UK ‘irritated’ by US leaks in Manchester attack

Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd (L), Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (C) and Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron attend a vigil in Albert Square in Manchester, northwest England on May 23, 2017, in solidarity with those killed an injured in the May 22 terror attack at the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena. (AFP)

LONDON: A British minister said Wednesday it was “irritating” that details about the Manchester concert bombing had been leaked to US media before being released in Britain, saying she had spoken to US authorities.
“The British police have been very clear that they want to control the flow of information in order to protect operational integrity... the element of surprise,” Interior Minister Amber Rudd told BBC radio.
“So it is irritating if it gets released from other sources and I have been very clear with our friends that that should not happen again.”
Asked if the US authorities had compromised the investigation, she said: “I wouldn’t go that far.
“But I can say that they are perfectly clear about the situation and that it shouldn’t happen again.”
At least 22 people were killed on Monday night when a bomb went off at a concert by US pop star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England, among them children.
British-born Salman Abedi was identified as the suspected suicide bomber responsible. His name first surfaced in US media reports Tuesday, based on briefings given to US officials by their counterparts in London.