Obama sympathizes with dad of rescued American

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama says that as a parent, he sympathizes with the father of an American woman rescued this week in a secret raid in Somalia.

Obama spoke with Jessica Buchanan's father, John, on Tuesday night after she was safely rescued. He praised him for staying strong during his daughter's months-long kidnapping and said the ordeal made him think of his own daughters, Malia and Sasha.

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The raid unfolded just before Obama's State of the Union address. Obama says that at the time he spoke, Buchanan had been safely recovered, along with a Danish hostage, but had not yet arrived at an American base in Dijbouti.

Obama says he has not talked with Jessica Buchanan, an aid worker, pictured at left.

Obama spoke in an interview with ABC News.