Nobel Winner: Hillary's Northern Ireland Peace Claims A "Wee Bit Silly"

London Telegraph:

Hillary Clinton had no direct role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland and is a "wee bit silly" for exaggerating the part she played, according to Lord Trimble of Lisnagarvey, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former First Minister of the province.

"I don't know there was much she did apart from accompanying Bill [Clinton] going around," he said. Her recent statements about being deeply involved were merely "the sort of thing people put in their canvassing leaflets" during elections. "She visited when things were happening, saw what was going on, she can certainly say it was part of her experience. I don't want to rain on the thing for her but being a cheerleader for something is slightly different from being a principal player."

Read the whole story: London Telegraph

Comments

[athy]

Here is another example of Sen Clinton’s Int’l Experience-And It Involves Iraq Decision-Learn What Really Happened…

Sen Bill Nelson (FL) was one of the 77 senators who voted for Iraq War Resolution.
Nelson described for the Congressional Record ( pp S311-S312 dated January 28,2004) the days leading up to the 10/02 U.S. Senate vote on the Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of US Armed Forces Against Iraq. He explains how the House and Senate members were not told the truth about weapons of mass destruction, about troop levels, about the cost of the war, about sectarian violence.
In addition, I had read somewhere that just before the vote, about 75 senators were told in closed session specific details regarding how Saddam Hussein had the means of attacking the eastern seaboard of the U.S. with biological or chemical weapons delivered by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The discussions which take place in a closed session are subject to confidentiality rules and are similar to an executive session, which itself can be open or closed.
All business is considered secret, including Senatorial remarks, votes, and other parliamentary proceedings. The Senate can vote during the session or later to lift the secrecy, at which time the vote and the session proceedings will be published in the Congressional Record.
If a Senator discloses any of the proceedings except as directed by the Senate, the body can vote for expulsion of the member; any officer that does the same would be subject to dismissal. In extreme cases, the Senate could vote the member or official in contempt of Congress.
I don’t know who called the motion and who seconded it so that this can take place.
I don’t know if Sen Clinton was present. I don’t know what was discussed.
Then, on February 2003, Colin Powell presented further evidence in his Iraqi WMD program presentation to the UN Security Council that UAVs were ready to be launched against the U.S.
Sen. Clinton (along with 76 senators and 296 House members) voted in favor of the 2002 Iraq War Resolution, which authorized Pres. Bush to use military force against Iraq, should such action be required to enforce a United Nations Security Council Resolution (26 House & Senate members voted no and 3 abstained-. Force was to be used only after after pursuing with diplomatic efforts. (However, Clinton voted against the Levin Amendment to the Resolution, which would have required the President to conduct vigorous diplomacy at the U.N., and would have also required a separate Congressional authorization to unilaterally invade Iraq. Attempts were made to pass 5 amendments to the Bill. House (spratt, Lee) Senate (Byrd, Levin, durbin). All five failed..
Clinton did vote for the Byrd Amendment to the Resolution, which would have limited the Congressional authorization to one year increments, but the only mechanism necessary for the President to renew his mandate without any Congressional oversight was to claim that the Iraq War was vital to national security each year the authorization required renewal). In addition, Hans Blix the chief United Nations weapons inspector, said that without the congressional Authorization for the Use of Military Force the inspectors would never have been allowed into Iraq. According to Joe Wilson, Sen. Clinton’s approach -- and that of the majority of Democrats in the Senate -- was to let the inspectors complete their work while building an international coalition. .. According to Wilson, the betrayal of the American people, and of the Congress, came when President Bush refused to allow the inspections to succeed, and that betrayal is his and his party's, not the Democrats. After the Iraq War began, Clinton made trips to both Iraq and Afghanistan to visit American troops stationed there. Noting that war deployments were draining regular and reserve forces, she co-introduced legislation to increase the size of the regular United States Army by 80,000 soldiers to ease the strain. She criticized the administration for making poor decisions in the war, but said it was more important to solve the problems in Iraq. Clinton supported retaining and improving health benefits for veterans, and lobbied against the closure of several military bases.[223]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-wilson/battletested_b_86355.html
http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2004_cr/s012804b.html
(Congressional Record 1/28/04)
P.S
According to a detailed investigation conducted by The Center For Public Integrity http://www.publicintegrity.org/WarCard/

“President George W. Bush and seven of his administration's top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, made at least 935 false statements in the two years following September 11, 2001, about the national security threat posed by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Nearly five years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, an exhaustive examination of the record shows that the statements were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses”

[globality]

so she was STUPID

how many people in this list belived there were WMDs in Iraq

how many people on this knew they were all being lead by the neocons Rumsfeld, Perle, Wolffowitz

how may people on this list threw something at the TV in discuss during the pre war period

are we geniuses NO she is a moron.

http://www.clintonscandals2008.com

[Dazedandamazed]

How many of you were in that closed door session? Was Barack there?

