Clinton hopes to see a woman president

KOLKATA, India -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said yesterday she has no desire to make another run for the White House but hopes to see an American woman president in her lifetime.

Politely turning aside questions about her political intentions at a town hall event in Kolkata, Clinton said she really wanted to see "that final glass ceiling" broken.

Clinton, who sought the Democratic nomination four years ago and barely lost to Barack Obama, noted that the American political process is difficult and heavily dependent on fundraising, which makes it hard for any candidate to succeed.

Still, she told her audience, "I think that there will be an election that will elect a woman."

Later, in meetings in the capital, New Delhi, Clinton urged energy-starved India to reduce its Iranian oil imports to keep up pressure on the Islamic republic to come clean about its nuclear program.

Clinton noted India has taken some steps to reduce its imports from Iran but she says the United States wants to see more.

"If there weren't an adequate supply . . . we would understand, but we believe that there is adequate supply," she said.

India could face U.S. sanctions by the end of June if the Obama administration determines it has not made significant cuts in imports under a law aimed at squeezing Iran's petroleum industry to press the country to prove its nuclear program is peaceful.

India, with a growth rate of about 7 percent, has a nearly insatiable need for oil. About 9 percent of its oil imports are from Iran, though officials say it has reduced its dependency on Iranian oil in recent months.

"We appreciate what has been done and, of course, we want to keep the pressure on Iran," Clinton said.