Manchester searches turn up information
MANCHESTER, England — Home searches across Manchester have uncovered important items for the investigation into the concert bombing that left 22 people dead, Manchester’s police chief announced today. A British official said Manchester police have decided not to share further information on the probe with the United States due to leaks blamed on U.S. officials.
Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said the eight suspects detained so far were “significant” arrests and said the searches will take several more days to complete. Police have swooped in on multiple addresses in the northwestern city since Tuesday and those arrested include bomber Salman Abedi’s brother, Ismail.
Hopkins did not elaborate on the material that has been found so far.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said she plans to discuss the leaks with President Donald Trump at the NATO summit in Brussels. She said she plans to “make clear to President Trump that intelligence that is shared between our law enforcement agencies must remain secure.”
British officials are particularly angry that photos detailing evidence about the bomb used in the Manchester attack were published in The New York Times, although it’s not clear that the paper obtained the photos from U.S. officials.
British police were also upset that Abedi’s name was apparently leaked by U.S. officials and published while British police were withholding it — and while raids were under way in Manchester and in Libya, where the bomber’s father lives.
A British official told The Associated Press on Thursday that police in Manchester have decided to stop sharing information about their bombing investigation with the U.S. until they get a guarantee that there will be no more leaks to the media. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
Earlier, the Greater Manchester Police condemned the investigation leaks on behalf of the National Counter-Terrorism Policing units in a statement that suggested a severe rupture in trust between Britain and the United States, which have traditionally shared information at the highest level.
“When the trust is breached it undermines these relationships, and undermines our investigations and the confidence of victims, witnesses and their family,” the statement said. “This damage is even greater when it involves unauthorized disclosure of potential evidence in the middle of a major counter-terrorism investigation.”
May insisted today that progress is being made in the Manchester bombing investigation but added the national threat level remains critical — meaning another attack may be imminent.
“The public should remain vigilant,” May said, speaking after a meeting of the government’s crisis committee.
As hundreds of British soldiers protected some of the world’s most visited tourist sites in London and elsewhere, police are pressing to uncover the network that is thought to have helped Abedi in the deadly attack Monday night at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.
At 11 a.m. today, many across Britain fell silent and bowed their heads for a minute in tribute to the victims of Monday night’s bombing. Crowds gathered at well-known sites including London’s Parliament and Trafalgar Squares and Manchester’s Albert Square.
Queen Elizabeth II, meanwhile, visited Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital today to talk to some of the bombing victims, their families and the medical staff treating them.
In addition to those killed, 116 people have received medical treatment at Manchester hospitals for wounds from the blast.
