At least 12 people are dead following an attack Wednesday on the offices of the French a satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, located in Paris, CNN reported minutes ago. French President Francois Hollande is quoted as saying, “This is a terrorist attack, there is no doubt about this.”
In an earlier report, the network buried the lede until eight paragraphs in, where its correspondents declared:
The satirical magazine is no stranger to controversy for having lampooned a variety of subjects, including Christianity. But what it’s done on Islam has gotten the most attention and garnered the most vitriol.
Its last tweet before Wednesday’s attack featured a cartoon of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the words, “And, above all, health.”
Meilleurs vœux, au fait. pic.twitter.com/a2JOhqJZJM
— Charlie Hebdo (@Charlie_Hebdo_) January 7, 2015
Three years ago, the publication’s offices were torched following a cover story that ridiculed Islamic law.
And so it goes. In its update, CNN advises that the White House has been briefed but so far has issued no formal comment about it, but is there any doubt about what the president’s response will be? He will “deplore the act of barbarism” and offer condolences to the families of the individual slain — a message he could have recorded six years ago to save himself the breath of repeating every time Islamists strike. He has denied that ISIS, whose name includes the word Islamic, represents Islam, so why on earth would he see another attack by Islamic terrorists any differently?
*UPDATE* The White House has released Barack Obama’s official statement. See if you can find anything missing from his patented spiel:
I strongly condemn the horrific shooting at the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris that has reportedly killed 12 people. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this terrorist attack and the people of France at this difficult time. France is America’s oldest ally, and has stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States in the fight against terrorists who threaten our shared security and the world. Time and again, the French people have stood up for the universal values that generations of our people have defended. France, and the great city of Paris where this outrageous attack took place, offer the world a timeless example that will endure well beyond the hateful vision of these killers. We are in touch with French officials and I have directed my Administration to provide any assistance needed to help bring these terrorists to justice.
Give up? Missing from the statement was any of the words “Islam,” “Muslim,” or “jihad.” (h/t Weasel Zippers) Obama is nothing if he’s not predictable.
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