Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, the official opposition to the British government, drew a link between UK foreign policy and terror attacks as the main political parties resumed general election campaigning Friday, following Monday night’s terror attack in Manchester.
Saying the war on terror “is simply not working,” Corbyn argued in a speech in London that the government must “ensure the police have the resources they need, that our foreign policy reduces rather than increases the threat to this country.”
His comments, which come days after 22 people were killed in Manchester following an Ariana Grande concert, bring an overtly political tone to a national conversation that has largely focused on unity following the deadliest UK terror attack since 2005.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Theresa May is to lead a discussion on counterterrorism with other key leaders at a G7 summit in Sicily, Italy on Friday.
It will focus “on how we will work together to prevent the plotting of terrorist attacks online and to stop the spread of hateful extremist ideology on social media,” she said Thursday.
Investigators continue to work round the clock to track down associates of suicide bomber Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old Briton of Libyan descent, amid fears he is part of a network plotting further mayhem. The UK threat level was raised this week to its highest level, meaning another attack may be imminent.
So far 10 people have been arrested at addresses in Manchester, Wigan and Nuneaton, all in England. Eight remain in custody and searches continue at a number of addresses. The bomber’s brother has also been detained in Libya.
Salman Abedi likely received some ISIS training in Syria in the months before the attack, according to information gathered in the preliminary investigation, a US official told CNN on Thursday. The US believes ISIS, through this training, set the stage for him to carry out his attack.
As police raids continued Friday, specially trained firearms officers were being assigned patrol duty on trains for the first time in Britain.
Corbyn: Change what we do abroad
Corbyn, who has a long record of voting against UK military intervention overseas, said a Labour government would “change what we do abroad” if elected in order to keep the country safer, while acknowledging that no government can prevent every attack and that terrorism has many causes.
“Many experts, including professionals in our intelligence and security services have pointed to the connections between wars we have been involved in or supported and and fought in other countries, such as Libya, and terrorism here at home,” he said.
“That assessment in no way reduces the guilt of those who attack our children. Those terrorists will forever be reviled and implacably held to account for their actions.
“But an informed understanding of the causes of terrorism is an essential part of an effective response that will protect the security of our people, that fights rather than fuels terrorism.”
Corbyn, who visited Manchester on Tuesday to show support for the attack victims, also called for national unity and praised the response of emergency services.
But Conservative Security Minister Ben Wallace told the BBC that the timing of Corbyn’s remarks was “appalling” and that terrorists should not be allowed to think that anything justifies their actions.
“We have to be unequivocal, that no amount of excuses, no amount of twisted reasoning about a foreign policy here, a foreign policy there, can be an excuse. The reality is, these people hate our values,” he said.
Wallace said British intelligence services were currently handling 500 active investigations into terror plots involving 3,000 people, ranging from sophisticated plots to immature activity that may or may not pose a threat.
Row over US leaks
May’s discussion with G7 leaders Friday, including US President Donald Trump, comes on the heels of a spat with the United States over the leaking of intelligence to US media of details around the Manchester bombing investigation.
US sources were the first to reveal the identity of the suspected suicide bomber, leading to concern that police efforts to hunt down his associates could be impacted. The leaks culminated in the New York Times publishing crime scene photos. Britain responded by temporarily halting intelligence sharing with the United States on the investigation, although the suspension was lifted later Thursday.
Amid efforts to soothe jangled nerves, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will make his first official visit to the UK on Friday, meeting with his UK counterpart Boris Johnson and signing a book of condolence for the Manchester victims.
Tillerson’s visit is intended to reaffirm Washington’s commitment to the “special relationship between the US and the UK and our solidarity in defeating terrorism in every part of the world,” a State Department statement read.
It comes after May confronted Trump about the intelligence leaks during their meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday. In a written statement, Trump described the leaks as “deeply troubling” and said they would be investigated.
