Obama: "First Priority" Is Determining If Americans Were On Crashed Plane

BuzzFeed - “The United States will offer any assistance we can to help determine what happened and why, and as a country, our thoughts and prayers are with all of the families of the passengers wherever they call home.” View Video › Hours after the crash of a Malaysian airliner in Ukraine, President Obama said the "first priority" for the United States will be determining whether American passengers were aboard. The flight, downed near the Ukraine-Russia border, carried 280 passengers and 15 crew members. The president was speaking in Delaware when he made the comments. "Obviously the world is watching reports of a downed passenger jet near the Russia-Ukraine border," Obama said. "And it looks like it may be a terrible tragedy. Right now, we are working to determine whether there were American citizens onboard. That is our first priority, and I have directed my national security team to stay in close contact with the Ukrainian government. The United States will offer any assi