Obama calls French, Belgian leaders after Abdeslam arrest

Image
AFP Brussels
Last Updated : Mar 19 2016 | 1:42 AM IST
US President Barack Obama telephoned French President Francois Hollande and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel to congratulate them for the arrest of top Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, officials said today.
"Obama called Hollande to congratulate him for the intervention," the French presidency told AFP, hours after Abdeslam was arrested in Brussels.
However, Obama said he worries about inequality because he
thinks that if the country is not investing in making sure everybody plays a role in this economy, the economy will not grow as fast.
"I think it will also lead to further and further separation between us as Americans, not just along racial lines," he said.
"There are a whole bunch of folks who voted for the President-elect because they feel forgotten and disenfranchised. They feel as if they're being looked down on. They feel as if their kids aren't going to have the same opportunities as they did," he said.
Obama said that the people don't want to have an America in which a very small sliver of people are doing really well and everybody else is fighting for scraps.
"Because that's often times when racial divisions get magnified, because people think, well, the only way I'm going to get ahead is if I make sure somebody else gets less, somebody who doesn't look like me or doesn't worship at the same place I do. That's not a good recipe for our democracy," he said.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 19 2016 | 1:42 AM IST

Next Story