Obama’s briefing delayed by toddler causing White House security alert

A security breach at a White House lawn prompted a brief lockdown of the territory and led to a delay of President Obama’s briefing on Iraq. The intruder the Secret Service confronted was smaller in size than they might have expected.

It was a toddler who sneaked away from his parents: he managed to squeeze through the iron bars of the White House fence and set out on a walk across the lawn.

The little boy was quickly spotted by the US Secret Service, who handed the runaway back to his parents.

The Secret Service appreciated the irony of the situation, as can be seen from their statement provided to White House reporters.

"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 [his] way with [his] parents," Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan said.