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Brendan Smialowski / AP
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is shown in Cairo on Sunday.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday she was not offended by protesters who threw shoes and tomatoes at her motorcade a day earlier in Alexandria, Egypt.
Speaking at a news conference in Israel, she called protests a "part of the fabric of a democracy" and the Alexandria outburst a "sign of that freer environment that Egypt now enjoys."
"I was relieved that nobody was hurt and felt bad that good tomatoes were wasted, but other than that it was not particularly bothersome," Clinton told reporters in Jerusalem.
Egypt tops agenda during Clinton trip to Israel
In Alexandria, Clinton presided over a ceremony to reopen the U.S. consulate, which was closed in 1993 to save money.
The ceremony was moved inside as protesters grew vocal outside the consulate.
A tomato hit an Egyptian official in the face.
The protesters also chanted "Monica, Monica, Monica," a reference to Monica Lewinsky, the White House intern who was the focus of a sex scandal with her husband, then-President Bill Clinton.
Related: Christians snub Cairo meeting; protesters toss tomatoes
Protesters in Alexandria, Egypt, throw shoes, tomatoes and a water bottle at the motorcade of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. NBC's Lester Holt reports.
The protests in the nation of nearly 84 million came amid accusations that the U.S. administration favors Egypt’s Islamist parties over secular and liberal forces at the expense of the largely Muslim nation’s 8 million Christians. Clinton on Saturday met with Egypt's new Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president in 60 years.
On Sunday, Clinton said at the consulate ceremony, "I want to be clear that the United States is not in the business, in Egypt, of choosing winners and losers, even if we could, which, of course, we cannot."
On Monday, she said the protest also was a sign that “the Egyptian people are still concerned about the future; they are not yet sure what is the path forward.” With parliament confirmed and no constitution written yet after the 2011 downfall of 40-year ruler Hosni Mubarak, “I think it is understandable that there are many unanswered questions and lots of anxiety about what may or may not be happening,” Clinton said.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi. Msnbc's Alex Witt reports.
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- US vessel fires on boat in Gulf, killing one and injuring three
- Americans kidnapped in Egypt on church bus trip released
- Soft landing for 'human dominoes' in China
- Clashes break out in Syrian capital after civil war designation raises stakes
- Egypt tops agenda during Clinton trip to Israel
Follow World News on msnbc.com on Twitter
Leave a Comment:
That's what the world loves about Americans, they are always so insensitive and dismissing of other peoples feeling and points of view. The least this elitist traveling warmonger and mouth piece for the ultra rich and corporations could have done is show some human emotion and admitted past mistakes and actions of the US government in supporting Mubarak and his band of thieves and commit to defunding the Egyptian military for more humanitarian aid to help the people of Egypt.
But that is not in the cards for any American. No just plow forward making the same stupid mistakes over and over and over.
With this type of person representing the US it is no wonder the world holds such a low and contemptuous opinion of the country.
The biggest mistake the US has committed is sending aid to all these ass backwards countries. STOP all aid now and let the pathetic UN do it's job. Hey Egypt, remember when we built your dam for you you ignorant bastards? The US needs to stop sending out ALL foreign aid now to all these pathetic countries. This country has carried the world since WW2 and it's time for the rest of the world to grow up. God bless the USA and if you don't like us go to hell.
The above two comments are worthless... Move along... Nothing to see here.
Hillary stop pushing obama agenda
Obama administration with Muslim Brotherhood and the hard core Islamists. The West will pay the price of their own stupidity in the near future of supporting Obama's agenda, what could i say he raised as a muslim when he was kid
As for those idiots who can not see beyond their ideology and keep on condemning the Republican Party, The Tea party movement, and conservative Christians, you can keep your head in the sand till you have your neck chopped off by the Islamists. god bless Christians and peace on earth because Christianity is peaceful religion
Another worthless comment. Seriously? Could you be any more of a Westboro Baptist sheep?
Chris, people like you do not understand the danger facing the West, the Muslim Brotherhood will not stop till the whole world submit to Islam and Shariah's law
For your education spend some time watching this video instead of complaining about Westboro Baptist.
http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/DHU227v2_WS
this is the new middle east and they gave in it to Muslim brotherhood evil terror group. i remember USA supported terror Wahhabi group in to beat soviet union in Afghanistan and at the end they are fighting now the terror group in Afghanistan. the same history will repeat it self, i am sure Jesus will take care of these Muslims brother and whoever support them .
Even if Clinton were competent, Obama's amateur, fumbling attempts at diplomacy have not left her any credibility with either side.
First, Obama publicly and loudly affirmed his support for a Palestinian state, even going so far as to state that Israel should return to their pre-1967 borders! This had the predictable effect of encouraging the Palestinians to seek their own separate state. Then, he had to order his Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, to veto any UN resolution that might create an actual Palestinian State, in order to salvage the Jewish vote.
