Faced with a barrage of criticism over America’s inconspicuous representation at Sunday’s historic march against terrorism in Paris, the White House has admitted its error in not sending a high-ranking official, but at the same time taking the stand that President Barack Obama could not have joined the grand show of unity because of security considerations.
“It’s fair to say we should have sent someone with a higher profile” to represent the United States than its ambassador stationed in Paris, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in what was interpreted by sections of the American media as “a rare admission of a mistake” by the Obama administration.
“Had the circumstances been a little bit different, I think the President himself would have liked to have had the opportunity to be there,” Earnest told reporters, noting that the Paris show “a remarkable display of unity by the French people in the face of these terrible terror attacks”. While many critics have pointed out that security was an issue for other world leaders as well, yet they made it a point to join the march, Earnest said: “The security requirements around a presidential-level visit or even a vice presidential-level visit are onerous and significant. And in a situation like this, they typically have a pretty significant impact on the other citizens who are trying to participate in a large public event like this.”
“We want to send a clear message, even in a symbolic context like this one, that the American people stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies in France. Sending a high-level, higher-profile official to that march would have done that,” Earnest said.
“That said, there is no doubt that the American people and this administration stand foursquare behind our allies in France as they face down this threat. And that was evident throughout last week, when you saw that the President’s top counterterrorism advisor here at the White House was in touch with her French counterpart minutes after the reports of this terror attack first emerged,” Earnest said and spoke of Obama’s telephone talk with President Francois Hollande and pledging all cooperation and assistance in the investigations.