Condoleezza Rice reflects in exit interview with CNN

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Condoleezza Rice reflects in exit interview with CNN
Posted: 09:57 PM ET
From Elise Labott and Charley Keyes
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that the liberation of Afghanistan and Iraq’s first free elections rank among her proudest accomplishments as secretary of state and called her historic trip to Libya in September to meet with leader Moammar Gadhafi a high point of her tenure.

“The thing I never expected was to actually be in Libya face-to-face with Colonel Gadhafi,” Rice told CNN’s Zain Verjee in a 30-minute, wide-ranging interview. “That probably stands out as one of the extraordinary moments.”

Rice, 54, said one of her most difficult moments occurred during the summer of 2006 as the Lebanon war was raging. At an international conference in Italy, Rice was forced to reject Prime Minster Fouad Siniora’s pleas for a cease-fire so that Israel could damage the militant group Hezbollah’s capability.