U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says he is not traveling to France later Thursday to apologize for the Obama administration’s failure to send a senior official to last weekend’s unity march, but rather to give “a big hug to Paris” in the wake of terrorist attacks that have left the city on edge.
Kerry told reporters in the Bulgarian capital that he plans “to share a big hug with Paris and express the affection of the American people for France and for our friends there who have been through a terrible time.”
He said he had no plans to apologize or try to explain the lack of a high-profile U.S. presence at Sunday’s march, which the White House has acknowledged was a mistake. Some 40 world leaders and more than a million people took part in the march to show solidarity with France after the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper and a kosher supermarket.
“I don’t feel any other exigencies, other than continuation of our friendship and our responsibilities as good friends and the longest ally in our history, and that’s why I am going,” Kerry said.
Kerry announced on Monday that he would add a stop in Paris to a previously scheduled trip to Germany, India, Pakistan, Switzerland and Bulgaria. The announcement came as critics derided the administration for not sending the president, vice president or a Cabinet-level official to the demonstration.
(AP)
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5 Responses
I believe the French would prefer that the Obama administration start taking the “War on Terror” seriously. The French have many boots on the ground in West Africa, and are starting to arrest people for advocating the Islamic terror movement’s position (and in a war, expressing support and aiding the enemy is illegal, even in the US).
Hugs are nice. And Kerry is fluent in French. But I don’t think the French really need a modern day surrender monkey telling them what to do.
Filthy liar. He is going to take, not give. He wants respect, and wishes to make a display to mitigate the embarrassment he is suffering for the pro-terror attitude that the Obama administration demonstrated for the entire world. May we merit watching him be replaced by someone with a true sense of morality.
What an idiot. This Dufuss is acting just like DeBlasio is behaving towards his police department. It is clear to the entire world that Obama made a major mistake by not attending, and for the Lurch to talk about “a big hug” is even another slap in the face to not only the French, but to the entire civilized world. Its something you would expect from the senile Joe Biden, not the Secretary of State.
Re comment no. 1: Are you calling John Kerry a “surrender monkey”? How many military service medals have you ever received?
rubbish; the French don’t need to now and certainly don’t want you now a low life speaking for an even lower piece of rubbish; Stay home and play golf with the clown in the white house