President Obama’s statement condemning the mass murder in a Pakistan school fails to blame the perpetrators, the Taliban. Here’s Obama’s full statement:
The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms today’s horrific attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims, their families, and loved ones. By targeting students and teachers in this heinous attack, terrorists have once again shown their depravity. We stand with the people of Pakistan, and reiterate the commitment of the United States to support the Government of Pakistan in its efforts to combat terrorism and extremism and to promote peace and stability in the region.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. As NBC reports:
Uniformed militants attacked a school, killing at least 126 people and taking hostages on Tuesday, an official said – an atrocity condemned by the White House as “heinous” and “horrific.”
“The gunmen entered class by class and shot some kids one by one,” a student who was in the school at the time told local media.
“The gunmen entered class by class and shot some kids one by one,” a student who was in the school at the time told local media.
Provincial official Bahramand Khan said at least 126 people were killed and 122 injured. More than 100 of the dead were school children, he added. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault, which appeared to be targeting the the children of senior military officials.
