--- description: "This Friday was absolutely indiscriminate." title: John Kerry: Charlie Hebdo Massacre Had Clearer 'Rationale' Than Paris Attacks image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdaf92ec40bdcc06a/69887197cf40a8b592c40b55/gettyimages-497495408.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Kerry: _Charlie Hebdo_ Massacre Had Clearer 'Rationale' Than Paris Attacks by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 18, 2015 1:04 AM CUT  US Secretary of State John Kerry talks to the media after a meeting with French President Francois Hollande at the Elysee Presidential Palace on November 17, 2015 in Paris, France. John Kerry arrives in Paris to pay tribute to victims of last week's terrorist attacks. US Secretary of State John Kerry talks to the media after a meeting with French President Francois Hollande at the Elysee Presidential Palace on November 17, 2015 in Paris, France. John Kerry arrives in Paris to pay tribute to victims of last week's terrorist attacks.Thierry Chesnot—Getty Images by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 18, 2015 1:04 AM CUT Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that the “rationale” for the January attack on a French satirical magazine [made more sense](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-kerry-rationale-for-charlie-hebdo-attack-more-understandable/ "undefined") than the attacks in Paris last Friday. During remarks at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, CBS News reports that Kerry said the Friday attacks, which killed 129, were not the same as the attack on _Charlie Hebdo_, which left 12 dead. “There’s something different about what happened from _Charlie Hebdo_, and I think everybody would feel that,” Kerry said. “There was a sort of particularized focus and perhaps even a legitimacy in terms of—not a legitimacy, but a rationale that you could attach yourself to somehow and say, ‘Okay, they’re really angry because of this and that,'” he continued. “This Friday was absolutely indiscriminate.” _Charlie_ _Hebdo_‘s often controversial cartoons have sometimes provoked anger among Muslims. The January shooting at the publication, claimed by al-Qaeda, [were apparently motivated by illustrations of the prophet Muhammad.](http://time.com/3666862/charlie-hebdo-new-issue-sellout/ "undefined") The recent Paris attacks were claimed by ISIS. The publication has continued to poke fun at extremists, [publishing a cartoon](http://time.com/4116122/charlie-hebdo-paris-cover/ "undefined") following Friday’s attacks of a Frenchman riddled with bullet holes. The caption read “They have guns…We have champagne.” **Read More:** [_Charlie Hebdo Survivor Among First Responders in Paris Attack_](http://time.com/4113067/paris-attacks-charlie-hebdo-survivor-among-first-responders-in-paris-attack/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4117525/kerry-charlie-hebdo-massacre-had-clearer-rationale-than-paris-attacks/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4117525/kerry-charlie-hebdo-massacre-had-clearer-rationale-than-paris-attacks/"},"headline":"Kerry: Charlie Hebdo Massacre Had Clearer 'Rationale' Than Paris Attacks","datePublished":"2015-11-18T01:04:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T12:43:09.114Z","description":"\"This Friday was absolutely indiscriminate.\"","url":"https://time.com/4117525/kerry-charlie-hebdo-massacre-had-clearer-rationale-than-paris-attacks/","keywords":["France","John F. 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