A White House spokesman issued a short statement saying the administration had been in contact
with state and local authorities and offered its support.Vice-President Joe Biden was on a conference call with gun control activists when his staffers turned on televisions in his office to view coverage of the horrific explosions.He later released a statement saying: “Our prayers are with people in Boston who have suffered injuries. I don’t know how many there are.”Metro Transit Police officials said officers there were being kept on duty until further notice as the emergency was assessed and that they would provide additional patrols through the evening rush hour.The Prudential Centre – a 52-floor skyscraper in Boston – was also evacuated.Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, who was at the marathon finish line hours before the explosion, rushed back to his control room to help after the disaster.He released a statement saying: “This is a horrific day in Boston. My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured."I have been in touch with the President, Mayor Menino and our public safety leaders.“I am asking everyone to stay away from Copley Square and let the first responders do their jobs.”Last night senior Labour figures in the UK took to Twitter to lend their support to the States.Labour leader Ed Miliband wrote: “Appalling news from Boston. All of my thoughts are with the casualties and their families.”And Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, who is running in the London Marathon on Sunday, posted: “Awful and tragic news from Boston. Nothing more uplifting to the spirit than a cheering marathon crowd – terrible to see this happen.”But last night the head of an extremist Jordanian Muslim Salafi group said he was “happy to see the horror in America” after the explosions in the US east coast city.“American blood isn’t more precious than Muslim blood,” said Mohammad al-Chalabi, who was convicted in an al-Qaeda-linked plot to attack US and other Western diplomatic missions in Jordan in 2003.“Let the Americans feel the pain we endured by their armies occupying Iraq and Afghanistan and killing our people there,” he added.A Middle East counter-terrorism official based in Jordan said the blasts “carry the hallmark of an organized terrorist group, like al-Qaeda.”Al-Qaeda was quick to claim credit for 9/11 and the 7/7 London attacks but that had not happened last night.A Jordanian official said security was beefed up around the US Embassy in Amman.
with state and local authorities and offered its support.Vice-President Joe Biden was on a conference call with gun control activists when his staffers turned on televisions in his office to view coverage of the horrific explosions.He later released a statement saying: “Our prayers are with people in Boston who have suffered injuries. I don’t know how many there are.”Metro Transit Police officials said officers there were being kept on duty until further notice as the emergency was assessed and that they would provide additional patrols through the evening rush hour.The Prudential Centre – a 52-floor skyscraper in Boston – was also evacuated.Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, who was at the marathon finish line hours before the explosion, rushed back to his control room to help after the disaster.He released a statement saying: “This is a horrific day in Boston. My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured."I have been in touch with the President, Mayor Menino and our public safety leaders.“I am asking everyone to stay away from Copley Square and let the first responders do their jobs.”Last night senior Labour figures in the UK took to Twitter to lend their support to the States.Labour leader Ed Miliband wrote: “Appalling news from Boston. All of my thoughts are with the casualties and their families.”And Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, who is running in the London Marathon on Sunday, posted: “Awful and tragic news from Boston. Nothing more uplifting to the spirit than a cheering marathon crowd – terrible to see this happen.”But last night the head of an extremist Jordanian Muslim Salafi group said he was “happy to see the horror in America” after the explosions in the US east coast city.“American blood isn’t more precious than Muslim blood,” said Mohammad al-Chalabi, who was convicted in an al-Qaeda-linked plot to attack US and other Western diplomatic missions in Jordan in 2003.“Let the Americans feel the pain we endured by their armies occupying Iraq and Afghanistan and killing our people there,” he added.A Middle East counter-terrorism official based in Jordan said the blasts “carry the hallmark of an organized terrorist group, like al-Qaeda.”Al-Qaeda was quick to claim credit for 9/11 and the 7/7 London attacks but that had not happened last night.A Jordanian official said security was beefed up around the US Embassy in Amman.