ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT (Mon, Jul 16) – Hillary Clinton may have
visited hundreds of countries as U.S. Secretary of State but few visits might
have ended as badly as her recent trip to Egypt.
 |
| Hillary Clinton's ugly trip to Egypt ended in thrown shoes and tomatoes |
Angry protesters threw tomatoes and shoes at U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton's motorcade on Sunday during her first visit to Egypt
since the election of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.
A tomato hit an Egyptian official on the face, and shoes and
a water bottle landed near the armored vehicles carrying Clinton's delegation
members in the port city of Alexandria after she delivered a speech on
democratic rights.
Protesters also chanted: "Monica, Monica", a
reference to Former President Bill Clinton's extra-marital affair. Some
chanted: "leave, Clinton", Egyptian security officials said.
Though it was unclear who the protesters
were or what were their political affiliations, but they showed their hatred
for U.S. influence on their country's political system. Protests and demonstrations have become
common in Egypt since former President Hosni Mubarak, long-time US ally, was
brought down by massive uprising last year.
Later on Clinton left for Israel on her
last leg of 8-nation tour. She arrived in Israel today for top-level
talks with Israeli officials expected to focus on Iran's nuclear programme and
the stalled peace process.
Egypt is 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.
On Saturday night, protesters outside Clinton's luxury hotel in Cairo chanted anti-Islamist slogans, accusing the United States of backing the Muslim Brotherhood's rise to power.
In her speech at the newly re-opened U.S. consulate in Alexandria, Hillary Clinton rejected suggestions that the United States, which had long supported former Mubarak, was backing one faction or another in Egypt following his ouster last year.
"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," she said.
"We are prepared to work with you as you chart your course, as you establish your democracy," she added. "We want to stand for principles, for values, not for people or for parties."
On Saturday night, protesters outside Clinton's luxury hotel in Cairo chanted anti-Islamist slogans, accusing the United States of backing the Muslim Brotherhood's rise to power.
In her speech at the newly re-opened U.S. consulate in Alexandria, Hillary Clinton rejected suggestions that the United States, which had long supported former Mubarak, was backing one faction or another in Egypt following his ouster last year.
"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," she said.
"We are prepared to work with you as you chart your course, as you establish your democracy," she added. "We want to stand for principles, for values, not for people or for parties."
Watch here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axM5kGdH_so)
people chanting Monica and throwing tomatoes on Clinton’s motorcade.
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