Manchester Inquiry Details Keep Leaking To US Media, And The UK Is Pissed

The UK and the US have one of the closest intelligence sharing relationships in the world. So you can see why the UK establishment is starting to get might pissed off that every single information leak about the Manchester bombing – from the suspect to the bomb itself  – has been in the United States.

We greatly value the important relationships we have with our trusted intelligence, law enforcement and security partners around the world. 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 abroad.

When that trust is breached it undermines these relationships, and undermines our investigations and the confidence of victims, witnesses and their families. This damage is even greater when it involves unauthorised disclosure of potential evidence in the middle of a major counter terrorism investigation.

UK authorities reckon that leaks of photos and info like this jeopardises their investigations, and may prove traumatic to victims’ families. They were reportedly especially annoyed by the leak of the suspect’s identity, given that it put their operation to arrest members of his family at risk.