Because the Trump administration can’t hold water, not only has the president had to come out and denounce reported leaks coming from someone in the White House, but the Manchester police are no longer sharing details of their investigation into the most recent terrorist attacks, with American counterparts.
On Thursday, Trump issued a statement condemning the “alleged leaks of sensitive information.”
“The alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling,” Mr. Trump said in the statement viewed by The New York Times. “These leaks have been going on for a long time, and my administration will get to the bottom of this. The leaks of sensitive information pose a grave threat to our national security.”
He added: “I am asking the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies to launch a complete review of this matter, and, if appropriate, the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The issue between Trump’s administration and Britain’s authorities began after the Times published an article Wednesday that included images of evidence found at the scene of the Manchester terrorist attack that happened shortly after pop star Ariana Grande finished her show Monday night. It is believed that the shredded remnants of a backpack, shown in the Times photo, was worn by the bomber, 22-year-old Slaman Abedi who killed some 22 people and injured 64 in the attack. The Times photos also included shrapnel found at the scene of the blast. While the Times did note how they received the images, Britain’s top law enforcement officials were reportedly outraged that the newspaper obtained the images.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council in Britain called the leaks a breach of trust, adding: “This damage is even greater when it involves unauthorized disclosure of potential evidence in the middle of a major counterterrorism investigation.” The disclosure of potential evidence “undermines our investigations and the confidence of victims, witnesses and their families,” the Times reports.
Manchester police also added that they would no longer share details of the investigation with American counterparts, and the city’s top police official, Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, noted that the disclosure “has caused much distress for families that are already suffering terribly with their loss,” BBC reports.
Read more at The New York Times and BBC.
