Clinton too “immersed” with Afghanistan to follow Knox

Last Sunday on ABC’s This Week, Secretary Clinton said she was so "immersed" with Afghanistan policy that she hasn’t had the time to develop an opinion on the Amanda Knox case. Not to be insensitive toward Knox, but Clinton really does need to focus on Afghanistan policy at this crucial time. Clinton’s exchange with This ...

Last Sunday on ABC's This Week, Secretary Clinton said she was so "immersed" with Afghanistan policy that she hasn't had the time to develop an opinion on the Amanda Knox case. Not to be insensitive toward Knox, but Clinton really does need to focus on Afghanistan policy at this crucial time. Clinton's exchange with This Week's George Stephanopoulos:

Last Sunday on ABC’s This Week, Secretary Clinton said she was so "immersed" with Afghanistan policy that she hasn’t had the time to develop an opinion on the Amanda Knox case. Not to be insensitive toward Knox, but Clinton really does need to focus on Afghanistan policy at this crucial time. Clinton’s exchange with This Week‘s George Stephanopoulos:

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "Do you share her [Sen. Maria Cantwell’s (D-Wash.)] concerns about this trial?"

SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON: "George I honestly haven’t had time to even examine that. I’ve been immersed in what we’re doing in Afghanistan. Of course I’ll meet with Sen. Cantwell or anyone who has a concern but I can’t offer any opinion about that at this time."

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "So you have not expressed any concerns to the Italian government?"

SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON: "I have not, no."

And Knox’s lawyer, Luciano Ghirga, seems to want it that way. Ghirga said, as reported in the Daily Mail:

That’s all we need, Hillary Clinton involved. I have the same political sympathies as Hillary but this sort of thing does not help us in any way."

Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini may want Clinton out, too, based on his comments about Sen. Cantwell, as reported in the Daily Mail

This senator should not interfere in something she has no idea about. I am happy with how the trial went.

Note (Dec. 15, 2009): The sentence before Mignini’s quote was revised to make it clearer that he was referring to Sen. Cantwell, not Secretary Clinton.

Preeti Aroon was copy chief at Foreign Policy from 2009 to 2016 and was an FP assistant editor from 2007 to 2009. Twitter: @pjaroonFP

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