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

[winoohno]

MAN -- I am soooooooo glad she is being exposed for the habitual liar/exaggerater that she really is!

Next up, knocking down her claim of "35 years experience fighting for women & children"

[HowietheScreamer]

delete the "for" and you have it right. Her opening act in that little campaign was destroying a 12 year old rape victim. Yea, she's for children.

[rollingdivision]

At least Senator Clinton is experienced enough to be so openly duplicitous. Obama claims he will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. Opps, Samantha Powers speaks again.

Obama foreign policy adviser on the BBC program "Hard Talk", Samantha Powers "He will, of course, not rely on some plan that he’s crafted as a presidential candidate or a U.S. Senator," she said at one point in the interview.

Power downplayed Obama's commitment to quick withdrawal from Iraq on Hard Talk, a program that often exceeds any of the U.S. talk shows in the rigor of its grillings. She was challenged on Obama's Iraq plan, as it appears on his website, which says that Obama "will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months."

"What he’s actually said, after meting with the generals and meeting with intelligence professionals, is that you – at best case scenario – will be able to withdraw one to two combat brigades each month. That’s what they’re telling him. He will revisit it when he becomes president," Power says.

The host, Stephen Sackur, challenged her:"So what the American public thinks is a commitment to get combat forces out in 16 months isn't a commitment isn't it?"

"You can’t make a commitment in March 2008 about what circumstances will be like in January of 2009," she said. "He will, of course, not rely on some plan that he’s crafted as a presidential candidate or a U.S. Senator. He will rely upon a plan – an operational plan – that he pulls together in consultation with people who are on the ground to whom he doesn’t have daily access now, as a result of not being the president. So to think – it would be the height of ideology to sort of say, 'Well, I said it, therefore I’m going to impose it on whatever reality greets me.'"

"It’s a best-case scenario," she said again.

[Oldchef]

If experience is the be-all and end-all, why didn't she drop out in favor of Joe Biden, who actually is experienced and smart and right more often than she?

[avvocato]

Reading this it looks like Sheryl Crow ans Sinbad are now qualified as Commanders in Chief.

[TrueBlueMajority]

Does ANYONE understand what HRC meant with this "commander in chief threshold" comment? And what exactly was the moment (in her mind) when she crossed that threshold--what exactly did she do?

[AZDemocrat500]

Just more Hillary bashing. When will the Obama Post provide balanced and objective reporting?

[TrueBlueMajority]

Keep calling for HRC to be specific about just what it is that she has done that would justify her claims of counting 35 years of experience and discounting Obama's years of life experience. Keep demanding that she release her tax returns. Keep asking her exactly what her role was in the Clinton Administration. Keep exposing her lack of qualifications to be commander in chief. Keep reminding people that she has NO instances of showing good judgment under pressure.

A lot can change in the next six weeks.

[lungfish]

yep, 35 years off bullshitting and fluffing up her resume to look like something she isn't. Hillary is truly the paper tiger.

[Bendersky]

After 7 years of having a nimrod president who's only diplomatic experience when he came in being that he ran a professional baseball team (poorly, from what I uderstand) and was a failed, two term governor who drove a state's economy into the ground (Texas), can we just dispose with the whole "Who has more international experience" question? Or does this only apply to democrats? I mean, it took Bush 7 years to make his first trip to Israel. Does anyone honestly think that either of the dems wouldn't be head-and-shoulders above what we've been getting for the past 7 years? Hell, I could do a better job, and frankly, i'm not sure what intelligent, well-thought out, "reasonable" person couldn't.

And Hillary--You should be ashamed of yourself for propping up a synchopant republican candidate just so you can shoot down your democratic opponent. If you think that particular chicken won't come home to roost come debate/election time, you are in for a rude awakening. Remember, you are talking about the man who has embraced W. and Karl Rove, the men who used his adopted daughter to appeal to southern racism in 2000.

[knosiswar]

If I have relations with Seabicuit or Red Rum (famous racing horses), what kind of odds would I get in Vegas on winning the Kentucky Derby? Right, wouldn't that make me as qualified to run in the Kentucky Derby as Hillary is to answer the phone at 3am? Answer. NO.

I have yet to see the resume of 'EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE' Hillary is running on. Because you can't pin her down on what the criteria 'IS' when she makes a decision. Hillary 'Sybill' Clinton might give you more than you bargained for.

[viv2008]

But Hilary is indeed a monster.

