The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is recovering in a New York hospital after suffering from a blood clot located behind her right ear. Her condition is not considered to be life-threatening and she is being treated with blood-thinning drugs. The development of clots is relatively common, particularly in those who fly a lot. In her role as Secretary of State, she has clocked up more than a million miles in the sky, visiting 112 countries. Lot of air mile points, but what else has she actually achieved?
While Clinton is stepping aside and Senator John Kerry looks to be in line for the post, if confirmation hearings go smoothly, it is time that the US seriously readjusts its approach to foreign policy.
Any attempt to rightly chastise Israel for its blatant aggression meets with a veto from Washington. The challenge for Kerry — if he has the political and moral backbone to do so — is to extricate US foreign policy from the pocket of Tel Aviv. In dealing with Iran, the US has failed to make headway in sitting down with Tehran and talking about the future of its nuclear programme. Iraq remains crippled, disassembled than put back together with peace missing from the equation. In Afghanistan, US efforts at creating a stable administration free of corruption are faltering — and the Taliban still retain the ability to strike at will.
Over the mountain ranges of Pakistan, US drones strike at villagers, taking out militants and mothers.
This is the world Clinton travels — and the one we all must endure.
