World leaders walk in 'unity rally' in France 01:17
Washington (CNN)The heads of England, Germany and Israel were there.
But President Barack Obama didn't attend a unity march in Paris on Sunday, days after the deadly attack on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Nor did his secretary of state, John Kerry, who has deep ties to France.
Holder: Not yet sure which group is behind Paris attack
Kerry was in India, attending an entrepreneurship summit with new Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- with whom the United States is hoping to develop much closer trade ties.
Instead, the United States was represented by U.S. Ambassador to France Jane Hartley.
"Attorney General Holder -- a Cabinet level official -- is representing the United States at the security meetings in Paris today. He is joined by the DHS Deputy Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas. The United States is represented at the march by Ambassador Hartley," a senior Obama administration official said.
Hundreds of thousands of people attended the march in Paris on Sunday, waving both French flags and those of other nations.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were among those who attended, along with religious leaders.
Obama commented on the Paris attacks Friday in Tennessee, saying he wants the people of France to know the United States "stands with you today, stands with you tomorrow."
The White House also announced Sunday that it will host a Feb. 18 summit aimed at countering violent extremism.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that event will "highlight domestic and international efforts to prevent violent extremists and their supporters from radicalizing, recruiting or inspiring individuals or groups in the United States and abroad to commit acts of violence, efforts made even more imperative in light of recent, tragic attacks in Ottawa, Sydney and Paris."
He said the summit will include presentations, panel discussions and small group meetings, focused on the local, state and federal government levels.
CNN's Jim Sciutto contributed to this report
Washington (CNN)The heads of England, Germany and Israel were there.
But President Barack Obama didn't attend a unity march in Paris on Sunday, days after the deadly attack on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Nor did his secretary of state, John Kerry, who has deep ties to France.
Holder: Not yet sure which group is behind Paris attack
Kerry was in India, attending an entrepreneurship summit with new Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- with whom the United States is hoping to develop much closer trade ties.
Instead, the United States was represented by U.S. Ambassador to France Jane Hartley.
"Attorney General Holder -- a Cabinet level official -- is representing the United States at the security meetings in Paris today. He is joined by the DHS Deputy Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas. The United States is represented at the march by Ambassador Hartley," a senior Obama administration official said.
Hundreds of thousands of people attended the march in Paris on Sunday, waving both French flags and those of other nations.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were among those who attended, along with religious leaders.
Obama commented on the Paris attacks Friday in Tennessee, saying he wants the people of France to know the United States "stands with you today, stands with you tomorrow."
The White House also announced Sunday that it will host a Feb. 18 summit aimed at countering violent extremism.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that event will "highlight domestic and international efforts to prevent violent extremists and their supporters from radicalizing, recruiting or inspiring individuals or groups in the United States and abroad to commit acts of violence, efforts made even more imperative in light of recent, tragic attacks in Ottawa, Sydney and Paris."
He said the summit will include presentations, panel discussions and small group meetings, focused on the local, state and federal government levels.
CNN's Jim Sciutto contributed to this report
Turns out it isn't just the right who is blasting the Stuttering Clusterfuck for this.
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/201...ast-obamas-snub-of-jesuischarlie-paris-march/
[h=1]Liberal Reporters BLAST Obama For Snubbing French at Their #JeSuisCharlie Freedom March[/h]
Click on the link if you want specific examples.
You really need to turn off the auto-response of "People are just looking to bash him for any reason" and start thinking about the substance of what they're saying.
Is this some seismic event that will change the course of history? No. It's just crappy behavior on the part of someone who is supposed to be our leader Next time we need the Frogs to help us with God knows what, maybe they'll remember this...
Sorry boys but this really shouldn't be a liberal or conservative issue. It's a grown-ups issue. Clearly western civilization as we know it is being threatened by Islamic terrorism. The groundswell is growing by the year. Today was a gathering of people to say that they have had enough. People were there representing all countries who believe in freedom. Big people. They marched down that road arm in arm to show a singleness of purpose against the Islamic terrorists. We should have been there marching with them. I am sure that amongst the world leaders who were there that the lack of a significant US presence was noted and discussed. This is an extremely important issue facing all free societies. The adults in those societies recognize this. That's why they traveled from around the free world to lock arms today. It is absolutely embarrassing that the US was not marching in lockstep with them. Absolutely embarrassing.
