MI5 missed chance to prevent concert attack, UK inquiry says

By SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — An inquiry has found that Britain’s domestic intelligence agency didn’t act swiftly enough on key information and missed a significant opportunity to prevent the suicide bombing that killed 22 people at a 2017 Ariana Grande concert in northwest England. Retired judge John Saunders led the inquiry into the Manchester Arena attack. He said that one MI5 officer admitted they considered intelligence about suicide bomber Salman Abedi to be a possible national security concern but didn’t discuss it with colleagues quickly enough. MI5 director general Ken McCallum said he was “profoundly sorry.” The 22-year-old Abedi set off a knapsack bomb in the arena’s foyer at the end of the May 2017 concert as thousands of young fans were leaving the pop star’s show. Abedi died in the explosion.