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| Obama Speaks in Boston as Inquiry Looks to Men in Video | |
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| BOSTON — President Obama flew to Boston on Thursday and told a service mourning victims of the bombings at the marathon that “the spirit of this city is undaunted, and the spirit of this country shall remain undimmed.” Investigators, meanwhile, continued to focus on video images that they hoped would help them capture whoever was behind the deadly attacks on Monday. | BOSTON — President Obama flew to Boston on Thursday and told a service mourning victims of the bombings at the marathon that “the spirit of this city is undaunted, and the spirit of this country shall remain undimmed.” Investigators, meanwhile, continued to focus on video images that they hoped would help them capture whoever was behind the deadly attacks on Monday. |
| “Every one of us has been touched by this attack on your beloved city, every one of us stands with you,” Mr. Obama said in emotional remarks at an interfaith service in Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross, where he mourned those who died, spoke in often personal terms about the city of Boston and ended with a rousing look forward to next year’s Boston Marathon. | “Every one of us has been touched by this attack on your beloved city, every one of us stands with you,” Mr. Obama said in emotional remarks at an interfaith service in Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross, where he mourned those who died, spoke in often personal terms about the city of Boston and ended with a rousing look forward to next year’s Boston Marathon. |
| As the president sought to console a shaken Boston, and a shaken nation, investigators continued to try to find out who was behind the attacks. Investigators have found clear video images of two potential suspects carrying black bags, one at the site of each explosion, a person briefed on the investigation said. The men appeared to capture the interest of law-enforcement officials because of their bags: crime scene investigators recovered portions of a shredded black backpack that they believe carried explosives, the person said, and they were able to determine the brand and model of the bag. The backpack carried by at least one of the men seen in the videos appeared to be similar, the person said. | As the president sought to console a shaken Boston, and a shaken nation, investigators continued to try to find out who was behind the attacks. Investigators have found clear video images of two potential suspects carrying black bags, one at the site of each explosion, a person briefed on the investigation said. The men appeared to capture the interest of law-enforcement officials because of their bags: crime scene investigators recovered portions of a shredded black backpack that they believe carried explosives, the person said, and they were able to determine the brand and model of the bag. The backpack carried by at least one of the men seen in the videos appeared to be similar, the person said. |
| As the president left Boston on Thursday afternoon, the F.B.I. announced that it would hold a news conference at 5 p.m. with Richard DesLauriers, the special agent in charge of the bureau’s Boston Field Office, and other law-enforcement officials. (On Wednesday, officials had scheduled a news conference as well, but it was postponed and then canceled.) | |
| In Washington, Janet Napolitano, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, addressed the attacks, telling a Congressional committee that the authorities are seeking to speak with “individuals” spotted in video footage. | In Washington, Janet Napolitano, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, addressed the attacks, telling a Congressional committee that the authorities are seeking to speak with “individuals” spotted in video footage. |
| “We have been collecting video from a variety of sources, as you might imagine, at the finish line of the Boston Marathon,” she said. “There’s lots and lots of video. There is some video that has raised the question of those that the F.B.I. would like to speak with. I wouldn’t characterize them as suspects under the technical term. But we need the public’s help in locating these individuals.” | “We have been collecting video from a variety of sources, as you might imagine, at the finish line of the Boston Marathon,” she said. “There’s lots and lots of video. There is some video that has raised the question of those that the F.B.I. would like to speak with. I wouldn’t characterize them as suspects under the technical term. But we need the public’s help in locating these individuals.” |
| The interfaith service that Mr. Obama spoke at, “Healing Our City,” brought together Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious leaders, as well as prominent state and local leaders. Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and Mr. Obama’s rival in last year’s presidential election, was among the dignitaries as the service. | The interfaith service that Mr. Obama spoke at, “Healing Our City,” brought together Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious leaders, as well as prominent state and local leaders. Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and Mr. Obama’s rival in last year’s presidential election, was among the dignitaries as the service. |
| Boston’s long-serving mayor, Thomas M. Menino, who recently announced that he would not seek a sixth term, got out of the wheelchair he has been using because of a broken leg and stood at the lectern to proclaim, “We are one Boston,” adding that he had never loved the city’s people more. And Gov. Deval L. Patrick of Massachusetts said that “we will have accountability without vengeance, vigilance without fear.” | Boston’s long-serving mayor, Thomas M. Menino, who recently announced that he would not seek a sixth term, got out of the wheelchair he has been using because of a broken leg and stood at the lectern to proclaim, “We are one Boston,” adding that he had never loved the city’s people more. And Gov. Deval L. Patrick of Massachusetts said that “we will have accountability without vengeance, vigilance without fear.” |
| Consoling a shaken public has become one of the jobs of American presidents in recent years, from the eulogy President Bill Clinton delivered at the Oklahoma City State Fair Arena after the deadly bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building there in 1995 to President George W. Bush’s trip to see the rescue workers at the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center a few days after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to the eulogies that President Obama has delivered after mass shootings in Tucson and, just months ago, Newtown, Conn. | Consoling a shaken public has become one of the jobs of American presidents in recent years, from the eulogy President Bill Clinton delivered at the Oklahoma City State Fair Arena after the deadly bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building there in 1995 to President George W. Bush’s trip to see the rescue workers at the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center a few days after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to the eulogies that President Obama has delivered after mass shootings in Tucson and, just months ago, Newtown, Conn. |
