The Manchester Arena bomber had contact eight people who were’subjects or interest’ to MI5, which was the inquiry into yesterday’s terror attack.
Lawyers representing the families of victims of the blast made accusations about the intelligence agency’s failure to adequately represent them.
John Cooper QC stated to an MI5 witness that he had failed to protect the families and the public from a bomber. You failed on the most basic grounds.
It happened after an inquiry found that Salman Abedi was likely to have been indoctrinated by his father into Islamist extremism.
CCTV image of Salman Abedi (Pictured at Victoria Station) making his way towards Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017. This is where he detonated that bomb. His brother Hashem Abedi was found guilty of murder in the bombing that killed 22 persons.
Witness J, an MI5 officer, was giving evidence Monday at an inquiry about Salman Abedi’s attack. The inquiry heard that Salman Abedi, the bomber, was likely to have been indoctrinated by his father into Islamist extremism.
Witness J, the director general of Counter Terrorism, MI5, said that Abedi, 22, a Libyan-born man, was exposed to extremist tendencies from his parents’ generation.
These include former members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group – which fought against Colonel Gaddafi’s regime and has been linked to Al Qaeda – who moved to Britain. LIFG has been linked to Ramadan, Abedi’s dad.
Witness J stated that Salman Abedi was likely to have his extreme views informed by his father Ramadan Abedi. Paul Greaney, QC, asked the spy if Ramadan Abedi had been involved in the LIFG. The spy replied: “I’m afraid that I’m not able to enter that in open.” [hearings].
The eight’subjects’ of interest included one in Libya and one in prison.
Some contacts were direct while others were indirect. The MI5 witness didn’t name Abdalraouf Abdallah. This terrorist recruiter was convicted and was identified by the Press. Abedi visited Abdalraouf twice in prison.
The second visit took place on the same day that Abedi ordered his first bomb making chemicals. He also exchanged calls on an illicit phone the day they were delivered. Sir John Saunders, inquiry chairman, has ruled that there is “centrally important material” relevant to the question of whether MI5 could prevent the attacks. This information cannot be made public.
Inquiry has heard previously that 18 opportunities were missed by the security services to have stopped Salman Abedi.
It is currently examining whether Abedi – who the spy services first became aware of aged 16 in 2013 – should have been ‘reopened’ as a subject of interest in 2016, in light of what was known by MI5 and police at that time.
A second issue will be whether Abedi should not have been reopened in the first few of 2017 as a matter of interest in response to information.
The last issue is whether he should be on a ports action’ list in 2017, which would have alerted police about his return from Libya. Abedi, who killed 22 men, women, and children, also injured hundreds more when he detonated a backpack during a 2017 concert. The hearing continues.