Was Hillary Clinton Really Attacked by Bees?
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State Department photo(WASHINGTON) — The Internet and blogosphere has been buzzing with the news that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came under attack by bees in Malawi during her African tour. According to reports, Clinton and her staff were chased on the tarmac of the Lilongwe International airport by a swarm of aggressive “African bees.”
“There was a slight panic as the bees winged across the airport. People could be seen running away to keep cover as the Secretary of State swiftly boarded her plane to avoid any stings,” a witness supposedly told the Nyasa Times, a local Malawian news agency.
News agencies and blogs around the world all picked up on the story, citing the Nyasa Times and the anonymous “eyewitness” account.
There’s only one problem: The story isn’t true.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told ABC News by email that Clinton and her detail were not, in fact, chased out of Malawi by bees.
“There were some bees but no attack, no panic,” said Nuland.
Press traveling with the secretary reported that there was a small swarm that passed the motorcade as they drove up to the airport, lasting perhaps a few seconds at most.
“I was there. Hillary Clinton was NOT chased out of Malawi by bees,” tweeted journalist Ayelet Waldman. “We saw a TINY swarm [around] the van windows. End of story.”
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio