President Trump said Monday he disagrees with the decision Monday by authorities in Britain to grant bail to the five men arrested a day earlier in connection with an alleged terror plot at an air force base used by American forces.
The release of the men, all British nationals, raised questions about the case regarding R.A.F. Fairford base in southern England.
“I’m surprised that they’re released. I wouldn’t have done that,” Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office. “I would not have released them.”
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“I would have said, ‘Don’t let them have bail,” Mr. Trump said, while adding that British authorities worked well with U.S. officials.
Laurence Taylor, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing, told reporters the men were released after “extensive interviews and inquiries,” but their movements on Sunday near the military base RAF Fairfield remain under investigation.
The men, aged 23 to 35, are residents of Camden, in north London, or Westminster and Willesden, in northwest London, the counter-terrorism agency said Monday.
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The men, who have not been named, were arrested for suspected offenses under the Terrorism Act and the Explosives Act, but authorities have yet to release specific details of the allegations.
Authorities urged the public on Monday to let the investigation take its course and to not jump to conclusions about a motive.
“I am very aware of the levels of speculation about the motivation behind this incident, and the geopolitical questions that are being raised. However, I ask that at this time, Counter Terrorism Policing are given the space to work carefully and clearly,” said Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator of Counter Terrorism Policing.
Police arrested the men Sunday just outside RAF Fairford after receiving calls about suspicious vehicles driving near the base, about a mile from the village of Whelford.
Almost immediately after the arrests, reports began speculating about the possible connection between the incident and the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
RAF Fairford hosts several key U.S. military units, including the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron. The U.S. has also used the base to launch long-range strikes against Iran.
British authorities on Sunday did not suggest any links between Iran and the incident near RAF Fairford.
• Tom Howell contributed to this report.
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