U.S. Officials Say Non to 'Je Suis Charlie' Rallies

[mystery-ak]

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-01-11/us-officials-say-non-to-je-suis-charlie-rallies

U.S. Officials Say Non to 'Je Suis Charlie' Rallies
87 Jan 11, 2015 6:49 PM EST
By Josh Rogin

The lack of senior U.S. government officials at free speech, anti-terrorism rallies in Paris and Washington Sunday left many wondering why President Barack Obama's administration would miss an opportunity to outwardly display solidarity with France, a country it supports in so many other ways, during its time of crisis.

CNN’s Jake Tapper noted that there were no senior U.S. officials at the Paris rally, which stood out due to appearances by dozens of world leaders including Germany’s Angela Merkel, Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, the Palestinian Authority’s Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah. U.S. Ambassador Jane Hartley led the U.S. delegation.

"I don't mean this as a criticism of the Obama administration, but as an American, I do wish that we were better represented in this beautiful procession of world leaders," Tapper said.

According to the White House pool reports, Obama was in Washington Sunday at the White House and Vice President Joe Biden was in Wilmington, Delaware, with no official events on their schedules. (Secretary of State John Kerry is in India.)

A senior administration official told me that the security requirements needed if Obama or Biden were to have attended the Paris rally could have interfered with the event itself, and the White House didn’t want the focus to be on the U.S. rather than on the French. The official noted that Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas were in Paris for related meetings, although neither attended the rally.

But back in Washington, almost no senior administration officials participated in the much smaller rally and march that took place Sunday afternoon only blocks from the White House. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Victoria Nuland was the only official representative.

continued...

[jmyrlefuller]

A senior administration official told me that the security requirements needed if Obama or Biden were to have attended the Paris rally could have interfered with the event itself, and the White House didn’t want the focus to be on the U.S. rather than on the French.

Surrounded by dozens of other world leaders, and he still thinks he draws more attention than anyone else. Just when I think the man's ego can't surprise me any more, I read something like this.

[truth_seeker]

Obama makes one bad decision after another. So this blunder is consistent.

[DCPatriot]

Frankly, I don't think Obama had the stones to walk those blocks arm-in-arm.  He knows he's not admired by many.

That said, watch Bibi Netanyahu's eyes darting around and certainly above.  He was probably expecting anything.

The only ones that looked calm were Merkel and French Prime Minister Valls.

[Oceander]

Obama makes one bad decision after another. So this blunder is consistent.

Indeed.  The complaints about the security requirements, or about overshadowing the French ring as hollow as did Palin's reasons for resigning early as governor.

[mystery-ak]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/12/kerry-announces-planned-paris-trip-says-criticism-for-missing-march-quibbling/

Published January 12, 2015FoxNews.com

Secretary of State John Kerry called criticism that no top U.S. officials attended Sunday's massive march against terrorism in Paris "quibbling" Monday, even as he announced a trip to the French capital later this week for talks on countering Islamist violence.

Kerry announced his plans at a press conference in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, where he had made a long-scheduled appearance at an international investment conference Sunday ahead of President Barack Obama's planned visit to that country later this month.

"I would have personally very much wanted to have been [in Paris]," Kerry said, "but couldn't do so because of the commitment that I had here and it is important to keep these kinds of commitments."

When asked about criticism directed at the Obama administration for not sending a high-ranking official to take part in the march, Kerry said, "I really think that this is sort of quibbling a little bit in the sense that our Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland was there and marched, our ambassador [to France Jane Hartley] was there and marched, many people from the embassy were there and marched."

Nuland, in fact, attended a march in Washington.

Kerry also said at a news conference that U.S. officials, including himself and President Barack Obama, had been "deeply engaged" with French authorities almost immediately after the first attack occurred Wednesday and had offered intelligence assistance.

More than 40 world leaders, along with more than a million ordinary French citizens, marched arm in arm through the streets of Paris Sunday to rally for unity and freedom of expression and to honor the 17 victims killed in three separate terror attacks last week.

Among the world leaders who did march, under heavy security, were French President Francois Hollande, British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Attorney General Eric Holder did not take part, despite being in Paris for meetings on counterterrorism.

 Kerry said he is going to France to reaffirm U.S. solidarity with America's oldest ally. He said as soon as he heard about the march, he asked his team what the earliest time was that he could go.

"That is why I am going there on the way home and to make it crystal clear how passionately we feel about the events that have taken place there," he said. "I don't think he people of France have any doubt about America's understanding about what happened, about our personal sense of loss and our deep commitment to the people of France in this moment of trial."

Kerry will arrive in Paris on Thursday after stops in Sofia, Bulgaria and Geneva, Switzerland. In Geneva, on Wednesday Kerry will he meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif to discuss the status of nuclear negotiations that are to resume the following day.

Kerry will be the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit France since the terrorist attacks on a French newspaper and a kosher supermarket. Authorities say one of those involved in the attacks pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a video. He and two other suspected extremists were killed during police raids.

"I want to emphasize that the relationship with France is not about one day or one particular moment," Kerry said. "It is an ongoing longtime relationship that is deeply, deeply based in the shared values, and particularly the commitment that we share to freedom of expression."

"No single act of terror, no two people with  a AK-47s, no hostage-taking at a grocery store is ever going to prevent those who are committed to the march for freedom to continue to march and to ultimately see all people enjoy their rights, to be able to enjoy the protections that come with that freedom," he added.

[flowers]

Pure bs about the security. You KNOW with Netanyahu at the event security was top notch. I think he didn't go because of Netanyahu. Our regime hates him.

[Fishrrman]

They should have sent Joe Biden.

He's a threat to nobody -- who would bother him?