Hawaii (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will urge the United States to keep up pressure on its enemies in his first public reaction to the attempt to blow up a plane bound for Detroit, a White House spokesman said on Monday.

He will describe the immediate steps the government has taken to ensure the safety of the travelling public, said White House spokesman Bill Burton.

He believes it is critical we learn from this incident and take the necessary measures to prevent future acts of terrorism, and he will reference the fact that we need to keep up the pressure on those who would attack our country.

The statement is expected in the next hour.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; editing by Chris Wilson)

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