[Dazedandamazed]

So you will work with all your might to see that everyone who voted in favor of the AUMF is defeated in the next election that they run in based on that vote? If not you are hypocrites!

[presto]

You're kidding, right?

[presto]

Do you really think an anonymous, opinionated, unattributed website is of any interest to any thinking person?

[DRHoen]

I have a hard time believing "facts" that are "Paid for by Hillary Clinton for President". Can we have a link to a reputable source instead, please?

[txshldm0007]

Queen Clinton has NO Clothes ON !!!

No white-house experience

No international experience

Flipped Flopped on Iraq

Flipped Flopped on Iran

Flipped Flopped on Immigration

Flipped Flopped on NAFTA

Voted for Patriot Act twice

Voted for Nuclear Weapons for Pakistan and India

She opposes to ban Land Mines !!!!

Queen Clinton has NO clothes On

[vincie]

AND OBAMA IS AN EMPTY SUIT

[Dazedandamazed]

"October 1, 2007

Senator Clinton Announces Co-Sponsorship of Webb Legislation Prohibiting the Use of Funds for Military Operations In Iran

Reiterates that President Bush Needs Congressional Authorization Before Attacking Iran

Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced that she is co-sponsoring legislation introduced by Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) that prohibits the use of funds for military operations against Iran without explicit Congressional authorization (S. 759).

Senator Clinton - who has been at the forefront of calling on President Bush to seek authorization from Congress before taking military action against Iran (Read the Senator's Speech on the Senate Floor from February) – said today, “In February, I took to the Senate floor to warn that President Bush needs Congressional Authorization before attacking Iran. Given recent reports about Administration military planning toward Iran and to ensure that Congress plays a proper role in the authorization of any potential military force, today I have added myself as a co-sponsor of a bill introduced by Senator Jim Webb which prohibits the use of funds for military action in Iran without authorization by Congress.”

Senator Clinton added, “Iran has gained expanded influence in Iraq and the region as a result of the Bush Administration's polices which have also rejected diplomacy as a tool for addressing Iranian ambitions. I continue to support and advocate for a policy of entering into talks with Iran, because robust diplomacy is a prerequisite to achieving our aims. I also support strong economic sanctions against Iran, including designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, to improve our leverage with the Iranian regime."

“Any military action against Iran will have an immediate impact on our troops serving in Iraq, our allies in the region as well as long term U.S. strategic interests. Senator's Webb's legislation insures that Congress will play its constitutional role of providing proper oversight over the Administration's policy toward Iran. Congressional oversight and debate can help avoid the mistakes and blunders that have afflicted U.S. policy in Iraq. We cannot allow recent history to repeat itself.”
October 1, 2007

Senator Clinton Announces Co-Sponsorship of Webb Legislation Prohibiting the Use of Funds for Military Operations In Iran

Reiterates that President Bush Needs Congressional Authorization Before Attacking Iran

Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced that she is co-sponsoring legislation introduced by Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) that prohibits the use of funds for military operations against Iran without explicit Congressional authorization (S. 759).

Senator Clinton - who has been at the forefront of calling on President Bush to seek authorization from Congress before taking military action against Iran (Read the Senator's Speech on the Senate Floor from February) – said today, “In February, I took to the Senate floor to warn that President Bush needs Congressional Authorization before attacking Iran. Given recent reports about Administration military planning toward Iran and to ensure that Congress plays a proper role in the authorization of any potential military force, today I have added myself as a co-sponsor of a bill introduced by Senator Jim Webb which prohibits the use of funds for military action in Iran without authorization by Congress.”

Senator Clinton added, “Iran has gained expanded influence in Iraq and the region as a result of the Bush Administration's polices which have also rejected diplomacy as a tool for addressing Iranian ambitions. I continue to support and advocate for a policy of entering into talks with Iran, because robust diplomacy is a prerequisite to achieving our aims. I also support strong economic sanctions against Iran, including designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, to improve our leverage with the Iranian regime."

“Any military action against Iran will have an immediate impact on our troops serving in Iraq, our allies in the region as well as long term U.S. strategic interests. Senator's Webb's legislation insures that Congress will play its constitutional role of providing proper oversight over the Administration's policy toward Iran. Congressional oversight and debate can help avoid the mistakes and blunders that have afflicted U.S. policy in Iraq. We cannot allow recent history to repeat itself.”"



Of Course Obama did NOT VOTE on Senator Webbs legislation.

[midtown]

"Fox News Sunday" FEBRUARY 4, 2007 Interview with Jim Webb.

MARA LIASSON, NPR: Look. Right now, you've got -- Mrs. Clinton is in the unusual position -- we wouldn't have predicted this a year ago. She has no challengers from her right. There are no moderate centrist candidates challenging her. Everyone is to the left.

