British Intelligence missed opportunity to prevent 2017 Ariana Grande concert bombing

A public inquiry into the 2017 bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, has concluded that British intelligence officials missed a "significant opportunity" to prevent the attack. The report, led by retired judge John Saunders, found that a British intelligence officer had obtained intelligence about the bomber, Salman Abedi, that suggested he was a possible national security concern, but officials didn't act quickly enough on that intelligence. Saunders concluded that if some of the intelligence had been taken more seriously by MI5 in the months leading up to the attack, Abedi's return from Libya days before the bombing could have been taken "extremely seriously" and the attack "might have been prevented." The inquiry also noted a “communication breakdown” between MI5 and counter-terroism police, and the possible “knowing involvement” of others in the planning and preparation for the attack. Saunders noted that it was "quite impossible" to say for sure that different action would have resulted in a different outcome, but “there is at least the material possibility that opportunities to intervene were missed.” The bomber, Salman Abedi, died in the explosion, and his brother Hashem Abedi was later convicted of conspiring with his brother to carry out the attack and sentenced to life in prison.