Cities across the US were on high alert following the terror attacks in Paris though there were no reports on any specific threat to any city. Police chiefs in several cities said the heightened patrolling and other measures were general in nature, following the Paris attacks, and keeping in mind the busy sporting weekend in the US, with several events across cities. Police departments in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago and Philadelphia said security has been beefed up.
President Barack Obama, who described the situation as “heartbreaking,” and his colleagues came out strongly in support of their ally France soon after the attacks. “The American people draw strength from the French people’s commitment to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. We are reminded in this time of tragedy that the bonds of liberté and égalité and fraternité are not only values that the French people care so deeply about, but they are values that we share,” Mr. Obama told reporters at the White House briefing room.
“This is a heartbreaking situation. And obviously those of us here in the United States know what it’s like,’ the president said.
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh C. Johnson said the department the Federal Bureau of Investigation were “closely monitoring events in Paris and were in contact with counterparts in the region.” “At this time, we know of no specific or credible threats of an attack on the US homeland of the type that occurred in Paris tonight,” he said. “As we do regularly, and out of an abundance of caution, DHS and the FBI are consulting with state and local law enforcement. We are also in communication with relevant private sector organizations to advise them of what we know, and to hear from them about security precautions they may take,” he said.
The President said since the situation was still unfolding, he had chosen not to call French President Francoise Hollande as he expected him to be “very busy at the moment.” The President said he was talking to his French counterpart earlier in the day in preparation for the G20 meeting, which was scheduled to take place in Turkey on November 15 and 16. “But I am confident that I’ll be in direct communications with him in the next few days, and we’ll be coordinating in any ways that they think are helpful in the investigation of what’s happened,” Mr Obama said.
