White House admits Paris rally mistake after criticism from US media

#CharlieHebdo #ParisRally #BarackObama #JohnKerry #White House What prompted the US to stay away from the Paris rally is a mystery but, White House has, reportedly, admitted that it was a grave mistake of not sending "someone with a higher profile" to Sunday's Paris unity rally. The US ambassador to France was the highest ranking US official attending.
The admission has come after US media criticized President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry for not attending the rally which followed three terror attacks in Paris – the rally was attended by an estimated 1.6 million people and some 40 world leaders.
White House has explained that President Obama wished he could have attended, however, the extent of security preparation involved for a presidential visit required in excess of the 36-hour advance notice the White House received. Seventeen people lost their lives in attacks in Paris last week at the office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has indicated to reporters in India that he would visit France to reaffirm US solidarity with the country, which he called America's oldest ally. Incidentally, he is fluent in French and had visited the country 17 times since becoming secretary of state.
He would probably arrive in Paris later this week after his trips to India and Pakistan. In the meantime, the White House has announced there would be an international summit in Washington in February on countering violent extremism.