Hillary Clinton was not pleased that her Aug. 2011 Hamptons vacation was to be interrupted by a trip to Paris to discuss efforts to help Libya’s transitional government, emails released by the State Department on Friday show.
“Oh, woe,” Clinton lamented in an Aug. 22, 2011 email to Huma Abedin, her longtime aide. “If I have to, I will fly at night, go to mtg and fly right back — to and from Long Island. Can our plane land and takeoff from W’Hampton?”
Abedin had forwarded Clinton an email entitled “Paris” from Philip Gordon, then the assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs.
“Am hearing French are thinking about Paris mtg for Wed of next week (aug 31) Would that [redacted] day work for S or shd we steer?” Gordon wrote to Abedin.
Clinton and former President Bill Clinton were scheduled to spend the week at the 12,000 square foot East Hampton mansion of New York City real estate developer Elie Hirschfield.
The meeting in question was no minor affair. According to a statement at the time by State Departments spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, the event was a gathering of the Contact Group on Libya, a group of western nations and members of the Arab League that was created to help the Libyan National Transitional Council.
“The days and weeks ahead will be critical for the Libyan people, and the United States and its partners will continue to move quickly and decisively to help the TNC and address the needs of the Libyan people,” Nuland’s statement read. “Libya’s transition to democracy is and should be Libyan-led, with close coordination and support between the TNC and its international partners. The United States stands with the Libyan people as they continue their journey toward genuine democracy.”
Clinton, of course, was one of the Obama administration’s most vocal supporters for the ouster of Libyan president Moammar Gaddafi.