Hillary Clinton Won't Be Running for President in 2016
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton revealed on Monday that she would not be running in the 2016 presidential race, saying that although she hopes to see a female president lead the U.S. within her lifetime, she no longer wishes to assume that role.
"I feel like its time for me to step off the high wire," Clinton said in response to a question about the possibility of a 2016 run. The Secretary of State made the remarks while on tour in India during a town hall meeting held at a girl's school in Kolkata.
"I think our political system is most difficult to navigate for both men and women, but particularly women. We have a pretty hard glass ceiling in the U.S.," she added.
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While in India, Clinton was set to meet with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi to discuss Afghanistan and China, but also to urge energy-deficient India to stop doing business with Iran.
India's rapidly developing economy is highly dependent on oil imports and purchases around 12 percent of its oil from Iran, which amounts to around $11 billion annually.
Despite India cutting down its oil supply from Iran, the U.S. has been urging the country to "keep the pressure" and shift its purchases to Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
"This is a regime that has a history of aggressive behavior," Clinton said at the town hall meeting, broadcast on India's NDTV network. "And I don't think you deal with aggressors by giving in to them… Our goal is to resolve this peacefully and diplomatically."
The Obama Administration has been pushing India to join in on international sanctions imposed to obstruct the country's funding sources for its nuclear program. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but a global effort launched by the U.S. and the European Union has been attempting to apply enough international pressure on Iran to force the country to adhere to growing demands regarding its controversial program.
"We need India to be part of the international effort," Clinton added.
Clinton will be meeting with India's foreign minister S.M. Krishna on Tuesday before heading back to the United States.
