Clinton's Experience On World Stage: "Scant Evidence"

With a debate raging over which presidential candidate has the most experience and best judgment on world affairs, the Chicago Tribune examines Sen. Hillary Clinton's record:

Pressed in a CNN interview this week for specific examples of foreign policy experience that has prepared her for an international crisis, Clinton claimed that she "helped to bring peace" to Northern Ireland and negotiated with Macedonia to open up its border to refugees from Kosovo. She also cited "standing up" to the Chinese government on women's rights and a one-day visit she made to Bosnia following the Dayton peace accords.

Earlier in the campaign, she and her husband claimed that she had advocated on behalf of a U.S. military intervention in Rwanda to stop the genocide there.

But her involvement in the Northern Ireland peace process was primarily to encourage activism among women's groups there, a contribution that the lead U.S. negotiator described as "helpful" but that an Irish historian who has written extensively about the conflict dismissed as "ancillary" to the peace process.

The Macedonian government opened its border to refugees the day before Clinton arrived to meet with government leaders. And her mission to Bosnia was a one-day visit in which she was accompanied by performers Sheryl Crow and Sinbad, as well as her daughter, Chelsea, according to the commanding general who hosted her.

Whatever her private conversations with the president may have been, key foreign policy officials say that a U.S. military intervention in Rwanda was never considered in the Clinton administration's policy deliberations. Despite lengthy memoirs by both Clintons and former Secretary of State and UN Ambassador Madeleine Albright, any advice she gave on Rwanda had not been mentioned until her presidential campaign.

CNN, meanwhile, examined her statements case-by-case:

Northern Ireland

"I helped to bring peace to Northern Ireland," Clinton said on CNN's American Morning on Wednesday. Video Watch more of Clinton's comments on the race »

A Washington Post blogger accused Clinton in January of exaggerating her involvement in Northern Ireland.

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But former Democratic Senate majority leader George Mitchell, who was a U.S. special envoy to Northern Ireland, told CNN that while Clinton was not directly involved in negotiations, she did play a helpful role in bringing in women's groups that made a difference.

Mitchell is a Democratic superdelegate and has not publicly endorsed Clinton or Obama.

Rep. Peter King, a Republican from New York, was also involved in the process. He recalls one late-night meeting with former President Bill Clinton, Sen. Clinton and Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams.

"There was a discussion of how the IRA would decommission its weapons. And I know that Sen. Clinton was part of that meeting," King said.

Kosovo

"I negotiated open borders to let fleeing refugees into safety from Kosovo," she said on CNN's American Morning.

In May of 1999, she was in Macedonia visiting refugee camps near the Kosovo border and meeting with Macedonia's president and prime minister.

Sources with knowledge of her visit say she discussed the refugees' plight with those leaders. It's not clear how much she helped since CNN reported at the time that Macedonia reopened its border to Kosovar refugees before Clinton's visit.

China

"I've been standing up against, you know, the Chinese government over women's rights and standing up for human rights in many different places," she said on CNN's American Morning.

During a 1995 visit to Beijing, at a time when her husband's administration was trying to press China on human rights, Sen. Clinton made a speech condemning abuses.
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"No one should be forced to remain silent for fear of religious or political persecution, arrest, abuse or torture," she said.

But a former National Security Council official in the Clinton administration says Clinton didn't attend NSC meetings. So while her experience is extensive, she rarely carried an official portfolio.

Comments

[doneflyin]

There goes the media again, picking on the poor little woman candidate.

Hey you guys, she's gonna cry again and it will be all your fault. All her middle aged girlfriends will have a big old hissy fit and call you names.

Poor wittle coat-tail candidate.

[Squeek]

It's shocking and embarrassing that Clinton would even cite giving a speech in China, a goodwill tour to the Balkans, and urging women's groups to support peace in Northern Ireland as qualifying experience to be President. Clinton's campaign continues to 'dumb down' this entire race. What Clinton describes is no different from what other First Ladies have done and will continue to do - act as goodwill ambassador and travel with their husbands. She's never negotiated a treaty. She wasn't in the situation room when Bill decided to bomb Iraq in 1998. She was not present at Camp David for the 2000 Middle East negotiations.

Clinton continues to pass off her non-elected years and whole adult lifetime as 'hard' experience for the Presidency. The next thing you know Tom Delay wil throw his hat in the ring claiming that killing prepares him for national security crises. Termites to red phone? Why not.

[simplify]

What experience?. Please!!!!! give me a break

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49478

[nazgul]

She does have a lot of experience.

- Iraq
- Iran
- Pakistan
- Cuba
- Venezuela
- NAFTA
- Bill

She's always wrong, but she's got experience.

[SDgirl]

Yes, Republican-lite experience.

[paixa3]

LOL, kudos....

[jrobi]

Does anyone remember Bill Clinton's pardon of the terrorist group FALN and the role those pardons played in securing Hillary's election to the Senate and relationship to the Hispanic community?

"While the pardon scandals that marked Bill and Hillary Clinton's final days in office are remembered as transactions involving cronies, criminals and campaign contributors, the FALN clemencies of 1999 should be remembered in the context of the increasing threat of domestic and transnational terrorism that was ramping up during the Clinton years of alleged peace and prosperity. To wit, the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the 1995 Tokyo subway Sarin attack, the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the 1995 "Bojinka" conspiracy to hijack airplanes and crash them into buildings, the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing, the 1996 Summer Olympics bombing, Osama bin Laden's 1996 and 1998 "Declarations of War" on America, the 1998 East African embassy bombings, the 2000 USS Sullivans bombing attempt, the 2000 USS Cole bombing, and the 2000 Millennium bombing plot."

