US admits regret over lack of senior representation at Paris rally against terrorism
French President Francois Hollande was joined at the Paris march by 50 world leaders, but no cabinet level official from the US was available in time
The White House acknowledged on Monday it should have sent a senior official to the massive rally against terrorism in Paris, as President Barack Obama came under fire for failing to travel to France.
“We should have sent someone with a higher profile to be there,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Washington was represented at the event by the US ambassador to France, Jane Hartley.
“Our president should have been there, because we must never hesitate to stand with our allies.”
Earnest said Obama would have liked to have gone himself, but suggested that the security requirements and short planning time had prevented it.
“The security requirements around a presidential level visitor or even a vice-president level visitor are onerous and significant,” he said.
“In a situation like this, they have a pretty significant impact on the other citizens who are trying to participate in a large public event like this.”
About 1.5 million people flooded the streets of the French capital on Sunday to memorialise the 17 people killed in attacks in and around Paris that began last week with a massacre at satirical weekly and ended with a hostage stand-off at a kosher grocery.
