President Obama characterized the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing attacks as “two brothers and a crock pot’’ on Monday in an attempt to explain the power of individual terrorist threats.

Speaking after a meeting with the G20 in Turkey, Obama referenced the Tsarnaev brothers in talking about the Paris terrorist attacks that killed 129 people and injured more than 350 on Friday. He said the marathon bombings show the devastation that can be caused by a small group of dedicated people.

“That was a serious attempt at killing a lot of people by two brothers and a crock pot,’’ he said. “It gives you some sense of the kinds of challenges that can be involved in this going forward.’’


Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev killed three people and injured more than 260 others by setting off two pressure cooker bombs on Boylston Street in April 2013.

In his speech, Obama reiterated his resistance to sending ground troops to attack ISIS in Iraq and Syria. That would put U.S. soldiers’ lives at risk and would, like previous Middle East wars, require a permanent occupation of the country, he said.

“A strategy has to be one that can be sustained,’’ Obama said. “It’s better that we don’t shoot first and aim later.’’

Gallery: Scenes following the Paris terrorist attacks