Toddler breaches White House security, delays Barack Obama's speech

WASHINGTON: A toddler squeezed through the White House fence, triggering a security lock down and forcing President Barack Obama to delay a major announcement to the nation on Iraq.

The incident occurred yesterday at around 8 pm (local time) when the toddler got away from his parents, squeezed through the fence and entered the heavily protected White House grounds, causing a brief commotion at the 132-room presidential mansion.

President Obama was about to address the nation on Iraq when the briefing was delayed because of the security breach on the North Lawn of the White House. Obama later announced that he has authorised US air strikes in northern Iraq against Islamic militants to protect American military personnel and prevent potential "genocide" of thousands of displaced religious minorities trapped on a mountaintop in northwest Iraq.

Secret Service Spokesman Edwin Donovan made light of the security breach, saying: "We were going to wait until he learned to talk to question him, but in lieu of that he got a timeout and was sent on way with parents."

The toddler was soon handed over to his parents. Secret Service agents regularly close off the area due to suspicious packages or incidents near the White House, but pint-sized intruders are a rare occurrence.