The leak of classified information shared by the Manchester police with the US has caused a furor in the UK. Earlier today, British authorities announced that they were not going to share any information regarding the Manchester Terror Attack investigation with the United States anymore. Speaking at Brussels today, US President Donald Trump responded to the developments and stated that there would be a thorough investigation in order to get to the bottom of this "deeply troubling" affair.
UK is America's closest ally
The United Kingdom has been America's closest ally for a long time and the two nations share classified information in relation to counter-terrorism activities in accordance with the Five Eyes agreement.
However, it all went a bit haywire when the US leaked the name of the suicide bomber responsible for the Manchester attack despite warnings, and leaked classified photographs from investigators just a day later.
The photos eventually found their way to the New York Times and created a furor among the police's top brass as well as government officials in London. Considering the gravity of the matter, US President Donald Trump spoke on the subject in Brussels today and stated that the leaks are "deeply troubling." He went on to verbally order the justice department to conduct a full blown investigation so that the the person or persons responsible for these damaging leaks could be prosecuted.
He said, "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."
A swift response from the President
Following these leaks and the suspension of any information sharing, UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that it is the responsibility of US authorities to guarantee the security of the information that is being shared about the ongoing investigation.
In such a situation, it was only natural for US President Donald Trump to respond as soon as he possibly could. The investigation has led to a total of eight arrests so far and further evidence is being gathered to unearth the plot behind one of the worst terror attacks to have ever taken place in the UK. The authorities in the UK have also raised the threat level officially to critical and army personnel are patrolling sensitive areas, which is why the leaks are not being taken lightly.
