(Daily Mail) Four of France’s most revered cartoonists – Stephane Charbonnier, Georges Wolinski, Bernard ‘Tignous’ Verlhac and Jean Cabut – were among 12 people executed by masked gunmen in Paris today at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Two masked men brandishing Kalashnikovs burst into the magazine’s headquarters this morning, opening fire on staff, also shooting dead contributor Bernard Maris, 68.

Police officers were involved in a gunfight with the ‘calm and highly disciplined men’, who escaped in a hijacked car, speeding away towards east Paris. They remain on the loose, along with a third armed man. (read more)

In 2012 – After receiving death threats in response to offensive cartoons he had published, cartoonist Stephane Charbonnier said the following:

“I am not afraid of retaliation. I have no kids, no wife, no car, no mortgage. It perhaps sounds a bit pompous, but I prefer to die standing than living on my knees.”

Standing with the Islamists as the political winds shift, and being true to his 2008 campaign pledge, President Obama releases a statement fraught with obfuscation as the words Islam, Muslim, Extremist, Islamic terrorism and Jihad notably absent:

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.

My Response: