Trump blasts 'criminal' leaks by intelligence agencies, calls Flynn 'wonderful'

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a listening session with the Retail Industry Leaders Association and member company CEOs in the Rosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday assailed what he said were illegal and "criminal" leaks from U.S. intelligence agencies in the controversy over contacts with Russian officials that forced his national security adviser Michael Flynn to resign. Speaking at a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump called Flynn a "wonderful man" and added: "I think it's very, very unfair what's happened to General Flynn, the way he was treated, and the documents and papers that were illegally, I stress that, illegally leaked." (Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Howard Goller)