And I think Mrs. Clinton's rhetoric has gotten more anti-war. I think Lindsey Graham said she went into the left ditch. I wouldn't go that far, because her positions have not changed.

She now says she's for a cap on troops. She's still against a time line or a date certain for withdrawal, whereas Barack Obama has said March 31st, 2008 as the date for troops to be gone, and of course, John Edwards wants to defund the operation right away.

==========­==========­==

[GLaB]

You're quoting FOX NEWS?!?

That's how far journalistic standards have fallen among Obama supporters!!!

Thanks largely to THIS website, I might add, whose own standards make FOX look positively Murrowesque.

[Dazedandamazed]

I notice you quote MARA LIASSON, NPR. Where exactly are the quotes from Senator Webb? Has Senator Webb endorsed Senator Obama?

[Dazedandamazed]

Has Senator Webb enorsed Senator Obama?

[Dazedandamazed]

"Hillary called on General Musharraf to restore Constitution, said Bush Administration's policies had failed. I call on General Musharraf to cancel the state of emergency, restore the Constitution, release arrested opposition leaders, and hold free and fair elections on schedule. The failed policies of the Bush administration are part of the reason we are in this difficult and dangerous position. The policies of this administration have diverted resources and attention from the fight against terrorism on the Afghanista­n-Pakistan border, while inciting radical elements inside Pakistan. We now find ourselves having to cope with yet another threatening challenge made worse by the failed policies of this President." [Clinton Senate Office press release, 11/5/07]"

[Dazedandamazed]

"Hillary met with Macedonian officials 'trying to diffuse any anti-American sentiment and to bolster Macedonia's fragile coalition government. "Hillary Rodham Clinton swept through Macedonia on Friday on a visit that illustrated the Clinton administration's continuing struggle to balance the diverse strands of its Kosovo policy…Ethnic Macedonians, who make up roughly two-thirds of this country's population, generally oppose NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia. They also fear that if ethnic Albanians -- who made up roughly one-third of Macedonia's population before the crisis -- continue to pour in from Kosovo, Macedonians will be reduced to a minority in their own country. So although Clinton spent the morning addressing the suffering of the refugees, she spent the rest of the day trying to defuse any anti-American sentiment and to bolster Macedonia's fragile coalition government, a mix of Macedonian and Albanian parties." [Austin American-Statesman, 5/15/99]"

[midtown]

Produce the link. This is false.

[Dazedandamazed]

It was published in Austin American-Statesman, 5/15/99". Just because you use the source Ann Colter sites as her gospel and cannot find it does not make it false. Maybe you should broaden your sources beyond Colters field of reference.

[midtown]

"WAR IN THE BALKANS:Hillary joins celebrity war zone tours Macedonia"

From: The Independent - London Date: May 15, 1999 Author: Phil Davison in Stankovic


"AS THE crow flies, she was only four miles from Kosovo. As the B- 52 bomber speeds, she was only a few minutes from the village of Korisa, where Nato warplanes were accused of killing about a hundred civilians a few hours earlier.


But Hillary Clinton did not talk of the latest dead or wounded when she toured this camp in northern Macedonia yesterday. Perhaps she had not yet been informed. Instead, she referred to past atrocities, notably those carried out by Adolf Hitler and Slobodan Milosevic, comparing the Yugoslav leader's "ethnic cleansing" to the Holocaust.[...]


Mrs Clinton was the latest in a string of celebrities to visit the refugee camps. Most, if not all, are well-meaning but most, if not all, are equally well aware of the beneficial publicity.


First was the actor Richard Gere, demonstrating Buddhist love towards the Muslim refugees at first hand. This week, we saw Vanessa Redgrave, Bianca Jagger and Roger Moore, who, had he understood Albanian, might have tired of hearing the recurring negative comparisons with Sean Connery. Even in the Balkan countryside, it seems, there will always be only one James Bond.


Few refugees had heard of Ms Redgrave but she was greeted with respect when the word spread that she had tried to help Kosovo long before the Nato bombing began. Ms Jagger, a young Nicaraguan earthquake victim when the rock star met her in the Seventies, walked from tent to tent handing out loaves of bread from the Rome-based World Food Programme, and telling each refugee: "This is a symbol of friendship from a Christian like me to a Muslim like you."


Mrs Clinton was clearly sincerely concerned for the refugees' flight. She picked up children, patted old ladies' shoulders and asked specific questions to understand better, she said, what had befallen them. She appeared to want to hug them but always held back, presumably wary of media criticism that she had gone too far along the photo-op road. She said: "The reason I came here is to tell you that we are working very hard to get you back home."


The refugees listened respectfully but not a single one showed any sign of believing her.
==========­==========­=====

[Dazedandamazed]

So you oppose using celebraties to help draw attention from the media to causes?

