Aides keep Obama briefed on investigation into botched terror plot aboard Detroit-bound flight

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White House keeps Obama briefed on flight terror

HONOLULU — President Barack Obama’s security teams briefed the vacationing president on threats facing the United States and he directed that heightened airport security measures remain in place as officials investigate a failed terror attack aboard a Detroit-bound plane.

White House officials began their Saturday at 4 a.m. in Hawaii — 9 a.m. on the clock in Washington — to prepare with counterparts across the government a briefing for Obama. National Security Council chief of staff Denis McDonough in Hawaii, homeland security and counterterrorism adviser John Brennan and others in Washington spoke with Obama at 6:20 a.m. by secure telephone conference call at the first family’s rented vacation home.

The call lasted less than 15 minutes. Obama left immediately afterward for a trip to the gym.

Other traveling administration aides also were kept in a secure hotel room to receive briefings from investigators, to monitor developments, to feed updates to the president and to coordinate across agencies. Regular updates were sent to the president, who — despite being on holiday — made decisions to continue increased security precautions he put in place after Friday’s incident.

Officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss delicate situation and to describe the president’s private schedule.

On Friday, officials said a man tried to blow up a plane as it prepared to land in Detroit before nearby passengers — who saw a glow and heard what sounded like firecrackers — tackled him. An official said the U.S. had known for at least two years that that the suspect — identified as a Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab — could have had terrorist ties and was on a list that includes people with known or suspected ties to a terrorist organization.

Abdulmutallab claimed to have been instructed by al-Qaida to detonate the plane over U.S. soil, said a U.S. law enforcement official. But others cautioned that such claims could not be verified immediately.

The plane landed in Detroit at 11:53 a.m. EST. Officials said Obama was briefed on the incident — initially thought to be firecrackers — more than two hours later.

Vice President Joe Biden’s office also said his national security staff briefed him on the attempted attack on Christmas Day and he has been kept up-to-date with developments.