LONDON- US President Donald Trump has criticised Britain’s decision to release five men arrested over a suspected terrorist plot near an airbase used by American forces, saying he would have kept them in custody.
The men were released on police bail on Monday after questioning over the incident near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
They have not been charged and remain under investigation.
Speaking at the White House, Trump questioned the decision.
“I’m surprised that they released them. I wouldn’t have done that,” he said.
Police say investigation continues
British counter-terrorism officers said the suspects’ release followed extensive interviews and enquiries.
Their bail conditions restrict their movements and contact with other people.
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, stressed that investigators were continuing to examine several possible explanations for the incident.
“They absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of enquiry,” he said.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said decisions on bail were operational matters for police and prosecutors. He added that the investigation remained active and the situation was being kept under review.
The five suspects are British nationals aged between 23 and 25, all from London, according to an official police statement.
They were arrested in Whelford early on Sunday on suspicion of explosives offences and preparing a terrorist act.
Police said they had received a report at about 12.45am concerning three suspicious vehicles apparently travelling towards the airbase.
Specialist investigators examined the scene overnight, supported by military personnel and equipment.
Police said the work had generated new lines of enquiry.
Possible foreign involvement under investigation
Trump suggested the alleged plot could be connected to Iran, but did not provide evidence supporting that suggestion.
British investigators said they were considering whether individuals involved might have been acting, knowingly or unknowingly, on behalf of a foreign state.
Authorities have not established an Iranian connection.
Iran’s embassy in London denied involvement and condemned reports attempting to link Tehran to the arrests.
RAF Fairford has been used by American B-1 and B-52 bombers for operations in the Middle East, including during the conflict with Iran.
Its role in those operations has placed the base at the centre of questions about the suspects’ possible motives.
Residents allowed home after evacuation
About 85 households evacuated during the security operation were told they could return home on Monday evening.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the scene had been made safe, although a police cordon remained around the three vehicles.
A local farmer told CNN she contacted emergency services after encountering vans and men with covered faces near the base.
Police separately said they had received an earlier report about suspicious vehicles.
Trump’s criticism followed his praise for the arrests a day earlier.
On Sunday, he described the operation as successful and claimed British and American authorities had been monitoring the suspects for some time.
British authorities have not publicly confirmed that account.
Questions remain about what the men were doing near the base, their intentions and whether anyone else was involved.
