Obama slammed for giving Paris march a miss; France deploys troops at Jewish sites

Washington/Paris: The absence of President Barack Obama or any top members of his administration from a huge march in Paris on Sunday to honour victims of Islamist militant attacks raised eyebrows among some in the US media. French President Francois Hollande and some 44 foreign dignitaries, including leaders from Germany, Italy, Britain, Turkey, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, headed more than a million people in what commentators said was the largest crowd in Paris since its liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944. Islamist militants killed 17 people, including journalists and police, in three days of attacks in the French capital last week. The United States was represented at Sunday’s march by its ambassador to France, Jane Hartley. But commentators on some US media outlets questioned why Obama did not attend or send a top administration official such as Vice-President Joe Biden or secretary of state John Kerry. [caption id=“attachment_2042509” align=“alignleft” width=“380” class=" “]  US President Barack Obama. AP[/caption] Kerry was in India for a previously scheduled visit. Attorney general Eric Holder met with European security counterparts in Paris to discuss ways to prevent violent extremism, but did not attend the march. CNN discussed the issue on its news programming. Fareed Zakaria, who hosts a public affairs program on the network, said the absence of senior US officials was a mistake. Fox News host Greta Van Susteren tweeted: “This is really embarrassing — WHERE IS PRESIDENT OBAMA? Why didn’t he go?” “Sad that 50 world leaders could show solidarity in Paris but President Obama refused to participate. The cowardice continues,” tweeted Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the US House of Representatives, who sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But Obama on Friday pledged US support for France, saying: “I want the people of France to know that the United States stands with you today, stands with you tomorrow.” The White House said on Sunday that Obama would hold a global security meeting in Washington in February to discuss domestic and international efforts to counteract violent extremism. The fact Obama was not at the march appeared to gain little immediate traction in France on a day dedicated to unity. One French TV commentator said the president’s visit would have been unthinkable given the level of security that accompanies him at home and abroad. French news channels have prominently featured Obama’s expressions of solidarity with France, as well as Kerry’s remarks in French last week condemning the attacks. France deploys 10,000 troops at home France will deploy 10,000 soldiers on home soil by Tuesday and post almost 5,000 extra police officers to protect Jewish sites after the killing of 17 people by Islamist militants in Paris last week, officials said. Speaking a day after the biggest French public demonstration ever registered, in honour of the victims, Defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the country remained at risk of further attacks. Soldiers would guard transport hubs, tourism sites and key buildings and mount general street patrols. [caption id=“attachment_2042513” align=“alignleft” width=“380” class=” “]  AFP image.[/caption] “The threats remain and we have to protect ourselves from them. It is an internal operation that will mobilise almost as many men as we have in our overseas operations,” Le Drian told reporters after a cabinet meeting. The victims, including journalists and police, died in three days of violence that began on Wednesday with a shooting attack on the political weekly Charlie Hebdo, known for its satirical attacks on Islam and other religions. Many at Sunday’s march wore badges and carried placards declaring “I Am Charlie”. The Charlie Hebdo attackers, two French-born brothers of Algerian origin, singled out the weekly for its publication of cartoons depicting and ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad. Charlie Hebdo’s remaining members are working on an eight page issue due to come out on Wednesday with a one-million copy print run. Its lawyer, Richard Malka, told France Info radio there would be caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad. “We will not give in. The spirit of ‘I am Charlie’ means the right to blaspheme ,” he said, adding that the front page would be released Monday evening. The three days of bloodshed ended on Friday with a hostage-taking at a Jewish deli in Paris where four hostages and another gunman were killed. That gunman declared allegiance to Islamic State insurgents and said he was acting in response to French military deployments against militant Islamist groups overseas. Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said 700 police officers would be placed at all 717 Jewish schools across the country in addition to some 4,100 gendarmes already deployed. “Synagogues, Jewish schools, but also mosques will be protected because in the past few days there have been a number of attacks against mosques,” Prime Minister Manuel Valls told BFM TV. The first two attackers, who had travelled to Yemen in 2011 for training, were killed on Friday after a siege north of the capital. Police said all three men were part of the same Paris-based militant Islamist cell. Over 1.2 million people marched in Paris on Sunday and 2.5 million more in the provinces. The Paris march was led by dozens of foreign leaders. Some commentators said the last time crowds of this size were seen in the capital was at the Liberation of Paris from Nazi Germany in 1944. REUTERS