WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today that the deadly twin bombings at the Boston Marathon finish line amounted to "cruel act of terror" and vowed that those who are responsible will be brought to justice.
Testifying on Capitol Hill, Hagel was the first Obama administration official to refer to terror or terrorism after the bombings Monday killed three and wounded more than 140 people Monday afternoon.
President Barack Obama, in his own brief statement at the White House late Monday, made no mention of terrorists or terrorism as a possible cause of the bombings. A White House official speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still unfolding did say the attack was being treated as an act of terrorism.
Hagel said any event in which explosive devices are used is clearly an act of terror.
"As the president said yesterday, we still do not know who did this or why and a thorough investigation will have to determine whether it was planned and carried by a terrorist group, foreign or domestic," Hagel told the House Appropriations defense subcommittee. "It's important not to jump to conclusions before we have all the facts, but as the White House said last night, 'Any event with multiple explosive devices, as this appears to be, is clearly an act of terror and will be approached as an act of terror.'"