Commemoration for Victims of Terror Attack in Paris: US Government Admits Error

– Many heads of state and government travelled to the memorial march in Paris. However, the U.S. did not send any high-ranking representative to attend. Now, it is regretting its inaction.

– In order to show Washington’s solidarity, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is now travelling to the French capital at the end of this week.

– Meanwhile, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has sparked fresh ridicule for his audacity at the event.

A U.S. spokesperson admits: High-ranking politicians should have travelled to Paris.

The U.S. has called it a mistake to have not sent a senior representative to the memorial march for terror victims in Paris. “We should have sent someone of a higher rank,” said President Barack Obama’s spokesman, Josh Earnest, on Monday in Washington.

Under other circumstances, U.S. President Obama would have liked to have come to the event; however, he was unable to make it due to security reasons. Earnest stressed, however, that these actions in no way diminish the support and help that Washington has been giving to Paris since the terrorist attack took place. He emphasized that the U.S. is behind the French and described the memorial march as remarkable.

John Kerry Should Be the Judge

Obama was criticized for his absence from the march in memory of the victims of Islamist attacks in France. However, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder stayed in Paris to hold talks with security representatives and Ambassador Jane Hartley attended the solidarity march as a representative of the USA.

Earnest referred to the comprehensive safety regulations that must be considered during a visit from the U.S. president, and he stressed that the plan for the march in Paris did not begin until late on Friday evening. Now U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry wants to visit Paris on Thursday and Friday to show solidarity.

Approximately 1.5 million people gathered in Paris on Sunday to commemorate the 17 victims. Along with French President Francois Hollande, more than 40 heads of state and government took part in the march, including Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron. Even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas joined in.

Ridicule for Sarkozy

Another political figure made a name for himself by contradicting protocol and appearing at the march: former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. However, it was not his absence but his noticeable presence that caused controversy. He temporarily pushed himself to the front row of the march that was actually reserved for those heads of state and government currently in office. He particularly earned a lot of scorn and derision on the Internet. On the Tumblr blog “Je suis Nico,” photo collections was uploaded showing Sarkozy at different historical events or in well-known film scenes, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the Yalta Conference and even as the Lion King.