Homeland Security: 'No specific, credible threat' to U.S. after Manchester bombing
WASHINGTON – The U.S. is assisting Britain in the investigation of the Manchester suicide bombing but sees “no specific, credible threat” against U.S. music venues as the country prepares for major public events around the Memorial Day weekend.
In a briefing for reporters Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security press secretary David Lapan said the department is offering guidance to arenas, stadiums and other venues — as it does routinely — as the National Basketball Association playoffs continue and plans unfold around the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.
He said it is up to individual venues to make the determination about their security postures.
No Americans were involved in the Monday night bombing outside an Arianna Grande concert in Manchester that killed 22 and injured more than 60 others, Lapan said. The threat level for the U.S. has not been adjusted, he said, but he added “obviously everyone’s on a heightened awareness.”
He also addressed criticism leveled at American security officials by British Home Secretary Amber Rudd for releasing the name of Salman Abedi, the 22-year-old British bomber of Libyan descent, and the death toll from the incident, prior to their British counterparts.
“The British police have been very clear that they want to control the flow of information in order to protect operational integrity, the element of surprise, so it is irritating if it gets released from other sources and I have been very clear with our friends that that should not happen again,” Rudd told British media Wednesday.
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Lapan said American officials will “do whatever we can to honor that” request. Asked if Abedi was on a “no-fly” list, Lapan said: “If he was, I couldn’t talk about it.”
In a wide-ranging discussion of immigration policy, border wall funding and efforts to stimulate the Central American economy as a way of deterring illegal immigration, Lapan noted no decision has yet been reached on banning laptops from flights entering the U.S.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly announced in March that passengers arriving from 10 “last point of departure” airports in the Middle East and traveling to the U.S. would need to place electronic devices larger than cell or smart phones in checked baggage, and not be permitted to carry them on.
Lapan said U.S. officials convened a meeting Tuesday in Washington with European aviation officials to go over technical issues involved with a possible ban. He struck down what he called “an errant tweet” that the decision to impose a ban had been made, saying the issue is “still under active consideration.” He said the decision would be based on evolving assessments of the threat.