WASHINGTON – The Obama administration has tempered its views on caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad since the deadly terror attack in France on the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo, the satirical magazine that continues to publish them.
Previously, U.S. officials have criticized such work while defending free speech rights.
In 2006, the Bush administration described cartoons of Muhammad in a Danish newspaper as "offensive," likening them to anti-Semitic and anti-Christian imagery. In 2012, the Obama administration questioned the judgment of Charlie Hebdo for similar depictions and White House press secretary Jay Carney said they could be inflammatory.
Twelve died last week when terrorists attacked Charlie Hebdo staff in Paris.
On Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf refused to criticize new Charlie Hebdo cartoons. White House press secretary Josh Earnest was similarly restrained Monday.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
