LONDON: President Donald Trump has described US intelligence leaks over the Manchester bombing as “deeply troubling” and threatened to prosecute those responsible, after a warning by British Prime Minister Theresa May to keep shared data “secure”.

In a statement issued by the White House on Thursday, as Trump joined May at a meeting of Nato allies, he said: “There is no relationship we cherish more than the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.”

Visiting the military alliance’s new $1.2 billion headquarters with fellow leaders later, Donald Trump led a moment’s silence for the victims of what he described as “a barbaric and vicious attack on our civilisation”.

In his statement, Trump said the information coming out in the US media was “deeply troubling”. “These leaks have been going on for a long time and my administration will get to the bottom of this. The leaks of sensitive information pose a grave threat to our national security,” he said.

“I am asking the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies to launch a complete review of this matter, and if appropriate, the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

In his Nato speech, the president said: “Prime Minister May, all of the nations here today grieve with you and stand with you. The recent attack on Manchester demonstrates the depths of the evil we face with terrorism.

“Innocent little girls and so many others were horribly murdered and badly injured while attending a concert — beautiful lives with so much great potential, torn from their families forever and ever.”

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2017