Detour at beginning of Hillary Clinton’s farewell tour
By Jamie Crawford
Before breaking off her trip to Asia to fly to the Middle East to address the crisis in Gaza, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in the midst of what in many ways was the start of her world farewell as America's top diplomat.
During a historic stop this week in Myanmar at the home of Aung San Suu Kyi, the celebrated Nobel laureate and advocate for Burmese democracy, Barack Obama made a point to praise Clinton on what would likely be their final foreign trip together as U.S. president and secretary of state.
The symbolism of the trip's importance, and Clinton's role, was captured through the image of her walking off Air Force One with Obama – the first by a sitting president to the former pariah nation.
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"This is her last foreign trip that we're going to take together, and it is fitting that we have come here to a country that she has done so much to support," Obama said referencing Clinton's own history-making trip to Myanmar last December.
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"I could not be more grateful, not only for your service, Hillary, but also for the powerful message that you and Aung San Suu Kyi send about the importance of women and men everywhere embracing and promoting democratic values and human rights," Obama said.
When Suu Kyi came to greet the two on the tarmac, Clinton noticeably held back, letting Obama have his moment. She's proven a loyal Cabinet member, perhaps unimaginable a few years ago at the height of their bitter fight for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.
But an Obama spokesman said that was all water under the bridge.
"They spent basically the entire flight alone in his personal office on Air Force One just reminiscing about the last four years," Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, told reporters on the trip about the flight from Thailand to Myanmar.
"But, as the president said, it wasn't just the last four years; they have been through a lot together over the last five or six years. And, in fact, unique among people, they have been at this, working as hard as they can, for five or six years now," Rhodes said.
Before the stop in Myanmar, Clinton had already traveled to Australia with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta for meetings with their counterparts, and then to Thailand where she met Obama. There were also two international summits in Cambodia on the schedule before she was scheduled to head back to the United States – that is until the stop in the Middle East was added to the itinerary.
Crisis in the Mideast
As the crisis between Israel and the rulers of Hamas in Gaza worsened, Obama and Clinton worked the phones calling leaders around the world. In announcing Clinton would head to the Middle East on Tuesday, the White House spokesman underscored it came after the president and secretary of state discussed where things stood.
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"They agreed that it makes sense for the secretary to travel to the region," Rhodes said.
Obama dispatched Clinton to meet with the leaders of Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Egypt in an attempt to arrest a situation spiraling dangerously out of control.
It's a something all who have come before Clinton have been called on to do. Travel the world with dizzying frequency – many times to a crisis region for a last ditch attempt at high stakes diplomacy to try and cool tensions.
Clinton, who is globally popular, made history this past June when she became the first secretary of state to visit more than 100 countries when she landed in Latvia. Since then, she has made multiple stops in Asia and Africa, and also visited Russia, Haiti and Peru.
Clinton has no official overseas travel announced beyond the current trip, but there is always the potential to go to Brussels next month for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, not to mention an unending series of crisis elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa that might demand some additional travel.
The trip to the Middle East may also provide an opportunity for Clinton to rehabilitate her record which has been tarnished following the September terror attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
Questions have arisen over whether the State Department did enough to address the security concerns of U.S. diplomats and personnel working at the compound, and why she did not take the lead in explaining the U.S. understanding of the armed assault in the days immediately following.
Stepping down
What is certain is that Clinton does not intend to serve in Obama's second term.
"I think after 20 years, and it will be 20 years, of being on the high-wire of American politics and all of the challenges that come with that, it would be a - probably a good idea to just find out how tired I am," she said in an interview with CNN earlier this year about stepping down even if Obama was re-elected.
"I'm aiming to leave shortly after the inauguration; that's my plan," she told the Washington Post in an interview a week before Obama won a second term. "I'm not really open to staying longer, but I also know that we have to be conscious of the work that has to be done. And again, I'll have to talk to the president."
Her spokesman later said she would stay until a new secretary of state is confirmed, a common practice for outgoing Cabinet members.
But the prospect of who will fill her shoes has become a more complicated question in recent days.
Speculation has centered on Susan Rice, who currently serves as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, as the most likely candidate to be nominated by Obama. But her explanation of the administration's response to the Benghazi attack has come under intense criticism by Senate Republicans who would ultimately vote on any nominee.
