AS 40 WORLD LEADERS STOOD UNITED IN PARIS - OBAMA WAS MISSING....EVEN WORSE, THE WHITE HOUSE NOBODY TO SHOW THE UNITY

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry defends absence from unity rally, will go to Paris on Thursday

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry defended the Obama administration against criticism for not having a high level official attend a unity march in Paris and said he will head to France on Thursday.

Kerry called the criticism "quibbling" when asked about the absence at the anti-terrorism rally Sunday. At least 3.7 million people attended the event -- including 40 world leaders -- in a show of solidarity against the terror attacks in France over the past week.

"The U.S. has been deeply engaged with the people of France since this incident occurred," Kerry told reporters, adding that the United States has offered intelligence and law enforcement help.

"This is sort of quibbling a little bit in the sense that our assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland was there and marched, our ambassador was there and marched, many people from the embassy were there and marched."

Kerry made his comments from India, where he was attending an entrepreneurship summit with new Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- with whom the United States is hoping to develop much closer trade ties.

"I've been here in India for a prior planned event, would've personally very much wanted to have been there (in France) but couldn't do so because of the commitment that I had here," Kerry said. "But that is why I am going there on the way home, to make it crystal clear how passionately we feel about the events that have taken place there."

Kerry expects to leave on Thursday and arrive in France on Friday.

Attorney General Eric Holder was in Paris attending a security summit on combating terrorism. He recorded interviews that appeared on several U.S. news outlets Sunday, but was not spotted at the unity march.


On Sunday night, a White House official who asked not to be named added: "It is worth noting that the security requirements for both the President and (Vice President) can be distracting from events like this - for once this event is not about us!" The official did not address how other prominent world leaders were able to work around the security requirements.

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