Bullet Point Election News: Hillary Clinton's Foreign Policy History in Ireland

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Hillary Clinton said Wednesday, "I helped bring peace to Northern Ireland." She has used the example to show her foreign policy credentials and draw a contrast with Barack Obama.

A press release titled "Restoring America's Standing in the World" on http://www.hillaryclinton.com/ said "She has continued to advance peace in Northern Ireland by maintaining close ties with Irish leaders and promoting business partnerships between Northern Ireland and the United States."

Another press release titled "MEMO: Obama Campaign Attacks: Just Words:" said "Northern Ireland:
The Obama campaign claims George Mitchell, the person in charge of the investigation, supports their view that Hillary's claims about Northern Ireland are exaggerated. John Hume, who won the Nobel Prize for Peace for his work on Northern Ireland: I can state from firsthand experience that she played a positive role for over a decade in helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland... Anyone criticizing her foreign policy involvement should look at her very active and positive approach to Northern Ireland and speak with the people of Northern Ireland who have the highest regard for her and are very grateful for her very active support for our peace process. George Mitchell, who is cited in the Obama memo as an authoritative source, told Katie Couric last night that Hillary played "a helpful and supportive role" in Northern Ireland that ended up making "a difference in the process." He described what Hillary has said about her role as "accurate." More on Hillary's work in Northern Ireland HERE."

The telegraph.co.uk reports that "Lord Trimble of Lisnagarvey (formerly David Trimble), joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and former Northern Ireland First Minister was pretty withering, saying her claims were a “wee bit silly”. And the Clinton campaign was very quick to react – sending me a statement from John Hume (former SDLP leader, who won the Nobel Prize with Trimble) and putting me in touch with Congressman Peter King, a Republican of the American as well as the Irish variety, who was unstinting in his praise of her."

The reporter says "I spoke to him too late to get it into the actual story but here’s what he said plus some more pointers on whether Hillary’s claims hold water. Here’s Representative King’s take: “She was actively involved. It was George Mitchell who was negotiating and Bill Clinton who was calling a lot of the shots but Hillary, first of all she had access to the President on I think it was three trips to Northern Ireland. She knew all of the players on a first-name basis….She was certainly more than just someone along for the ride. She spoke with some authority. I consider her to be a serious player. I say that as someone who supports John McCain and wants Hillary Clinton defeated in November. But fair is fair.”"