The United States praised on Friday Britain's success for thwarting a car bomb in central London that could have caused "significant injury or loss of life" had it detonated.

"We commend the British security services and local officials for their action today," national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe told reporters.

Johndroe said President George W. Bush had been briefed on the incident in London by National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley in Maine, where he is at his family's home to meet Sunday and Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

London's Metropolitan Police Friday defused a bomb in downtown London, which was powerful enough to kill hundreds of people, British police said.

U.S. officials said they have "no specific, credible information suggesting that this incident is connected to a threat to the United States.

Source: Xinhua