| At a Senate hearing Thursday morning, the nation’s top intelligence official, James R. Clapper Jr., echoed President Obama’s comments earlier this week that the authorities still do not know whether the attack was a foreign or domestic plot, carried out by one or more individuals or a group. | At a Senate hearing Thursday morning, the nation’s top intelligence official, James R. Clapper Jr., echoed President Obama’s comments earlier this week that the authorities still do not know whether the attack was a foreign or domestic plot, carried out by one or more individuals or a group. |
| In a brief interview after the hearing, Mr. Clapper, the director of national intelligence, said all of the nation’s 16 intelligence agencies are supporting the F.B.I.-led investigation, with personnel as well as analytical and technical know-how. “We will bring all the resources that they need,” said Mr. Clapper, who declined to provide details. | In a brief interview after the hearing, Mr. Clapper, the director of national intelligence, said all of the nation’s 16 intelligence agencies are supporting the F.B.I.-led investigation, with personnel as well as analytical and technical know-how. “We will bring all the resources that they need,” said Mr. Clapper, who declined to provide details. |
| Law-enforcement officials said that they had not yet decided whether the authorities will release the video images of the two men and appeal to the public for help, but the person briefed on the investigation said that it was “more likely than not” that they would. Doing so would have advantages and drawbacks. While it could help investigators locate them, it could also alert them that they are being sought — and potentially lead to hundreds of false sightings that could eat up the time of law-enforcement officers. | Law-enforcement officials said that they had not yet decided whether the authorities will release the video images of the two men and appeal to the public for help, but the person briefed on the investigation said that it was “more likely than not” that they would. Doing so would have advantages and drawbacks. While it could help investigators locate them, it could also alert them that they are being sought — and potentially lead to hundreds of false sightings that could eat up the time of law-enforcement officers. |
| Mr. Obama spoke in personal terms about the victims of the bombing and offered prayers for their families. Krystle Campbell, 29, of Medford, Mass., was “always smiling,” he said, noting that her parents were at the service. He said that his prayers were with the family of Lu Lingzi, 23, in China, who had sent her to graduate school at Boston University “so that she could experience all that this city has to offer.” And he spoke about what he called the heartbreaking death Martin Richard, 8, of Dorchester, who was killed in the blast, which also wounded his mother and sister. | Mr. Obama spoke in personal terms about the victims of the bombing and offered prayers for their families. Krystle Campbell, 29, of Medford, Mass., was “always smiling,” he said, noting that her parents were at the service. He said that his prayers were with the family of Lu Lingzi, 23, in China, who had sent her to graduate school at Boston University “so that she could experience all that this city has to offer.” And he spoke about what he called the heartbreaking death Martin Richard, 8, of Dorchester, who was killed in the blast, which also wounded his mother and sister. |
| “His last hours were as perfect as an 8-year-old boy could hope for: with his family, eating ice cream at a sporting event,’’ the president said. | “His last hours were as perfect as an 8-year-old boy could hope for: with his family, eating ice cream at a sporting event,’’ the president said. |
| If investigators in Boston can find a facial image of sufficient quality from the videos, it could provide a powerful lead. The F.B.I. has been working for several years to create a facial recognition program, and the video of a suspect or suspects could be matched against the bureau’s database of mug shots of about 12 million people who have been arrested, officials said. | If investigators in Boston can find a facial image of sufficient quality from the videos, it could provide a powerful lead. The F.B.I. has been working for several years to create a facial recognition program, and the video of a suspect or suspects could be matched against the bureau’s database of mug shots of about 12 million people who have been arrested, officials said. |
| If there is no match, investigators can hunt for the suspects’ images in the voluminous videos and photographs from the bombing site that were submitted by members of the public in response to an F.B.I. appeal. That is still a technically difficult task, because the software is most accurate with head-on facial images and can be thrown off even by a smile, specialists said on Wednesday. | If there is no match, investigators can hunt for the suspects’ images in the voluminous videos and photographs from the bombing site that were submitted by members of the public in response to an F.B.I. appeal. That is still a technically difficult task, because the software is most accurate with head-on facial images and can be thrown off even by a smile, specialists said on Wednesday. |
| Still, “it’s vastly superior to just watching the video,” said Al Shipp, chief executive of 3VR Inc., a company that sells video analytics software. “You can sort through years of video in seconds. That’s the game changer.” | Still, “it’s vastly superior to just watching the video,” said Al Shipp, chief executive of 3VR Inc., a company that sells video analytics software. “You can sort through years of video in seconds. That’s the game changer.” |
| By piecing together more images of suspects and their movements, the F.B.I. might be able to come up with a name. Even without a name, Mr. Shipp said, investigators could program multiple cameras at airports and elsewhere with the suspects’ images so the cameras would send an alert to them if someone resembling a suspect passed by. | By piecing together more images of suspects and their movements, the F.B.I. might be able to come up with a name. Even without a name, Mr. Shipp said, investigators could program multiple cameras at airports and elsewhere with the suspects’ images so the cameras would send an alert to them if someone resembling a suspect passed by. |
| While investigators have focused on the images of the possible suspect, they are continuing to pursue a broad range of other avenues, one law enforcement official said. | While investigators have focused on the images of the possible suspect, they are continuing to pursue a broad range of other avenues, one law enforcement official said. |
| “We try not to get tunnel vision about it,” the official said, adding, “we’re working a lot of other possibilities.” | “We try not to get tunnel vision about it,” the official said, adding, “we’re working a lot of other possibilities.” |
Katharine Q. Seelye reported from Boston, and Michael Cooper from New York. Reporting was contributed by John Eligon, Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Jess Bidgood from Boston; William K. Rashbaum from New York; and Scott Shane, Michael S. Schmidt and Eric Schmitt from Washington. | Katharine Q. Seelye reported from Boston, and Michael Cooper from New York. Reporting was contributed by John Eligon, Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Jess Bidgood from Boston; William K. Rashbaum from New York; and Scott Shane, Michael S. Schmidt and Eric Schmitt from Washington. |