of individuals linked to this attack,’’ Prime Minister Theresa May announced, adding that counter-terrorism officials believe ‘‘not only that an attack remains highly likely, but that a further attack may be imminent’’.
The 22-year-old bomber, identified as Salman Abedi, is an English-born son of Libyan immigrants, and was a student at the University of Salford in Manchester.
The attack was the latest to plunge Europe into a cycle of grief, fear and political recriminations, as Muslims in Manchester condemned the bombing, parents anguished over the many youngsters killed and injured, and authorities struggled to learn whether the bomber had help.
‘‘So many young, beautiful, innocent people living and enjoying their lives murdered by evil losers in life,’’ President Donald Trump said while visiting Bethlehem in the West Bank.
‘‘I won’t call them monsters because they would like that term, they would think that’s a great name. I will call them losers because that’s what they are.’’
In Manchester, thousands of well-wishers crowded into Albert Square for an evening vigil to hear officials pay tribute to the dead beneath the Gothic spire of the Manchester Town Hall.
‘‘Today is a day that we all hope and prayed we would not ever see.
‘‘Families, young children went out last night to enjoy themselves in our wonderful city and tragically lost their lives in a horrific way,’’ Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told the gathering.
Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation in Manchester, said the deadly explosion marked the ‘‘darkest day’’ in the city’s history.
‘‘I love Manchester and its people. We are a resolute people and will not be divided by these barbaric animals or cowered by their violence,’’ he said.
Abedi had been investigated by British authorities for unspecified reasons, according to a US law enforcement official who has been briefed on the investigation.
His 23-year-old brother had also been taken into custody, the official said, but it was unclear whether he would be charged.
In a statement released on social media, Islamic State said a ‘‘soldier of the (caliphate)’’ had ‘‘managed to place explosive devices in the midst of the gatherings of the Crusaders in . . . Manchester.’’
It said the attack was an ‘‘endeavour to terrorise the mushrikin’’, using the Arabic word for polytheists, a pejorative that includes Christians, according to the group’s ideology, and it threatened to carry out more attacks.
‘‘What comes next,’’ it said, ‘‘will be more severe on the worshipers of the Cross and their allies, by Allah’s permission.’’
Police said the blast was triggered by a man carrying an improvised explosive device near the exits at the arena just a few minutes after Grande had finished singing her final song, Dangerous Woman, and left the stage. Grande was not harmed and has said she was devastated by the attack.
The bomb used shrapnel designed to cut and kill, but was crudely designed and investigators were determining whether it was homemade, according to US law enforcement officials briefed on the British investigation. It is unclear to US intelligence officials what role, if any, Islamic State may have played in the Manchester bombing, whatever its claims of responsibility, a US official said.
In her announcement yesterday, May said military personnel would be deployed at key locations around the country to support the police.
‘‘This means that armed police officers responsible for duties such as guarding key sites will be replaced by members of the armed forces, which will allow the police to significantly increase the number of armed officers on patrol in key locations,’’ May said.
‘‘You might also see military personnel deployed at certain events, such as concerts and sports matches, helping the police to keep the public safe.’’
The youngest victim of the attack to be named so far is Saffie Rose Roussos, 8. She was at the concert with her mother and older sister, who were injured and later found in separate hospitals, the Manchester Evening News reported.
‘‘Saffie was simply a beautiful little girl in every aspect of the word,’’ her school principal, Chris Upton, said in a statement.
Manchester’s city centre was in lockdown.
Campaigning for the June 8 parliamentary elections was suspended, and May urged the public to stand united in the days ahead.
‘‘The terrorists will never win, and our values, our country and our way of life will always prevail,’’ she said.
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the evening vigil was intended as a place for grieving members of the community to come together. The ripple effects from a suspected terrorist attack carried out against concert-goers at Ariana Grande’s Manchester show will reach all corners of the entertainment industry, tour managers say.
Concert promoter Phil Sprey, who has brought major acts including Elton John, Kiss and Bon Jovi to our shores, thinks artists will start to reconsider where they play because of the attack. He says that could mean more artists choose to visit New Zealand, if it’s seen as a safer option.
People close to Grande have told reporters that changes to the European leg of her tour are likely, but promoters said it was unlikely her New Zealand show would be impacted. She was due to perform in London, UK, on Thursday and Friday nights (local time).
Meanwhile, fans of Justin Bieber have pleaded with the pop-star to cancel his British shows after the attack. The Canadian artist was due to play an open air concert at London’s Hyde Park in July.
Sprey said it was inevitable that security would be increased for all major performance and sporting venues.
‘‘There’s going to be a huge increase in security,’’ he said. ‘‘In Europe I can see more venues with things like metal detectors, more aggressive searching of bags and that type of thing.’’
Spark Arena refused to comment when asked if extra security measures would be put in place.
In addition to increased security at venues, Sprey said some artists might choose not to tour certain parts of the world at all.
‘‘The same has happened previously when there’s been events like what happened in Paris. People cancelled tours, cancelled concerts – and that ripples globally.’’
If New Zealand was seen as a safer option than some European cities, Sprey said it was likely that artists would start playing here more often. He recalled that Prince once visited New Zealand after the singer cancelled European gigs following a bomb attack.
‘‘Venues and promoters and artists need to earn a living, if they are not going to a certain part of the world – whether that’s Europe or the UK – they may look more favourably on safer places to go.’’
Whether or not New Zealand is viewed as one of those ‘‘safer places to go’’ remained to be seen however.
‘‘We’re not immune,’’ Sprey cautioned. ‘‘We’re part of a very big global world, so these things are never far away. Australia’s had their incidents, and we’re only a stone’s throw away.’’
Tour managers, artists and venues would want to see extra security measures taken, Sprey said.
In the case of Grande, ‘‘they were technically the bait’’, he said. Sprey added that guilt would hit the organisers.
‘‘They’re going to feel indirectly as if they were partly responsible for it. So that’s a huge burden to carry.’’
Grande said she was ‘‘broken’’ after the attack. Via Twitter, the artist apologised to everyone who was affected by the attack, saying ‘‘from the bottom of my heart, I am so so sorry. I don’t have words’’.
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