With Boston In Lockdown, President Obama Meets In Situation Room With Foreign Affairs Advisers

President Obama met with senior aides in the White House Situation Room Friday morning, including not just his domestic security officials but also those charged with international affairs.

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Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

President Barack Obama meets with members of his national security team to discuss developments in the Boston bombings investigation, in the Situation Room of the White House, April 19, 2013. Pictured, from left, are: FBI Director Robert Mueller; Lisa Monaco, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; Attorney General Eric Holder; Deputy National Security Advisor Tony Blinken; and Vice President Joe Biden.

President Obama met with senior aides in the White House Situation Room Friday morning, including not just his domestic security officials but also those charged with international affairs.

Participating in the briefing are Attorney General Eric Holder, FBI Director Robert Mueller, Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco, Deputy National Security Advisor Tony Blinken, Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco, Deputy National Security Advisor For Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes, Deputy Counsel to the President Avril Haines and National Security Advisor to the Vice President Jake Sullivan. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Secretary of State John Kerry, and CIA Director John Brennan joined by video conference.

Officials have still not released any information about a possible motive for the terrorist bombings. But the fact that CIA Director Brennan and Secretary of State John Kerry joined the conversation suggests that an international element to the attacks is, at least, under discussion.

(PHOTOS: Police Manhunt in Watertown)

UPDATE: The meeting ended at 10:45 a.m. Shortly afterwards, at a previously scheduled appearance, Secretary of State Kerry said, “We’ve been in direct confrontation with evil.” He added, “We are going to keep watching and we will await word from the law enforcement officers.”