Obama confers with advisers from Brazil

BRASILIA, Brazil, March 20 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama, on the second day of a visit to Brazil, discussed the Libyan situation with his top advisers via conference call, the White House said.

Conferring with Obama on the morning call were Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, Africa Commander Gen. Carter Ham and Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough.

Ham gave Obama a briefing on the U.S. military attack on Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi's forces, the White House said.

"The president offered his thanks and admiration to General Ham and asked that he communicate that to all of the men and women of the U.S. armed forces who are carrying out this operation," his office said.