Headlines in the UK continue to feature the leaking of British intelligence by US services over Monday’s suicide bombing in Manchester in northwest England that killed 22 people.
Is this a lasting blow to the US-UK special relationship in intelligence since the end of World War II, or — despite the possible undermining of the British investigation and the anguish caused to relatives of victims — only a blip with cooperation soon returning to normal?
Speaking with the BBC World Service on Friday morning about the latest developments, I explained why the latter is likely to be the case.
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However unsettled the British agencies were by this, the priorities both in this immediate case — to try and identify all suspects and to find out if a campaign of attacks is planned — and the wider issues, not only facing the Islamic State and Al Qa’eda but also facing Russia in Europe and beyond, will unite the intelligence services despite this incident.
TOP PHOTO: A military bomb disposal team outside a house raided in northwest England during the investigation of Monday’s Manchester suicide bombing