"Let's see what happens here, but we will do what ever is necessary to block the nomination that's within our power as far as Susan Rice is concerned," Senator John McCain (R-AZ) said at a press conference last week. Just this week, 97 House Republicans sent a letter to the president declaring their opposition as well.
It is still a guessing game as to precisely when Clinton will announce her resignation. She is thought to want to remain on the job at least until a congressionally ordered investigation of the Benghazi incident is completed.
Regardless of what happens, she has made it clear that her time as America's top diplomat is coming to a close, and with it, a long career on the national stage who's every movement seemed to garner scrutiny across a range of issues.
In an interview during a trip to India with CNN's Jill Dougherty earlier this year, Clinton seemed to be looking to her coming retirement when she was asked about how her appearances were being discussed in the blogosphere.
"I feel so relieved to be at the stage I'm at in my life right now, Jill, because if I want to wear my glasses, I'm wearing my glasses. If I want to pull my hair back, I'm pulling my hair back. And at some point it's just not something that deserves a whole lot of time and attention, and if others want to worry about it, I'll let them do the worrying for a change."
@natlsecuritycnn on Twitter
You know i want to respect her and like her but I can't. She should have left that bum when she found out about the cigar incident. He disrespected her so bad! Why the hack did she stick around? Women all across this nation are taken advantage of all the time and she had a chance to be a leader for women. A Strong single mom that doesn't take crap from anyone. Just a thought!
Once again Women have proved the republican party and McCain WRONG ! MRS: Clinton not Bill Clinton did
the job she was appointed to do and she did it very good ! Mr. McCain you and the rest of the GOP are out
of touch with The U.S. like the dinosaurs you should find yourselves a nice sunny sand bank , bury yourselves
in it and FOSSILIZE !
This very region has been attempting peace since I was a child, maybe both sides should try growing up. A faction of each side is harming the best of each side. Families and commerce that helps support families is what is important. Each side needs to get a hold of their collective terrorists, antagonists, idiots, fools and narcissists and implement a mandatory humanitarian study program for the current generation of youth. Each side needs a reeducation on what morality offers humanity. Chosen? Really? Give us a break. Hama, really? You give us the rest of us break too, the Italian mob could have brokered peace faster than you and they would have constructed a great infrastructure on the Palestinian side by now. Maybe, ask China to come to build a better wall. The Isreali army should change its focus from Hate Incorporated to work on the infrastructure on the Palestinians side. As there are Palestinian construction workers already working with Isrealis on housing, then we know there are great people on both sides working together. Enough already of these arbitrary slaughter sessions. If any of your middle eastern meat headed husbands are plotting chaos, ladies please speak up – for the sake of the next generation. And then, if hopefully possible, go enjoy a nice healthy divorce and buy your kids a nice ice cream on the other side of town.
Does George Mitchel know Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael? No one was ready to hear it 4 years ago? Are they ready now? Let Ed Husain try to find out?
CNN MANAGEMENT - Hillary Clinton does not know what Ed Husain knows. Morsy, Netanyahu and Hamas are blood brothers - sons of Abraham. Egypt and Israel can be "willing partners" without American money help anymore. Ed Husain can explain the Seeds of Abraham to the world, and put Obama and Clinton to shame. Isaac and Ishmael do not want Obama and Clinton.
Unfortunately this leader tried to establishing permanent peace between Israel and Palestine. He is the man who freed of Israeli soldier ‘Gilat Salit’ from under custody of Palestinian and finally tried to ‘everlasting ceasefire’ between Israel and Palestine. It is quoted from western media that, before death of Al-Jabir- he was busy about the proposal of Israel regarding permanent peace and he stopped all rocket attack in Israel also doing conversation with Israeli counterpart to established final peace between two nations. After killing of Ahmed Al-Jabir- it proved that, the proposal of Israel for conversation to establish peace was just a “Drama of Israel”. They wanted to confirm the location of Ahmed Al-Jabir for killing. After confirmation by satellite, Israeli air forces targeted a missile to his car and abolish Ahmed Al-Jabir from this planet. Israel does not want peaceful coexistence with Palestine.