President Obama has only pursued the same policy all presidents have pursued since the peace accord that has been signed by Israel.
Most presidents (not all) have had sense enough to be consistent in the messages they send to the international community. Reversals, like Obama's, only create an atmosphere of uncertainty and distrust. One can easily imagine how Obama's blunder could have resulted in an increase in hostilities.
Kannin,
Why don't you practice what your avatar means!!!
Wanker - You actually recognize the Kanji?? I view it more as an aspiration than an an accomplishment.
Is a shame a ulgy person like her is in office. is a dog
Ron; They are coming to get you.
President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton are the most competent US citizens representing America to the world. Conservative envy doesn't cut it.
Ha ha, nice...oh, wait you were being serious.
dls-387641
I somewhat agree. Obama and Clinton have not been doing so bad. The attacks against them are devoid of constructive criticism, and seem to consist of insults against their appearence, or anger becasue they represent a marginally liberal agenda. I see few flaws in their execution of the wars we are in. I don't blame Bush for getting us into them either. The economy is improving slooowlym. Generally I give this administration a B+ or A-.
But this tomato attack shouldn´t be ignored.The Copts are very threatened by the Muslim Brotherhood and all Islamic terrorists .Christians and Jews and all other non Muslims are very endangered groups in the mid east and all Muslim countries.Pay attention Hillary.! It should bother you greatly!
Watch for yourself what Obama's Secretary of State believes how credible a politician should be in her vision of "democracy":
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j9bRZ0kWMw
She told students in Tunisia on February 25, 2012:
"You will learn as your democracy develops that a lot of things are said in political campaigns that should not bear a lot of attention. There are comments made that certainly don't reflect the United States, don't reflect our foreign policy, don't reflect who we are as a people."
In other words, she's telling them that in her vision of the Obama administration, lying is to be considered normal!
But don't take my word for it. Watch the video for yourself!
I laughed and laughed. I did not understand what the protestors were saying till the reported clarified it.
MONICA! MONICA! MONICA!
HaHaHaHa.....
Good for them!
Clinton said it well. America is not in the business of choosing the leadership of Egypt. She is merely establishing diplomatic dialogue with Egypt, discussing the existing treaties, then leaving to Israel, the other half of the treaty. I would imagine that the shoe and tomato throwing protesters were all men, and all had a resemblance to Mohammad Atta. The pattern is easily discernable.
Just as Obama ignored the 2009 protests in Iran against the murderous Mullahs, now Clinton is telling us that the Obama administration has abandoned the pro-western secular groups in Egypt (who voted against Morsi), in favor of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood.
It is no surprise that the secular groups and minorities who opposed Morsi threw tomatoes and shoes at the Clinton motorcade, they rightfully feel betrayed when they see the Obama administration embrace the Muslim Brotherhood who are a gang of misogynist Sharia toting terror supporting thugs. (btw do you remember when Bush got a shoe thrown at him, wasn't Obama going to change all that, and be the beloved leader of the world, with a new better diplomacy that was going to make America popular in the world...?)
And by the way, that same Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, with whom Clinton met in Egypt also calls for the release of the blind sheikh, Omar Abdel-Rahman, who is in jail in the U.S. after being convicted of being behind the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York! Is Obama going to release him as well?
After the election perhaps...
But I have to admit, Obama's foreign policy is nothing if not consistent. He always supports those who are against the U.S. and abandons those who are pro-America and pro-democracy. Obama supports Erdogan in Turkey as that Islamist bully systematically takes apart the Turkish democracy and jails journalists and secular members of parliament, and jails most of the general staff who were pro-secular on false charges.
Obama sent a U.S. ambassador to Syria a year and a half ago after years of isolation, as reward for Assad's support for terror in Iraq and Lebanon. And even after the Syrian uprising began and as the world saw thousands of unarmed protesters being shot by snipers, it took Obama FIVE MONTHS to get the ambassador out of there, because as he said, Assad was a "reformer" and they wanted to engage with the barbaric regime to try to help...
Just recently Obama declared that Venezuela under Hugo Chavez "is not a threat", but after those pictures of Obama high-fiving Chavez and accepting that psycho's anti-American book, I guess that shouldn't come as any surprise.
And as Russia moves back to its old Cold War ways, Obama gave Medvedev a secret election year promise to pass along to Putin, that after the U.S. election he is going to be willing to negotiate away America's security in the form of missile defense.
Thanks Obama! And I'm sure all Americans are also grateful for the Obama economy as well...
Camel Dung would have far more appropriate for Hillary.
She looks like an old sea hag these days. --- ooff i couldnt imagine waking up to that every morning --- i cant wait unitl this admin is voted out of office --- they're incompetent, feckless, and most of them are just plain ugly --- David Axelrod ---he looks like a cross between a sleazy 70's porn star and a smarmy used car salesman .....barry can sure can pick'em.
She said she likes catchup. What an ugly face, poor Bill.