Clinton cancels Morocco trip due to illness

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has canceled a planned trip to Morocco due to a stomach virus, AFP reports citing her office. "Since she's still under the weather, we'll be staying put this week instead of heading to North Africa and the Middle East as originally planned," said Philippe Reines, a Clinton aide. Reines said that Deputy Secretary of State William Burns would travel in her place to Marrakesh for a meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People. At the talks, the United States may announce plans to recognize the new Syrian National Coalition as the sole representative of the Syrian people, as the group struggles to present itself as a legitimate alternative to President Bashar al-Assad's regime. On Sunday, Clinton's office had announced that she was pushing back her departure for Morocco from Monday to Tuesday due to the illness. The exact state of Clinton's health was unclear, but Reines said her office would inform the public when she recovers and resumes her public events. Clinton had also been set to travel to Tunisia and Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.