Britain slams US leaks about Manchester terror investigation, including identity of attacker

UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd criticised US officials for leaking details about Monday’s terrorist attack in Manchester, warning Britain’s ally that it should not happen again.

The suicide bombing after a pop concert in Manchester killed 22 people including children. Several details, including the identity of the attacker, appeared on US media outlets before British security forces were ready to release the information.

“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, so it is irritating if it gets released from other sources,” Rudd told BBC Radio on Wednesday, when asked about US leaks. “I have been very clear with our friends that that should not happen again.”

It is rare for the UK government to publicly criticise the US and in such blunt terms. The rebuke raises the risk that key allies could become more reluctant to share vital security information with the world’s superpower.

In a move likely to further enrage British officials, the New York Times on Wednesday printed crime scene photos from the attack, as well as precise details about the bomb and which hand the bomber used to detonate it. The pictures, which contain bloodstains, show the bag used to carry the bomb as well as some of the shrapnel that was packed around the explosive. The Times didn’t say where it got the information, which it said was gathered by British authorities.