"And no amount of rationalizing—whether scheduling conflicts or not wanting to dominate the rally with the presence of a U.S. president—can explain away the absence of a U.S. political figure of real stature in response to the first successful terror attack directed against Europe from abroad in a decade," writes Aaron David Miller.
It’s all well and good that Attorney General Eric Holder was in Paris this weekend on counterterrorism business. He had work to do coordinating security issues with the French both before and in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks.
But he was not at the rally, nor, unfortunately, was any other high-ranking Obama administration official.
The millions-strong gathering in Paris on Sunday–the largest since World War II–was a rare moment in the life of a nation. It was steeped in symbols: protecting freedom and propagating values of inclusion and democracy, freedom of expression, and conscience. It was a poster child for much of what the United States embodies and stands for.
And no amount of rationalizing—whether scheduling conflicts or not wanting to dominate the rally with the presence of a U.S. president—can explain away the absence of a U.S. political figure of real stature in response to the first successful terror attack directed against Europe from abroad in a decade. Congress, too, missed the moment.
Unless there were specific compelling security threats of which we’re not aware, the Obama administration should have sent a high-statue figure: If not the president himself than Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, or first lady Michelle Obama. (Yes, it helps that Secretary Kerry is going to Paris later this week.) But having spent a good deal of time in my 25 years at the State Department making recommendations on whether secretaries of state should attend particular events, I would note:
No two countries have better represented democratic values and committed themselves to freedom of expression and conscience over a longer period than France and the United States. They should have been perceived to be standing together in Paris this weekend. President François Hollande had no suitable American partner.
Many may be disappointed that the U.S. isn’t doing enough on counterterrorism. But if there is a leader in the international coalition against Islamic State, or in Iraq, it is the United States.
And we weren’t there.
This incident will pass. But this missed moment would have been a low-cost opportunity for an administration already accused of abdicating its leadership role at a time when leadership is sorely needed.
The opinions expressed here are soley those of the author.
This article was originally published in The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire.
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