Read the whole article here: http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB120277819085260827.html

Clinton's supporters are right - she's not a monster. She's a monster with some major juevos for even daring to tell the American people she's running for us. She's running for her. End of story.

[Veri]

All those attacks on Bill's watch. Hey, The Demo-Republican Party was just prepping you for the future. And the future is now.

Get out your Brown Shirts!

[thegreatgiginthesky]

The only thing Clinton fought for is her pocket book.

[Veri]

Short. Concise. To the point. I like it.

[dmthurman]

This race is against Bill Clinton and Obama, Not Hillary. Hillary is not the Canidate that we are voting for, it is Bill Clinton. The Failure of the Obama Camp to overtly bring this to the for front and pronounce it for exactly what it is, has been to date their biggest mistake. Hillary would not be here if not for Bill who is linked in all of the Clinton supporters mind at a deep level. To allow it to only exist at that psychological level that remains hidden, gives Hillary tremendous credibility. The Obama Camp needs to expose this, talk about it, Dialog over Hillary, and directly address Bill Clinton on a continual Basis and link Clinton, Bush, McCain together. He need's to make this election all about Bill because that is what it truely is. I would even recommend that Obama challenge Bill to a Debate as soon as the timing is right. I think that a debate with Bill would be very interesting psychologically for many people.

[ayc]

Interesting concept. Actually, I would love to see Michelle Obama debate Bill Clinton.

[apduncan1]

Obama faced her on this issue whe he told her about comments Bill had made against him; she responded that those were her husband's comments. To which Obama asked her: "Please tell me who am I running against?"

She didn't answer, of course, just turned her back to him, took her broom and flew away.

[cybersense]

Sorry, but no congress, no adminstration and not even HIllary would allow what you are trying to say about Bill Clinton being the person who is really running.

Linking McCain, Bush and Clinton together? You are entirely off your rocker. If you only knew what Democrats that are really involved with this whole process would think of that statement.

[cittykat2]

it is apparent that this was the plan for a long time by the Clintons. From the very begining, Ms. Clinton has claimed that she has the experience, she will be ready "day one." We know that this is not true. For what ever reason, I am disappointed in the media for not coming out and reporting or asking her what her experience is over the 35 years that she has been by Bill's side. We all agree that there should be change, than the media needs to change their tactics and start reporting fairly regarding all of the candidates. They continue to question Mr. Obama but think that it is acceptable that a candidate can have a picnic for the media and the media's reporting will not be slanted after this.

Give us the accurate story regarding the Canandian issue.
Ask Ms. Clinton what are her qualifications and what head of state recognized her and her policies
Why didn't she call for Mark Penn's resignation when he deliberatedly implied that Obama was using/selling drugs? Double standards, this was a few months ago, why didn't she act on "day one."
Why didn't she read the papers regarding the war and perhaps she would not have voted for it.
Why can't she just say that it was a mistake
The American people need to know the working relationship between Ms. Clinton and McCain
Why she would be supportive of him and not Obama.
If she gets the nomination (I hope she doesn't) will Bill become the silent president and he will be answering the phone, not Hillary.
We need a president that will not be controled by the lobbists. This country can do better than Hillary.
posted by kathleen

[IndieGirl]

Finally, the media does their due dilligence and cover the facts! The truth finally comes out. She has been able to lie about her credentials for too long. Now, I want to see specifics facts about the other years of experience she keeps touting.

[Veri]

Why do most people rely upon the media for due dilligence. Isn't that the job of every Citizen?

[Witchitalineman]

Good for Olbermann!

[Mel112008]

I guess handing President Clinton the phone and saying "it's for you Bill" is considered having experience int he White House.

[ayc]

My teenage sons made this point last night. And they were serious. So much for the first woman president.

[Sloane7]

The country is waiting for Hillary Clinton to reveal her tax returns and the donations made to the Clinton Presidential Library. The country wants to know if Hillary Clinton has become beholden to donations made from foreign countries and shielded by her husband, President Clinton, who does not want to make these records available. If there is nothing to worry about, make these records available!!!

[petuniafish]

I don't understand why Obama doesn't hit harder on this stuff.
There is a way to do it FORCEFULLY without being negative. He does not have to
do the "shame on you" stuff.
Just bring up the facts without rancor or the sneering that is characteristic of HRC.
But do it FORCEFULLY.

[CalexenderJ]

The issue is this, Hillary is claiming that she has experience that enables her to better handle a crisis. While there is no doubting she has experience, there is no evidence that she is the one you want answering the phone at 3 am. As mentioned virtually no president has been faced with a "red phone" moment prior to becoming president, so her "crossing the commander-in-chief threshhold" arguement is flawed.

[Independent voter]

hillary's claims are laughable at best. Hollow, empty lies is a more accurate characterization.


You don't let the stewardess fly the plane just because she slept with the pilot. In this case, the pilot slept with a whole lot of other people.

[SmackwaterJack]

Hillary Clinton can be the new Pinocchio-In-Chief, she has the experience. Without question.