London: Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd has complained to her US counterpart over the leak of the identity of the Manchester suicide bomber to the American media.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mrs Rudd took the extraordinary step of making the UK government's frustration with the Americans public on Wednesday as counter-terror investigators worked to identify possible accomplices of 22-year old Salman Abedi.
On Wednesday morning, local time, police in Manchester arrested three people in the city's south. They had already arrested a 23-year-old man in relation to the attack. US media identified that man as Abedi's brother, citing "US officials".
As was the case with the Westminster attack in April, British press held off reporting the attacker's name - even though they knew it - to avoid endangering the investigation or tipping off any further suspects. But on Tuesday, US networks CBS and NBC named the perpetrator hours before Greater Manchester police confirmed his identity.
Mrs Rudd said while the leak of Abedi's identity to US media had not compromised the investigation, it had the potential to jeopardise inquiries and draw media attention to places being searched.
"The British police have been very clear that they want to control the flow of information in order protect operational integrity, the element of surprise, so it is irritating if it gets released from other sources," the minister told the BBC's Radio 4.
"I have been very clear with our friends that that should not happen again.
"They are perfectly clear about the situation and that it shouldn't happen again."
The US and UK have one of the closest intelligence-sharing relationships in the world, as part of the "five-eyes" relationship, which also includes Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Britain's anger follows consternation over US President Donald Trump's sharing with the Russians of classified intelligence relating to an Islamic State plot - potentially compromising a source in the field.
Professor Lawrence Freedman from King's College in London warned further leaks from the US would undermine the intelligence sharing relationship.
"US officials just don't seem to be able to help themselves. It will get to the stage where UK officials will stop sharing," he said.
Mrs Rudd said the attacker was "known, up to a point, to the intelligence services." She confirmed he had recently travelled to Libya.
She made her comments before arriving at 10 Downing Street for another meeting of the government's emergency response committee, commonly called COBRa.
Something happening on Granby rd in #Manchester. Scary stuff, riot van, fire engine, heavily armed police pic.twitter.com/08o1lqrzwr??? Keir Gibson (@keirgibs) May 24, 2017
