Hillary Clinton to return to private life after Obama's first term

WASHINGTON: Stating that she was physically tired from the "merry-go-round" of the public life, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that she would retire to private life after the first term of President Barack Obama and then probably write a book.

"I am very interested in spending time with my friends and my family and not being on the merry-go-round all the time, which is one of the reasons why I have decided that I will move on and return to private life at the end of what will be a very intense period of activity and work in the next 18 months," Clinton told the BBC in an interview.

Clinton yesterday left on a 10-day trip to Europe and Asia during which she would be landing in New Delhi on July 19 for the Second India-US Strategic Dialogue.

"I believe what I say and I work to try to see life improve, particularly for women and girls, and I love what I'm doing," Clinton said in response to a question.

"I sometimes think I'm the best-known unknown person. I'm always amazed when people - and sometimes interviewers but sometimes just citizens around the world - will say something to me about me that I think, well, no, I didn't do that or I didn't say that or I don't like that. So I'm always amused by that," she said.

"But look, I don't think anybody in the public eye can ever be totally known. That's a misnomer, even though people are constantly in the press and therefore, you think you know them," she aid.

Clinton said American leadership in this world is very essential for promotion of human rights and dignity, freedom, economic opportunity.

"I am well aware that for the years prior to this Administration, there were a lot of questions about what we were doing. And of course, there are those who say, well, history will look back and see Iraq as a great success, and I hope that's the case. But I think much of what we did was because we were attacked on 9/11, and I think we made fiscal and budgetary decisions that undermined America's strength at home and abroad," she said.

"So what we're trying to do, and what I am personally am committed to doing, is moving on a very steady path toward restoring America's influence and leadership. That's why going to Asia was important. That's why continuing to pay attention to Latin America and Africa, working with regional institutions that can espouse the same values that we think are the best way to live and for societies to flourish," she said.