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Subscribe to RSSWASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has canceled her trip to Morocco this week for a meeting on the future of Syria's opposition because of a stomach virus, the State Department said on Monday.
Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns will travel to the meeting in her place.
"Since she's still under the weather, we'll be staying put this week instead of heading to North Africa and the Middle East as originally planned," State Department spokesman Philippe Reines said in a statement.
"In her place, Deputy Secretary Burns will travel to Marrakech for the Friends of the Syrian People meeting. We will let you know when she shakes this bug and resumes a public schedule," he said.
Clinton had been due to join foreign ministers from allied nations in Morocco to discuss the 20-month old Syria crisis as rebels fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad push forward on the battlefield and move to unify the political opposition.
The so-called Friends of Syria group is expected to focus on new moves to strengthen and legitimize the recently formed Syrian opposition coalition.
Clinton had planned to continue from Morocco to Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.
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Get well soon Hillary, the middle east needs to consider the role of women in todays world.A strong leader to speak to the rights of women as new ruling bodies are formed would be huge. You are the one to carry the message and lead those stuck in the dark ages to see the light. The impact of changing the traditional role of women in the Islamic dominated countries would do more to bring peace than any other single act.
Replace the word "women" in your spiel with "multi-national corporations" or "goats" and you'd see a greater effect.
I thought Barack was THE ONE.
I wonder how she got sick... I guess she ate too many children this week...
Don't need another George H.W. Bush puking at the table
Get well soon Hillary
Don't need another George H.W. Bush puking at the table.
We could use some outside help unifying our political opposition; c'mon BRIC spread the wealth.
Hillary is calling in sick. Starting Xmas vacation early.
I don't blame her, I'm sick of Muslims and sick of Barack too.
Obamma is a muslim...
Maybe the stomach bug was caused by a woman going to the middle hell and trying to tell those heathens how to behave. Did one of her guards taste her food first?
What's going on, Hillary Clinton has 'cagadera' or what. go figures eating on those countries where sanitacion is second hand class.
Maybe she's just sick of knowing the men controlling the Middle East are all ignoring her.