A report into the Manchester Arena terror attack, in which 22 people died, reveals the atrocity should have been prevented.
The inquiry found that the security services should have been able to prevent Salman Abedi detonating a bomb in the foyer of the arena killing 22 people and injuring hundreds of others.
In the first of three reports into the 2017 suicide bombing at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, the security services have been heavily criticised for failing to stop ISIS terrorist Salman Abedi.
In the 204-page report published on Thursday, chairman of the Manchester Arena Inquiry, Sir John Saunders, says lives could have been saved.
He has made nine recommendations in a bid to prevent future attacks.
“The security arrangements for the Manchester Arena should have prevented or minimised the devastating impact of the attack,” he said.
“They failed to do so. There were a number of opportunities that were missed leading to this failure. Salman Abedi should have been identified as a threat by those responsible for the security of the arena and a disruptive intervention undertaken.
“Had that occurred, I consider it likely that Abedi would still have detonated his device, but the loss of life and injury is highly likely to have been less.”
Sir John said British Transport Police, who were responsible for policing the area, and Arena operators SMG and its contracted event security providers Showsec are all “principally responsible” for missed opportunities leading to the atrocity.
Had any of them challenged Abedi prior to the end of the concert it is possible only one life may have been lost instead of 22, the report reveals.
“An approach by a police officer may have caused Abedi to leave the City Room, or he may have detonated his device,” Sir John said.
“In either case, it is likely that fewer people would have been killed.”
The report accuses the police officers of “ignoring” orders to properly police the event by staggering their breaks thus allowing Abedi to slip by unnoticed.
Showsec employee Mohammed Agha, who had spotted Abedi when he was first in the complex due to admiring his trainers, has been criticised for not identifying him as suspicious when he returned to the venue on a second occasion on the night of the attack.
“Had Mr Agha been adequately trained, this would have caused him to draw Abedi to his supervisor’s attention,” the report says.
“This in turn would have brought into sharp focus that Abedi had chosen to position himself out of sight of the cameras.
"This was a missed opportunity. Had Abedi been spoken to at this stage he may have been deterred. He may have detonated his device. He may have left the City Room for a period, before attempting to return later. None of these possibilities is likely to have resulted in the devastation of the magnitude caused by Abedi at 22.31pm.”
The report revealed Abedi had carried out repeated reconnaissance at the venue, the first four days before the attack on May 18 – the same day he flew back to the UK from Libya.
On the night of the incident he spent more than hour throughout the concert in a CCTV blind spot, Sir John says had the cameras captured that area it would have become apparent his presence was “significant”.
Despite a member of the public reporting Abedi’s “suspicious” behaviour to Showsec staff no action was taken.
The report reveals in the half an hour before the explosion and the end of the concert no police officers or security staff patrolled the foyer.
“The fact that Abedi was noticed by members of the public supports the conclusion that a vigilant police officer would have identified him as suspicious had they seen him,” Sir John said.
“I am satisfied there were a number of missed opportunities to alter the course of what happened that night. More should have been done.”
He has made a number of recommendations, including that every venue has a risk assessment for the threat of a terror attack, robust procedures, such as patrolling the venues, should be in place, those providing security should be informed of the terror threat level - which at the time was severe - and all reports of suspicious behaviour should be acted on.
Sir John said employees should also be given first aid training to deal with injuries which could be caused by a terror attack and the government should introduce a 'rigorous' Protect Duty to make it a legal requirement for large venues and public spaces to protect themselves against terrorists.
“It should be understood that I intend to scrutinise what has been done in response and use all the powers available to me, if required, to achieve transparency and accountability,” he said.
"I have concluded that there were serious shortcomings in the security provided.I was urged by everybody to avoid looking for scapegoats. I have not looked to blame anyone but where, having considered the evidence, I considered that individuals have fallen below a proper standard in carrying out their important roles in protecting concert goers I have said so."
Two future reports examining the emergency response to the attack and whether the security services could have prevented it are due to be published in the future.
The Manchester Arena Inquiry, which was established by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel in 2019, is continuing to hear evidence examining the circumstances of the attack and whether any opportunities to prevent it were missed.
Suicide bomber Abedi, 22, died after detonating the rucksack bomb.
His younger brother, Hashem Abedi, was convicted last year on 22 counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of conspiracy to cause an explosion.
He was sentenced to jail for a minimum of 55 years.
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 2,000m - Winner: Powderhouse, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 2,200m - Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Conditions Dh240,000 1,600m - Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 2,000m - Winner: Key Bid, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 1,200m - Winner: Drafted, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
9.25pm: Handicap Dh170,000 1,600m - Winner: Cachao, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap Dh190,000 1,400m - Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Scoreline:
Manchester City 1
Jesus 4'
Brighton 0
more from Janine di Giovanni
