Why didn’t MI5 act on intelligence? It didn’t have the resources. There were just too many jihadis to track, and on top of that, the agency had to work hard to keep up the fiction of a “right-wing extremist” threat equivalent to that of the jihadis.
And one thing is certain: despite the findings of this inquiry, this denial and willful ignorance will continue. Nothing will change in Britain’s official culture. Suella Braverman says: “Together we will do everything possible to prevent a repeat of this horrifying attack.” But she won’t, and neither will anyone else. They won’t either acknowledge the motivating ideology behind jihad violence, or do anything effective to stop its spread. To do anything effective would be “Islamophobic.”
“Manchester Arena bombing ‘might have been prevented’ if MI5 acted to intelligence, inquiry finds,” by Tom Fredericks, GB News, March 2, 2023:
The Manchester Arena terror attack might have been prevented if MI5 had acted on key intelligence received in the months before the attack, an inquiry has found.
Two pieces of information about suicide bomber Salman Abedi were assessed at the time by the security service to not relate to terrorism.
But inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders says having heard from MI5 witnesses at the hearings into the May 2017 atrocity – that killed 22 people and injured hundreds – he considers that did not present an “accurate picture”.
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 on the same day.
In his 207-page report, 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. This should have happened.
“Although I accept that Salman Abedi demonstrated some security consciousness and that this might have affected the efficacy of the investigative action that I have identified, there was the real possibility that it would have produced actionable intelligence.”
It could have led to Abedi, 22, being followed to the parked Nissan Micra where he stored the explosive and later moved it to a city centre rented flat to assemble, Sir John said.
He added that if MI5 had acted on the intelligence received then Abedi also could have been stopped at Manchester Airport on his return from Libya four days before the attack….
In March 2014, Abedi became a Subject of Interest for MI5 over phone contact with another suspected extremist, but his case was closed four months later when he was deemed “low risk”.
He was also identified on six occasions as a direct or indirect contact of suspected extremists from December 2013 to April 2017….
Reacting to Sir John’s findings, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said it was “vital lessons are learned”.
She added: “I am committed to working with MI5, policing and partners to study the recommendations.
“Together we will do everything possible to prevent a repeat of this horrifying attack.”
No you won’t. You won’t either acknowledge the motivating ideology behind jihad violence, or do anything effective to stop its spread.
Barbara says
These people are supposed to be adults. People who are trained. What I see are people who are more concerned about being called names than doing a job that is supposed to serve and protect the citizens. People who are cowards. They are more concerned about everybody liking them. Between cowardice and being everyone’s friend, they are the reason the murder was not stopped.