Hillary Clinton: 'I don't want to serve as Secretary of State if Obama wins a second term - and I won't run for president'



Hillary Clinton today said she will not serve a second term as Secretary of State if Barack Obama is re-elected.

And she insisted she wouldn't make another run for the White House, despite a new poll revealing nearly two-thirds of Americans have a positive view of her.

The rating, in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, is one of the highest the former First Lady has ever had.

Firm statement: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, pictured today in Cairo, has said she has no intention of running for the White House again

Just 31 per cent said they had an unfavourable view of Mrs Clinton, who is currently in the Middle East dealing with the recent uprisings.

Mrs Clinton gave a flat ‘no’ answer when CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer asked her if she would like to serve in her present job, as Secretary of Defense or even as vice president in a Democrat administration if Mr Obama wins a second term in 2012.

She said: ‘This is a moment in history where it is almost hard to catch your breath.



'There are both the tragedies and disasters that we have seen from Haiti to Japan and there are the extraordinary opportunities and challenges that we see right here in Egypt and in the rest of the region.'



Natural leader? But Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, seen here with members of quick-response team of marines in Cairo, said she will not serve a second term

‘So I want to be part of helping to represent the United States at this critical moment in time, to do everything I can in support of the president and our government and the people of our country to stand for our values and our ideals, to stand up for our security, which has to remain first and foremost in my mind, and to advance America's interests.



‘And there isn't anything that I can imagine doing after this that would be as demanding, as challenging or rewarding.’

Asked about another presidential run, she added: ‘I had a wonderful experience running and I am very proud of the support I had and very grateful for the opportunity, but I'm going to be, you know, moving on.

‘I am doing what I want to do right now and I have no intention or any idea even of running again. I'm going to do the best I can at this job for the next two years.'

Former rival: Hillary Clinton said does not want to serve a second term as Secretary of State if Barack Obama is re-elected next year

Popular: Hillary Clinton waves to the crowd as she walks through Tahrir Square in Cairo today. But she said has no plans to run for president

Mrs Clinton today hinted the U.S. may be leaning towards pushing for more aggressive action in Libya after pro-government forces gained the upper hand against rebel forces.

In an interview with CBS from Cairo, Mrs Clinton said here had been a ‘sea change’ in international opinion towards favouring a no-fly zone over Libya since the Arab League backed the plan.



She said: ‘That has changed the thinking of a lot of people. As we consult in New York on the UN resolution [to pursue a no-fly zone] there is a much greater openness than there was a week ago.'



She said: 'We and others have made it clear that there must be Arab leadership and Arab participation.



'How that will be defined will depend in large measure on what the Security Council decides to call for.'

