Obama vows to bring attackers to justice
U. S. president not assigning blame, but others label attack as terrorism
We still do not know who did this or why, and people shouldn’t jump to conclusions before we have all the facts.
BARACK OBAMA
U. S. PRESIDENT
WASHINGTON — U. S. President Barack Obama said the full resources of the federal government are being mobilized to investigate the deadly explosions Monday in Boston and he vowed those responsible will be brought to justice.
“We still do not know who did this or why, and people shouldn’t jump to conclusions before we have all the facts,” Obama said at the White House.
“Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.”
He said security will be increased across the country “as necessary.”
While Obama didn’t use the word terrorism to describe the attack, an administration official, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly, said the bombings are being investigated as an act of terror.
The president was notified of the incident today at about 3 p. m., 10 minutes after the twin blasts that killed at least three people, including an eight- yearold boy, and injured scores of others near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
He was briefed on the investigation by FBI Director Robert Mueller and Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano, according to a White House statement.
Obama also called Boston Mayor Tom Menino and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and he directed federal agencies to help local authorities in the investigation.
“We don’t yet have all the answers,” Obama said. “As we get more information, our team will provide more briefings.”
Senator Dianne Feinstein, the head of the Intelligence Committee, said there were no warnings.
“There is no intelligence to the best of my knowledge that would point out there was an attack on the way,” Feinstein, a California Democrat, told reporters.
There weren’t “any hallmarks” to the attack “other than the fact it could be homegrown,” she said.
She said her committee has been in touch with U. S. intelligence agencies since the bombing, and that while she considers it a terrorist strike, she couldn’t say whether it was foreign or domestic.
Terrorism is defined in the U. S. Code of Federal Regulations as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.”
House intelligence chairman Mike Rogers declined to say what information intelligence agencies have given him about the Boston bombings, including whether the attacks were coordinated.
Rogers, a Michigan Republican, said the push for details in the first 12 hours following an attack, “especially like this one,” leads to inaccuracies being spread, “so we’re all keeping our powder dry until we know all the facts.”
Feinstein said the Boston Marathon was a “diabolical” place to strike.
“We’ve known for sometime that a public event where there a lot of people are subject to this possibility,” she said.
Vice- president Joe Biden was in the middle of a conference call on gun violence when he learned of the incident.
“As I’m speaking here they just turned on the TV in my office,” Biden said. “I don’t know any of the details of what caused it, who did it, but our prayers are with the people in Boston who have suffered injury.”
Outside the White House, police restricted pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk and street immediately along the fence surrounding the executive mansion.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have expanded our security perimeter at the White House complex,” said Edwin Donovan, deputy assistant director at the U. S. Secret Service.