Hillary Clinton not offended by 'Monica' chants during Egypt visit
Tags:
Hillary Clinton has revealed that she actually welcomed being taunted about her husband Bill's affair whilst on a visit to Egypt.
The US Secretary of State said that the cheers of 'Monica, Monica!' were a sign that democracy was alive and well in the Arab country.
Clinton's only regret was that the protestors had wasted good tomatoes by throwing them at her motorcade.
The chants had been a reference to the relationship between former US president Bill Clinton and White House intern Monica Lewinsky, which had almost cost him his presidency in 1998.
Clinton had been subjected to them whilst visiting the Egyptian port city of Alexandria to reopen the US Consulate, the Daily Mail reported.
When asked about the incident she said : "I was relieved that nobody was hurt and I felt bad that good tomatoes were wasted but other than that, it was not particularly bothersome."
She said that the abuse was "a sign of that freer environment that Egypt now enjoys. It is also evidence that the Egyptian people are still concerned about the future."
"The sooner that there can be a government that takes responsibility, whose actions can be judged and held accountable, then people will be able to draw decisions because words don't mean as much as actions and therefore I was not offended," she said.
Nobody had been injured as the vegetables, shoes and a bottle of water rained, although a tomato did hit an Egyptian official in the face.
Protesters could also be heard shouting 'Irhal, Clinton,' which means 'Get out, Clinton.'
At one point a man was seen putting the sole of his shoe over a picture of Clinton's face on a poster, a sign of disrespect in Egypt.
The country has been currently gripped by political uncertainty as two major forces, the military and the Muslim Brotherhood, engage in a power struggle over the future of a country that remains without a permanent constitution, parliament or government following the ousting of dictator Hosni Mubarak last year.
People of Egypt fear that America is meddling in its affairs, but in a speech to open the consulate Clinton said that the US "is not in the business of choosing winners and losers."
Post new comment