President Obama interrupted his O'ahu vacation today to make his first statement about the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a Northwest Airline flight and to rush off the golf course when the son of one of his friends suffered a slight injury on the beach in Kailua. 
 
 "The first family is fine," said Bill Burton, deputy White House press secretary. "... Eric and Cheryl Whitaker's son was examined and released from the hospital. He is home playing with his friends and just fine." 
 
 Obama had gone to Luana Hills Country Club around 10:40 a.m. following a game of tennis at the Kailua Racquet Club with the first lady — and after his statement at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. 
 
 At the golf course, according to Darren Sumimoto, the club's general manager, "All of a sudden they just came and left. We didn't see anything." 
 
 An administration official told pool reporters that the boy suffered a "run-of-the-mill beach injury" that initially was thought to need stitches. Obama left the golf course immediately to make sure the boy was with his parents and returned to his vacation home "in a very high speed and dramatic motorcade," according to a media pool report. 
 
 After it was determined that the injury was minor, the president returned to the golf course, where he golfed until sundown and did not get a full 18 holes in. The golfing party consisted of several groups and included, among others, Marty Nesbitt, Reggie Love and Ben Finkenbinder. 
 
 Obama was back at the Kailua house at 6 p.m. 
 
 Sources told The Advertiser that the child was treated at the vacation compound and was not transported to The Queen's Medical Center, although Secret Service agents were stationed at Queen's. At least six Secret Service agents and five security guards from Queen's kept media at a distance from Hawaii's major trauma center. 
 
 Obama's fifth day of his annual O'ahu Christmas vacation began with his usual early morning workout at Marine Corps Base Hawai'i's "Semper Fit" gym, followed by a tennis workout with his wife that was barred to the media. 
 
 The president then made his first public remarks since arriving in Hawai'i during a 7-minute press conference at the Marine Corps base's Kane'ohe Klipper Golf Course clubhouse at 10:03 a.m. 
 
 Obama discussed the bombing attempt of the Detroit-bound jet and the government crackdown of protestors in Iran at the Marine Corps Base Hawai'i clubhouse meeting room. 
 
 Before Obama spoke, an aide carefully affixed the presidential seal to a podium backed by the U.S. and presidential flags and temporarily-erected deep blue drapes. 
 
 The motorcade pulled up at 9:59 a.m. and Obama said, "Hey guys. Good morning everybody." 
 
 Wearing a Navy suit and white shirt without a tie, Obama spoke of the steps taken following the bombing attempt. 
 
 Obama also condemned government opposition to protestors in Iran that resulted in at least 15 deaths. 
 
 "The United States joins with the international community in strongly condemning the violent and unjust suppression of innocent Iranian citizens, which has apparently resulted in detentions, injuries and even death," he said. 
 
 Obama, who was accompanied by at least six unidentified people who were not part of his staff, did not take any questions. 
 
 For increasing numbers of Marines at Kane'ohe Bay, Obama's workouts and appearances on base have provided a brush with both the president of the United States and their commander in chief. 
 
 Pfc. Jeffrey Scarmazzi, 22, from Jessup, Md., videotaped Obama's appearance for the base's "combat camera" unit. It was Scarmazzi's first presidential press conference. 
 
 "It was nice being on the inside," Scarmazzi said. The setup for the press conference "ran smooth until they let the press pool in — photographers were springing and hopping all over the place." 
 
 Scarmazzi was taken with Obama's initial greeting to the press. 
 
 "Kind of unexpected informality on his part," Scarmazzi said. 
 
 Lance Cpl. Colby Brown, 20, from Redmond, Ore., got to meet the president in the Anderson Hall chow hall on Christmas Day. 
 
 "I shook his hand," Brown said. "He asked me how I was doing and then he asked me if I was having a good Christmas, and if I had called my Mom and Dad." 
 
 Brown said Obama greeted everyone seated at the chow hall on Christmas — at least 75 Marines, sailors, soldiers and family members. 
 
 "I think it's pretty cool," Brown said. "It's not every day you get to meet your commander in chief. He seemed pretty nice. Seemed like he actually cared." ||||| President Obama was unexpectedly taken away from a golf course in Hawaii on Monday and returned to the beachfront compound where he has been staying because the son of one of his friends had been hurt. 
 
 A White House spokesman, Bill Burton, said that the president and his family were unhurt. 
 
 An official said the person whose son was injured was Dr. Eric Whitaker, who along with other friends of Mr. Obama has been staying in a three-house compound rented in the Kailua area outside Honolulu. 
 
 Mr. Obama, Dr. Whitaker and others had been golfing at the Luana Hills Country Club for about an hour when they suddenly jumped into the presidential motorcade and made a dramatic, high-speed departure. The unexpected move triggered concerns about whether the president was injured, particularly after an ambulance with flashing lights sped to the compound. The White House at first did not explain the incident out of concern for the privacy of the Whitakers, but later sent Mr. Burton to tell reporters the first family was uninjured. 
 
 The ambulance left after about 15 minutes at the compound, followed by a black sedan. Mr. Obama returned via motorcade to the golf course. An administration official said no stitches were needed.
– President Obama interrupted a round of golf this afternoon, raising concerns because an ambulance was seen at the home where he is vacationing, but all is well with the first family, the Honolulu Advertiser reports. A child vacationing with the Obamas suffered a "run-of-the-mill beach injury," according to a White House spokesman who declined to name the boy. He is a son of Eric Whitaker, who was golfing with the president, the New York Times reports. A motorcade sped away from the Luana Hills Country Club, where Obama had gone to play after speaking about Friday's attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253, and reporters were told the situation involved neither national security nor Obama's safety. "Nobody saw him playing," said the country club's GM. "All of a sudden they just came and left." The president later returned to the course.