Clinton regrets only wasted tomatoes in Egypt protest

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton said on Monday she was "not offended" by
protesters in Egypt who pelted her motorcade with
tomatoes, calling the demonstrations a sign of greater
freedom and anxiety, and mainly regretting what she
saw as wasted food.
Asked about the assault on Sunday in Alexandria,
where protesters threw tomatoes, one of them hitting
an Egyptian official in the face, Clinton attributed the
outburst to nervousness about the changes taking
place in Egypt.
"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," Clinton said
in Jerusalem hours after arriving from Egypt.
"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," Clinton said.
She also saw the protest as "a sign of that freer
environment that Egypt now enjoys. It is also
evidence that the Egyptian people are still concerned
about the future."
A senior U.S. official said neither Clinton nor her
vehicle, which was around the corner from the
incident, were hit by the projectiles, which also
included shoes and a water bottle. The objects were
thrown as U.S. officials and reporters walked to the
motorcade after her speech.
Protesters chanted "Monica, Monica," a reference to
the extramarital affair conducted by Clinton's
husband, former President Bill Clinton, while in the
White House. Others earlier chanted "leave, Clinton,"
an Egyptian security official said.
Demonstrations have become common in Egypt since
former President Hosni Mubarak, a longtime U.S. ally,
was brought down by mass street protests last year.
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.
In her speech at the newly re-opened U.S. Consulate in
Alexandria, Clinton rejected suggestions that the
United States, which had long supported Mubarak,
was backing one faction or another in Egypt following
his ouster.
"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," Clinton
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."

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