Ok, Guesser...so you don't think it's a big deal that the Stuttering Clusterfuck couldn't be bothered to attend this rally today. Fair enough.
Tell me why he still has yet to specifically condemn -- or even comment on -- the attacks in Paris. Surely he can find a few minutes in his day to at least pretend to care? Dims love to bash GW for not doing anything within seven minutes of the planes hitting the WTC on 9-11. Why are there no cries after what, five days since the Paris attacks?
Tell me why he still has yet to specifically condemn -- or even comment on -- the attacks in Paris. Surely he can find a few minutes in his day to at least pretend to care? Dims love to bash GW for not doing anything within seven minutes of the planes hitting the WTC on 9-11. Why are there no cries after what, five days since the Paris attacks?
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/obama-spokesman-us-stands-french-time-suffering-28052401
"The fact that this was an attack on journalists, attack on our free press, also underscores the degree to which these terrorists fear freedom of speech and freedom of the press," Obama said
"But the one thing that I'm very confident about is that the values that we share with the French people, a belief a universal belief in the freedom of expression, is something that can't be silenced because of the senseless violence of the few," he added.
Obama later telephoned French President Francois Hollande from Air Force One en route to Detroit for a speech. Obama offered his condolences and expressed solidarity with Hollande and the people of France, the White House said in a statement. Obama also offered help from the United States as France tries to bring the perpetrators of the attack, and any possible accomplices, to justice.Hollande thanked Obama for his support and updated the president on steps to care for victims and arrest those responsible, the White House said
Obama called France one of America's strongest allies in dealing with terrorists and said they had been with the U.S. "every moment" since the Sept. 11 attacks.
"For us to see the kind of cowardly evil attacks that took place today I think reinforces once again why it's so important for us to stand in solidarity with them, just as they stand in solidarity with us," Obama said.
Obama said he would be talking with Kerry about protecting Americans living across the globe. Later, Obama counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco told MSNBC that there's no evidence of any threat to U.S. personnel in Paris.
Kerry, who has visited Paris more than any other foreign city as America's top diplomat, spoke earlier from the State Department in both English and French to offer America's support.
"I would like to say directly to the people of Paris and of all of France that each and every American stands with you today not just in horror or in anger or in outrage at this vicious act of violence but we stand with you in solidarity and in commitment both to the cause of confronting extremism and in the cause which the extremists fear so much," Kerry said
"The fact that this was an attack on journalists, attack on our free press, also underscores the degree to which these terrorists fear freedom of speech and freedom of the press," Obama said
"But the one thing that I'm very confident about is that the values that we share with the French people, a belief a universal belief in the freedom of expression, is something that can't be silenced because of the senseless violence of the few," he added.
Obama later telephoned French President Francois Hollande from Air Force One en route to Detroit for a speech. Obama offered his condolences and expressed solidarity with Hollande and the people of France, the White House said in a statement. Obama also offered help from the United States as France tries to bring the perpetrators of the attack, and any possible accomplices, to justice.Hollande thanked Obama for his support and updated the president on steps to care for victims and arrest those responsible, the White House said
Obama called France one of America's strongest allies in dealing with terrorists and said they had been with the U.S. "every moment" since the Sept. 11 attacks.
"For us to see the kind of cowardly evil attacks that took place today I think reinforces once again why it's so important for us to stand in solidarity with them, just as they stand in solidarity with us," Obama said.
Obama said he would be talking with Kerry about protecting Americans living across the globe. Later, Obama counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco told MSNBC that there's no evidence of any threat to U.S. personnel in Paris.
Kerry, who has visited Paris more than any other foreign city as America's top diplomat, spoke earlier from the State Department in both English and French to offer America's support.
"I would like to say directly to the people of Paris and of all of France that each and every American stands with you today not just in horror or in anger or in outrage at this vicious act of violence but we stand with you in solidarity and in commitment both to the cause of confronting extremism and in the cause which the extremists fear so much," Kerry said
