Leaked Photos Suggest Manchester Bomber Was Part of Cell

Photos that were shared with American intelligence agencies and leaked to the New York Times indicate that Manchester terrorist Salman Abedi used relatively sophisticated technology, suggesting that he had help. The Telegraph reports:

Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi carried his bomb in a Karrimor rucksack triggered with a sophisticated switch held in his left hand, leaked crime scene photographs suggest.

Police found the remains of the bomb’s lightweight metal casing, together with a high quality 12-volt battery and a trigger device contained a small circuit board soldered into one end.

The evidence discovered in the foyer of the Manchester Arena helps to explain why the security services are so convinced Abedi was part of a wider terrorist cell, as the level of expertise needed to build such a device points to an expert bomb-maker who could still be at large.

More at the link. British authorities are imploring American intelligence agencies to quit leaking:

The pictures were leaked despite a direct plea from Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, to the US authorities to stop leaking information about the fast-moving inquiry.

Stop leaking? Forget it–that is what our intelligence agencies do best.

On a related subject, it was almost exactly a year ago that this story hit the news: “Manchester Police Apologize For ‘Allahu Akbar.'”

Police in Manchester, England has issued an apology, after a suicide bombing “simulation” which involved an actor shouting the Islamic phrase “Allahu Akbar” (God is greater) before detonating mock explosives.

The simulated terror attack was held at one of the UK’s largest shopping centers, the Old Trafford Centre, and was part of a counter-terrorism training drill preparing for a possible Paris-style assault by jihadist terrorists.

However, police later apologized for “linking Islam” with terrorism.

The exercise was criticized by “some politicians and Muslim activists, including The Community Safety Forum, an anti-Islamophobia organization.”

“This sort of thing panders to stereotypes and further divides us. It will increase anti-Muslim hate crime,” the group claimed.

Anti-Muslim hate crime being the greatest threat currently facing Western Europe.

I can’t find any indication that the Community Safety Forum has commented on Salman Abedi’s mass murder. Its Facebook page hasn’t been updated for a while, but one of its most recent posts consists of photos of a protest march in Manchester against President Trump’s “Muslim travel ban.”

Great Britain has a very long way to go if it intends to get serious about Islamic terrorism.

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