30 May, 2017
British home secretary [interior minister] Amber Rudd had already made clear her annoyance after American media published the bomber's identity and details of the investigation before British officials felt ready to disclose them.
Metropolitan Police Service Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, Britain's top counter-terror officer, said police are confident that have in custody "some of the key players that we're concerned about". The US and the United Kingdom, with Canada, Australia and New Zealand, belong to the close-knit intelligence-sharing alliance called "Five Eyes".
President Donald Trump on Thursday described USA intelligence leaks over the Manchester bombing as "deeply troubling" and threatened to prosecute those responsible, after a warning by British Prime Minister Theresa May to keep shared data "secure".
Tensions are running high after a series of leaks in U.S. media revealed details about the suicide bombing that killed 22 people at a pop concert in the city on Monday night.
"These relationships enable us to collaborate and share privileged and sensitive information that allows us to defeat terrorism and protect the public at home and overseas", the spokesman said.
Following May's remarks, Trump offered his reaction and vowed that his administration "will get to the bottom of this" and that "the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law".
Britain briefly suspended intelligence-sharing with the United States over the leaks, but Tillerson said their "special relationship" would "withstand this particular unfortunate event".
May on Thursday said she would "make clear" to Trump that intelligence shared between the two countries "must remain secure".
However, police needed any information the public might have about his movements from May 18 when he returned to Britain.
"We must be fearless enough to admit the "war on terror" is not working", he said.
The explosion killed 22 people, ranging from an eight-year-old schoolgirl to parents who had come to pick up their children.
The attack occurred soon after her concert at the Manchester Arena ended Monday night, as the lights went up and thousands of concert-goers filed toward the exits.
Meanwhile, an emerging portrait of the alleged bomber remained complicated by competing assessments over whether Abedi held views that had sparked concern and attention before the bombing.
The US newspaper's report on Wednesday contained photos of the backpack Salman Abedi used to house his explosive device, as well as details on how the bomb may have been constructed and detonated.
Trump, who led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies in paying respects to the victims, slammed the alleged leaks as "deeply troubling" warning that those responsible could face prosecution. The two leaders spoke Thursday on the sidelines of a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in Brussels.
