U.S. Criticized For Absence At Paris Unity March

Rebecca Bellecci Monday, January 12, 2015

A man holds a giant pencil as he takes part in a Hundreds of thousands of French citizens solidarity march (Marche Republicaine) in the streets of Paris January 11, 2015. | (Photo: Reuters/Stephane Mahe)

The international community is criticizing the White House and the Obama administration for missing a march in France that was meant to show unity following the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack last week.

The Obama administration was criticized via social media for failing to send a top diplomatic official to walk in the Paris unity rally that was attended by several top leaders from other countries, including Great Britain, Germany and Israel.

Although U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was in Paris to attend an anti-terrorism summit with French President Francois Hollande, he missed the rally and instead sent U.S. Ambassador to France Jane Hartley.

Other prominent world leaders, including French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, attended Sunday's unity march.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in India on a previous engagement on Sunday, called criticism for not attending the unity rally "quibbling," pointing to the numerous ways in which the U.S. has supported France since the terrorist attack last Wednesday.

"We have offered, from the first moment, our intel, our law enforcement and all of our efforts, and I really think that, you know, this is sort of quibbling a little bit," Kerry told NBC News.

A senior White House official added to CNN that the U.S. has offered its support to France in numerous ways.

"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," the senior administration official told CNN.

"As far as public signs of French solidarity from the U.S. — don't forget several public statements from the president, his call to Hollande and a condolence stop to the French embassy," the official added.