Obama receives more briefings on Boston manhunt
Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama was again briefed Friday by his top national security team as a massive manhunt unfolded for one of the suspected perpetrators in the Boston Marathon bombings.
The briefing concluded shortly after 4 p.m. ET, according to a White House official. He then called Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino "to express his condolences for the MIT police officer who was killed overnight," the official stated.
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"The President said that the entire country is behind the people of Boston as well as Massachusetts, and that the full force of the Federal Government will continue to be made available until those responsible are brought to justice," the official said.
Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, briefed the president Friday afternoon in the Oval Office.
Earlier in the day, Obama met in the Situation Room with more officials, including Monaco, Vice President Joe Biden, Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director Robert Mueller. It began at 9:45 a.m. ET and ended at 10:45 a.m. ET.
Other top officials present included Obama's chief of staff Denis McDonough and National Security Adviser Tom Donilon.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Secretary of State John Kerry, and CIA Director John Brennan participated in the morning briefing by videoconference, the official said.
CNN identified Kerry, along with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Director of National Intellegence James Clapper, entering the White House later Friday, though a White House official said they were attending a previously scheduled meeting of top national security officials that does not include the president.
Obama was briefed overnight by Monaco on the situation unfolding in Boston and Watertown, Massachusetts.
Napolitano, previously scheduled to testify at a Congressional hearing Friday, cancelled her appearance because of the ongoing situation in the Boston area.
Patrick in Wisconsin
Why the hell are the republicans trying to inject their invalid anti-gun control arguments into the Boston bombings? You guys must be desperate...
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They are well past the point of desperation. Insanity has been breached and completely occupied.
@ Patrick and Dominican, why would Republicans be desperate about gun control arguments? The bill is as dead as the victims of this horrible terrorist bombing. May all of them rest in peace.
We pray for those in Boston. Here are facts:
Death with guns: 33,000 per year: Deaths because of terror: 3.
America: Where guns are sacred and life is cheap.
Go GOP!!!
Keep in mind that we have millions of illegals in this country. How many of these illegals are actually terrorists?
Think about it.
Um anyone see a problem with the federal government being involved with the policing a power reserved specifically to the states?
Does anyone think that this could be KGB work? The movie salt comes to mind
Truly newsworthy CNN...
you all forget something, FREEDOM. you arent free when someone tells you you cannt have something because of someone else
It seems people want to argue for arguements sake, on this thread! Obama is getting briefed just as 43 presidents before him! Nothing unusual! The criminals had guns & homemade bombs! We need to know where either came from! Nothing unusual! Law enforcement requires knowledge of the minutiae of this incident, in order to learn from it! It may result in stricter enforcements of laws, overhauling of laws or new laws! If we can lessen violent incidents w/the law, why would we not want to, at least, try! If it doesn't work, it's easy to kick it out! I think it's always better to do something, than nothing & arguing is pretty much doing nothing, unless it eventually leads to a Compromise, from Both Sides!!
MA has some of the toughest gun laws in the country. Right now the citizens of Boston are cowering in their homes as the hunt for the second bomber goes on. They have no choice. They have no guns.
@tykl
Couldn't agree with you more. These photo ops are shameful and nauseating – while our citizens are being attacked – whether it be on our homeland, or at our embassies – didn't seem to care when Benghazi was being attacked – all of a sudden he's in the situation room? Our national security is at risk.
CAPTURED!!! First responders and federal law officials are number one!
Why ???–Is he going to claim some sort of credit in capturing this guy ??
Obama receives more briefings on Boston manhunt – I feel so much better now.........................
Glad our president has been front and center through this whole week.
The many people of Boston gave financial support to a known terrorist group the IRA, Who did exactly the same things as the Boston marathon bombing, like the Warrington bombing where they planted a bomb in a bin in a shopping mall and killed several people including a 5 year old boy. The Guildford pub bombing during the 80's also had similar effect or the London city bombing in 1995, all support by money through the Boston area.
I do not condone killing of any sort, but many American's only suddenly become aware when it affects them.
Karma.
9000 cops running around in circles and a citizen with a cell phone[ not a gun] finds the bad guy