WASHINGTON (AP) -- In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon
bombings, President Barack Obama has aimed to be both visible
and cautious in his response, declaring the attack an "act of
terror" while warning the nation against jumping to conclusions.
The president's approach underscores the struggle to piece
together information about what happened Monday at the finish
line of the famous race, as well the White House's lessons
learned from previous terrorist incidents, including last year's
deadly attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.
Obama was criticized by Republicans throughout the final weeks
of the presidential campaign for being reluctant to call the
incident an act of terror and for statements administration
officials made about the attack that were later proved false.
The circumstances surrounding the marathon bombing and the Libya
attack may be different, but many of the considerations for the
White House are the same -- in particular, how quickly should
the president address the na