Manchester Arena bombing inquiry finds MI5 missed significant chance to stop attack
nme.comTwenty-two people died and hundreds were injured when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated an explosive device in the foyer at the venue at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on May 22, 2017.A 207 page report has found two pieces of information about Abedi were assessed at the time by the security service as not being terrorism-related, but Chairman Sir John Saunders said, having heard from MI5 witnesses at the recent hearings, he considered that did not present an “accurate picture”, reports BBC News.One officer admitted they considered a possible pressing national security concern on one of the pieces of intelligence but did not discuss it with colleagues straightaway and did not write up a report that same day.As a result of this, Sir John said: “The delay in providing the report led to the missing of an opportunity to take a potentially important investigative action.
Based on everything the security service knew or should have known, I am satisfied that such an investigative action would have been a proportionate and justified step to take.
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