Sessions vows to stop leaks about Manchester attack
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is vowing to stop the “rampant leaks” from within the Trump administration of sensitive information, including British authorities’ investigation into the Manchester attack.
“These leaks cannot be tolerated and we will make every effort to put an end to it,” he said in a statement Thursday. “We have already initiated appropriate steps to address these rampant leaks that undermine our national security.”
Sessions said he shares President Trump’s “deep concern” about leaked information concerning Monday’s suicide bombing in Manchester, England.
{mosads}The attorney general said he spoke with United Kingdom Home Secretary Amber Rudd about the incident.
Trump on Thursday called for a federal investigation of the “deeply troubling” leaks about the bomb investigation coming from his administration.
He said the Justice Department should “launch a complete review of this matter, and if appropriate, the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The BBC on Thursday reported that Manchester police would stop sharing intelligence with their U.S. counterparts after a series of leaks to American media outlets.
Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said Thursday that crime scene photos leaked to The New York Times had caused “understandable distress” to victims’ families.
The name of Monday’s alleged bomber, Salman Abedi, was also published in U.S. news outlets before U.K. authorities officially announced it.
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for Monday’s bombing, which targeted an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena.
Twenty-two people were killed and about 120 more injured when an explosive detonated outside the venue.
The release of details about the bombing investigation is the latest in a series of leaks that have plagued Trump’s administration.
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