[frustratedinohio]

Why do you suppose these generals are supporting her? Are they just a bunch of foolish idiots? I doubt it.

Whether or not you people want to admit it, I think it's obvious that being married to an American President, if you are an intelligent woman, is worth a whole lot more than the experience Obama has. I think she was involved a lot more than they wanted to admit to back then, since the country seemed to want her to be a more traditional first lady. At the very least she had a bird's eye view. That's a hell of a lot more than any other human being has ever had. I know other first ladies have been in that position, but they were not that intelligent. Humans work at their level of intelligence and hers was right up there with Bills. She has an abundant amount of unique experience. I for one am grateful that knowing what she knows, she still wants the job.

[TheInsomniac]

Last time I checked, Obama has the support of some generals as well. Regardless, I suspect that many psychologists might be able to inform you that no civilian is as willing to go to war than a person who has been trained to go to war. Those generals that are disenfranchised by the Republican Party undoubtedly would flock to the Democrat who is most likely to keep this nation at war: Joe Lieberman... oh, wait, he's not a Democrat anymore. I guess they'll have to settle for Hillary.

[boombox]

I would assume it's because they were friends with her hubby.

[tom928]

I'm an Obama supporter, but I respect this particular defense of Hillary's first lady experience by frustratedinohio. By the same token however, it won't be unfair for Obama to poke back at just how much weight Hillary has given to the idea of her being so much better equipped to answer the 3 AM phone call - I remain convinced this claim was/is more bluster than substantive, because Obama has indeed demonstrated good judgment, cool-headedness, and has in fact done serious foreign policy crafting (more than Hillary) in collaboration with Republican Senator Lugar.

[rmetz74]

Which generals are you referring to?

If your claim were obvious, there wouldn't be questions about it.

I'm a smart woman, but I'm not qualified to do my boyfriend's job (and he's not qualified to do mine.)

Obama has served more years in elected office than she has. When he wasa lawyer, he fought for the same things he fought for in office... When Hillary was a lawyer, she fought for banks.

I'm not saying she has no experence... I'm saying they're a LOT closer in degree of experience than her rhetoric admits.

[tonyrich]

By being the President wife, then Barabra and Laura and the Twins are really ready to run the country. Ge life she is a Sybil type.

[mmerose]

This is also why we care about the failure to disclose the Clinton White House records about pardons, today. Not that the pardons of all presidents aren't almost surely a litany of shame, but that Sen Clinton claims to have been active and influential, and wants us to give her full experience credits, just trust her.

But its those health coverage initiative papers we really want to see. Didn't she tell us a few weeks ago she thought it would be no problem, but her husband is the decisionmaker? Seems to be a problem. I've seen one interview with a former governor, who said he went to Washington to inform himself about what Mrs Clinton was doing with the health project, and he couldn't find out anything, top secret.

Who does this remind us of? Do the words "Dick Cheney's Energy Panel" ring a bell? Same motives for the hush hush too: show me the evidence, Sen Clinton, that your great health coverage project wasn't all about maximizing insurance, HMO and Big Pharma profits first, and failing at begging even a little trickle-down to the peons.

[cybersense]

You know USA did an article about this information you read up on. You know, perhaps you were too young, or missed it. Hillary did position herself in the West Wing and did in fact, attend the Daily Briefings the other aids did along with Bill. In face, some were worried that Hillary had too much of a hand in the Decisions at the time. LOL I remember well, and I have to laugh and giggle now, because you are wondering about if she is experienced enough, against who? Obama.

She most surely is.

[ayc]

From the NYT http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/us/politics/26clinton.html

But during those two terms in the White House, Mrs. Clinton did not hold a security clearance. She did not attend National Security Council meetings. She was not given a copy of the president’s daily intelligence briefing. She did not assert herself on the crises in Somalia, Haiti and Rwanda.

[niikeb]

Apparently the requirement to pick up the phone is opposable thumbs and a command of the English language. Lets just elect a answering machine.

[ntmessage]

This is hogwash. Even if true then by this standard Obama has nil. Zero. Nada. I would rather go with someone that already knows the world leaders, has visited almost 100 counties and was part of an administration that was loved and respected by the world.

Indeed one of Obama's aides made a rookie mistake on the foreign stage today. Kennedy was tested early on and almost started WWIII.

The real question is who you trust not to screw it up, as Bush did. I go with Clinton.