Brits thaw info freeze
Trump vows probe of leaks
BRITISH counterterrorism officials said they have resumed intelligence sharing with the U.S. after receiving “fresh assurances” that their information would be safe, officials said Thursday.
The unusual announcement came after a short suspension, lasting about 24 hours, sparked by a series of leaks to U.S. media about the investigation into the Manchester terror attack that left 22 people dead and injured at least 119.
“We greatly value the crucial relationship with our trusted partners around the world so we can collaborate and share sensitive information to defeat terrorism and protect the public at home and abroad,” Britain’s national counterterrorism head, Mark Rowley, said in a statement. “While we do not usually comment on information-sharing arrangements with international law enforcement organizations, we want to emphasize that, having received fresh assurances, we are now working closely with our key partners.”
British officials were furious after American outlets were first to report the name of suspected suicide bomber Salman Abedi and forensic crime scene photos were published.
President Trump, who recently ruffled feathers in the international intelligence community by reportedly disclosing to Russian officials classified material that Israel had gathered, vowed to prosecute those behind the leaks.
“The alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling,” Trump said in a statement. “These leaks have been going on for a long time, and my administration will get to the bottom of this. I am asking the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies to launch a complete review of this matter, and if appropriate, the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Trump’s threat came just before British Prime Minister Theresa May confronted him about the leaks at the NATO summit in Brussels.
England remained on high alert Thursday as police continued to search for possible accomplices who may have helped Abedi plot the Manchester attack outside an Ariana Grande concert.
Raids across the country and in Libya have led to 10 arrests in connection to the attack — including Abedi’s father and two brothers. Police said one man and a woman who were detained in Manchester in the days after the bombing have since been released.
“I want to reassure people that the arrests that we have made are significant, and initial searches of premises have revealed items that we believe are very important to the investigation,” said Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins.
Police are trying to determine what links, if any, Abedi, 22, had to ISIS or other terror groups. The quiet, Britishborn college dropout expressed increasingly radicalized ideas over the last few years, friends and neighbors said. Abedi plotted his twisted attack for months, a report said. He purchased the nails and screws that were packed into the device months ago, according to The Times of London.
Police also identified the rented apartment where they believe the bomb was assembled, the newspaper reported.
Abedi’s sister said he was driven by what he saw as unjust treatment of Muslims around the world.
The bomb used in the blast, according to officials, contained TATP, the same explosive ISIS extremists used in the November 2015 Paris attacks and March 2016 carnage in Brussels.
Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Tex.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told The Associated Press the bomb suggested a “level of sophistication.”
May on Thursday said progress was being made in the investigation, but added that “the public should remain vigilant.”
Britain held a moment of silence at 11 a.m. local time in tribute to the attack’s victims and their families.