May to raise intelligence leaks from Manchester bombing probe with Trump as ties undermined
LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May will confront President Donald J. Trump over US media leaks from the Manchester bombing probe, as one of the closest intelligence-sharing partnerships is tested as never before in the fight against global terrorism.
Police investigating the suicide bombing that killed 22 people at a pop concert in the city in northern England have suspended sharing information with the US, according to a report by the security correspondent of the BBC. Reports in the US disclosing details of the investigation sparked outrage among British off icials.
The government had no comment on the BBC report on Thursday, saying such a decision would be up to the police. Ms. May will use a meeting of NATO leaders in Brussels on Thursday to speak with Mr. Trump about the leaks, according to a UK government off icial with knowledge of her plans.
The dispute could have wider implications for intelligence sharing between the US and its closest allies. Mr. Trump shared sensitive information about Islamic State in a meeting with Russian off icials last week; he denied that the details came from Israel, which some media had reported, and defended providing the information about airline safety.
UK police said late Wednesday that leaks to American media amounted to a breach of trust and undermined their investigation into the attack, stepping up criticism earlier from Home Secretary Amber Rudd. The BBC reported that UK officials were furious about a story in the New York Times on Wednesday that included photos of the crime scene. The story didn’t cite a source, and the UK government had no comment on the piece.
RUDD’S REBUKE
The Times story was published after Ms. Rudd rebuked the US for naming of suspected suicide bomber hours before UK authorities were ready to share it. Police hit out on Wednesday at what they said was the publication of evidence in a live investigation.
“We greatly value the important relationships we have with our trusted intelligence, law enforcement and security partners around the world,” the National Counter Terrorism Policing off ice said in a statement on Wednesday evening. “When that trust is breached it undermines these relationships and undermines our investigations.”
The US relies on a global network of intelligence-sharing partnerships, most notably the “Five Eyes” agreement among the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are key intelligence providers in the Middle East.
Amid concerns that the UK faces the risk of another attack imminently, Ms. May will cut short her trip to a Group of Seven meeting in Sicily, returning Friday night after the first day of the two-day summit. Soldiers are on the streets of London, a deployment designed to free up police officers to pursue the terrorists behind the attack.
Manchester police are hunting down a network they think orchestrated the bombing, and the suspected perpetrator’s father and brother were arrested in Tripoli. Eight people are being held in the UK in connection with the attack. — Bloomberg