I supported Hillary, but the way Obamaites talk about Obama, not even Jesus himself could follow his brilliant act as president. Not even God, if he existed, could follow this brilliance and distinguished leadership of the most holy and venerable Barack Hussein Obama, even sounds American now, doesn't it? Right?
lol...that's funny. well i think he's going to be tested now... the world is changing again...
The only truth about Obamites is the story you make up out of your hate and ignorance. Next thing you'll start talking about is his birth certificate. Please crawl back under that rock from whence you came.
Did you vote for Obama ?...juding from the tone of your statement..probably not. There isn't ANYTHING that he could do or say for you to give him a thumbs up. My question is " What has the man done that was so terrible to warrent all this hate?" I ask one lady who made a statement " I just don't like Obama" I ask her why?. her reply " I don't know why, I just don't like him"...my reply.... O. i think the dislike goes deeper than many are willing to admit and it has nothing to do with his job performance . A challenge...examine your true reasons.
soledad and her female company are cute - all nice intelligent people with genuine heart- they might make the obama wicca feel jealous - I doubt those CNN news babes would care 🙂
Satan told Eve that eating of the "Forbidden Fruit" would open her eyes and make life much better - the knowledge of good and evil - pain that Jehovah God wanted to protect humankind from experiencing - the wiccans made their choice.
PLEASE stop using the term "wiccan". Makes you sound like a kook when you are actually making some good points. Even the religious right will turn away from the term wiccan, and most certainly the slight left will. Stop it. In reality, wiccan means nothing more than a worshipper of nature, nothing evil in and of itself.
okay, no more "wiccan" - thanx for validating my points - take care 🙂
To Blind Obama Spies - seek the truth, and the truth shall set you free from the wickedness that binds you
Every card can be a good card. Maybe she is good. Sometimes it is time that is not good.
American people decided she was no card to lay down. 🙂
If CNN does the right thing, both Isaac and Ishmael may thank you 🙂
I don't know what you mean by "globally popular" but I think all the VIPs of the U.S government get red carpet treatment wherever in the world. Never mind the angry mobs sometimes. [More often it is their governments that they are mad at, and they bite or snap at anything or anybody who associate to those.]
Anyway, maybe Americans should be more professional in dealing with world governments. That does not solve said problem, but that minimizes it.
STATISM: Ideas so good they nave to be mandatory.
The stories CNN highlight - and HOW you highlight them - comparing different Obama things - will serve as good form of apology.
Many things hidden by Obama before election - such as October 2012 deficit of $120 billion - Wall Street endorsed Romney and anticipated his election. Stocks were starting to climb, then dropped after he lost. CNN knows this but kept it hidden. Time for CNN to come clean before the world -- time for CNN to admit it favored Obama over Romney, and feels partially responsible for the increasing domestic and foreign havoc.
CNN MANAGEMENT - You keep showing comparisons of photos of Obama and Clinton enjoying Far East while Mideast people die. You keep showing comparison blurbs of Clinton words while Mideast people die. Does Obama and Hillary diplomatic response to Mideast inpress you? What you show the world emphetically says, NO - WE MADE A MISTAKE SUPPORTING OBAMA - WE ARE SORRY
CNN does not have to admit what the world can clearly see now - you made a gross mistake protecting obama and demonizing Romney. No longer can you accuse us of sour grapes and being in denial - continuing decay speaks for itself.
Obama told Rolling Stone that Romney was a bulls**tter right? Who was the bulls**tter? Time is getting closer for CNN to tell the world the truth.
As Gov. Romney avidly pointed out and warned before Obama was re-elected: Obama is too small -he methods and plans for the future are too small - for the huge economic, mideast and other domestic problems that we see rapidly growing even bigger. Obama and Clinton have amply demonstrated lack of Moral Ground. CNN knows this but has helped re-elect Obama. CNN and the world have observed obama and Clinton in the Far East - laughing and drinking French wine - while Israel and Arabs kill each other. Egypt will tell Clinton to keep the American money, then merge with Arab League. What is CNN to do? Will CNN tell the the world it made an election time mistake and apologize to the righteous? Time will tell as things only get WORSE home and abroad.
bigger issues...like stopping obama from using the white house curtains to wipe the fried chicken grease off his fingers....I shudder to think what mooshells bathroom is like.....ill bet its filthy knee grow
Wow.....just wow. What a scary place your brain must be.
and the trail of wreckage left behind in the Middle East. What a disaster.