Home Secretary Amber Rudd attacked the U.S. media for releasing details about Salmon Abedi, the Islamic terrorist that blew himself up in Manchester, before the UK was comfortable releasing the information through its own media sources.
trunews.com
>(WASHINGTON, DC) Home Secretary Amber Rudd has criticized U.S. authorities after confidential details about the Manchester terror attack appeared in the media having been leaked by American spooks. British police had held off on releasing information such as the attacker’s name on Tuesday.
>Several American news organizations including CBS and NBC published details, however, citing anonymous US officials who leaked the details from their conversations with British authorities.
>The initial death tolls, the fact the attack appeared to be a suicide bombing, and the name of the attacker, Salman Abedi, 22, were all released through US media, apparently through leaky intelligence sources.
>Rudd told the BBC that the US’s conduct had been “irritating” and that she made it clear to American counterparts that such leaks “shouldn’t happen again.”
>Asked whether the leak had compromised the investigation into the Manchester Arena attack, she said:
22 people were killed and some 59 injured, many of them children, in Monday night’s attack on the Manchester Arena during a concert by pop star Ariana Grande.
>Last week, prime minister Theresa May said Britain would continue to work and share intelligence with the US following claims that president Donald Trump leaked classified intelligence to the Russian foreign ministry.
>Intelligence is shared between Britain, America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand under the UKUSA agreement, the so-called “Five Eyes” programme.
