Secret Service admits failure over White House-crashers

Washington : The US Secret Service acknowledged its officers failed to check whether a couple who crashed a presidential dinner and met President Barack Obama and India's prime minister in the receiving line was on the guest list.

The White House late Friday released a photo showing Michaele and Tarek Salahi in the receiving line in the Blue Room with Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in whose honour the dinner was held.

Obama and Michaele Salahi are smiling as she grasps his right hand with both of hers as her husband, Tarek, looks on. Singh is standing to the left of Obama.

The Secret Service earlier this week had said the president was not in danger because the couple — like others at the dinner — had gone through magnetometers. But in light of their close proximity to the president, no such claim was made Friday.

The Salahis were not on the guest list and should have been prohibited from entering last Tuesday's dinner on the White House South Lawn for the prime minister of India, said Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan.

On Friday, Sullivan was apologetic in a written statement, saying the agency that protects the president is "deeply concerned and embarrassed" that procedures were not followed.

"As our investigation continues, appropriate measures have been taken to ensure this is not repeated," Sullivan said.

Secret Service spokesman Jim Mackin said officers at the checkpoint had a clipboard with names of the invited guests.

Even though the Salahis' names weren't on it, they were allowed to proceed. The officers should have called either someone on the White House staff or Secret Service personnel before allowing them past the checkpoint, Mackin said.

Earlier, Mackin said the Secret Service may pursue a criminal investigation of the Salahis.

Findings

Sullivan said: "The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint, verifying that two individuals were on the guest list.

"Although these individuals went through magnetometers and other levels of screening, they should have been prohibited from entering the event entirely. That failing is ours," he said.