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White House Censors French President Saying 'Islamist Terrorism'

French president
/ AP
April 1, 2016

The White House censored video on its website of French President Francois Hollande saying "Islamist terrorism" during a meeting with President Obama on Thursday, the Media Research Center reports.

The White House appeared to redact the translation of Hollande after first posting the full audio, translation, and transcript on the White House website. The White House translation of Hollande's statement is not heard for the two sentences.

"Islamist terrorism is in Syria and in Iraq.  We, therefore, have to act both in Syria and in Iraq, and this is what we're doing within the framework of the coalition," Hollande said. However, this was muted by the White House.

There has been strong criticism of President Obama for refusing to say the words "Islamist terrorism." Critics, primarily Republicans, say it means the president refuses to address who the enemy really is, which impedes his ability and desire to fight America's enemy.

The meeting came on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., which has brought representatives from 56 countries, including many heads of state. The focus of the summit is to discuss the large amounts of nuclear material around the world, which is considered non-secure and could be acquired by terrorists or rogue states.