Donald Trump has criticised the release on bail of five men arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and subsequently held under counter-terrorism laws after a security alert near RAF Fairford
President Donald Trump has criticised UK police after they released the five RAF Fairford suspects following an incident near the military base.
In the early hours of Sunday (September 27), five men – all from London and in their 20s – were arrested outside the military base in Gloucestershire. Authorities did not charge the men and released them all on bail after they found only fuel cans in their vans.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump launched into a stinging critique of British law enforcement over the decision to grant bail to the suspects, who he called terrorists despite none of the men being charged. “I’m just disappointed that they caught terrorists. How do you give bail to a terrorist?” said Trump.
The Orange Manbaby suggested that this was a long-standing investigation the US was involved in, but informed a British reporter that their “fellow countrymen” had let them go.
“These were serious people, seriously bad people and they should not have done that yet,” Trump alleged. None of what Trump said about the men has been said by counter terrorism police or anyone in an official capacity in the UK after no evidence of explosives was found.
His comments come in the wake of police revelations that while petrol was discovered inside the vans that sparked the security alert near the base, no actual explosive devices were found.
The five men – initially detained on suspicion of explosives offences before being held under counter-terrorism laws – were all granted bail on Monday. Justifying the decision, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, explained that releasing the suspects was a tactical “investigative decision.”
AC Taylor said today: “We can confirm that no improvised explosive devices were found. However, a quantity of petrol was recovered. Yesterday we released the five men on police bail. They remain under investigation and must adhere to strict conditions while we continue our work.
“The safety of the public is at the forefront of our investigative decision making, and this was certainly the case yesterday.
“I understand why this development will have come as a surprise to many, but I’d like to reiterate that it was an investigative decision, and one which is grounded in experience and careful consideration of policing powers.”