[Dazedandamazed]

"Hillary has done the work of real diplomacy, visiting the front lines, meeting with world leaders, and working behind the scenes to make change.

In the midst of the air war over Kosovo, Hillary Clinton arrived in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on May 14, 1999. Despite concerns about security, she traveled to the international border on the edge of the war zone, and visited with refugees. She met separately with Prime Minister Georgievski and President Gligorov, accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia Christopher Hill, to emphasize America’s support for the stability and security of Macedonia. She discussed refugee policy in these meetings. Before she arrived the Macedonian government had an inconsistent policy that frequently severely restricted the flow of refugees. Indeed in the days leading up to her visit, the flow of refugees had slowed greatly. Hillary pressed these leaders to embrace a border policy that would open the way to allow many more Kosovar Albanians to escape the war zone. After talks between Hillary Clinton and the Macedonian leadership, which included the announcement of two million dollars in aid, the government opened the borders much wider, thereby saving many, many lives."

[midtown]

This is being presented as a written news item. THIS IS FALSE. Cannot be verified through Lexis-Nexis, which I subscribe to. No link, and false use of quotes. Can be verified by copying any section of this and going to Highbeam Research and searching for the text string. Even though you have to pay $200/year for Highbeam Research, if you can locate the article without paying for it, you will know its genuine.

[Dazedandamazed]

Hillary met with the Macedonian President and Prime Minister offering an economic development package. (Hillary) "Clinton heard her story Friday morning on her trip to Macedonia, which was aimed at highlighting the plight of ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo and assuring the poor Balkan nation that the United States understands the stress the influx has placed on it. Aid officials say Macedonia has taken about 233,000 of the nearly 800,000 refugees. Clinton met with Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov and Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski. She announced the release of the first $ 2 million in a $ 21 million economic development package for Macedonia that is designed to help the fledgling democracy create new small businesses." [Chicago Tribune, 5/16/99]

[Dazedandamazed]

Hillary met with Macedonian officials 'trying to diffuse any anti-American sentiment and to bolster Macedonia's fragile coalition government. "Hillary Rodham Clinton swept through Macedonia on Friday on a visit that illustrated the Clinton administration's continuing struggle to balance the diverse strands of its Kosovo policy…Ethnic Macedonians, who make up roughly two-thirds of this country's population, generally oppose NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia. They also fear that if ethnic Albanians -- who made up roughly one-third of Macedonia's population before the crisis -- continue to pour in from Kosovo, Macedonians will be reduced to a minority in their own country. So although Clinton spent the morning addressing the suffering of the refugees, she spent the rest of the day trying to defuse any anti-American sentiment and to bolster Macedonia's fragile coalition government, a mix of Macedonian and Albanian parties." [Austin American-Statesman, 5/15/99]

[Dazedandamazed]

The Washington Post: "First Lady Brings Publicity, Aid to Macedonia:" First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, the first high-ranking American to visit here since the Kosovo crisis began, brought two messages to Macedonia today. Touring a refugee camp of 18,000 people, Clinton urged Americans not to become "immune" to the plight of more than 740,000 Kosovo Albanians expelled from their homeland since NATO began its air war against Yugoslavia on March 24. "We are trying to do everything possible to make these lives and stories real, not to let them fade into the background," she said… And she soothed the irritated government of Macedonia, which has taken in the refugees only reluctantly and at the price of more foreign aid. Clinton today added another $ 2 million to the pot -- the first installment of a $ 21 million reallocation of funds for Macedonia… Even as Clinton toured the camp, a few refugees were entering Macedonia from Kosovo. For 10 days, almost no one has crossed the frontier -- initially because Macedonian border guards were blocking refugees, then because Serbian authorities were not allowing them to leave… After her camp tour, Clinton met with Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski, parliamentary president Savo Klimovski and local aid officials, and her message could not have been more straightforward: "I want to clearly express our appreciation to the government of Macedonia for the efforts they have made. It has been an incredible burden on Macedonia." [Washington Post, 5/15/99]

[Dazedandamazed]

Yeah Ann Colter often cites Lexis-Nexis as a source as well. So there is three sources dated. Please tell me again about your superior research. The three above quotes with source and dates proves you are a hack. NEXT.

[Dazedandamazed]

"Every year, she meets with the Taoiseach and other party leaders from Ireland. She continues to take calls from all parties to provide help behind the scenes and to keep the process moving forward. And she has held meetings in her office at the request of Northern Irish officials on job creation, trade, agriculture, autism, policing, economic development " and of course reconciliation.

In December 2007, when Martin McGuiness and Ian Paisley were in Washington, they met with President Bush and Hillary, thanking Hillary for her contribution to the peace process."

[midtown]

Go to Highbeam Researh and enter the search string: Hillary Clinton Taoiseach

[Dazedandamazed]

2007: Hillary honored for her work on the Northern Ireland Peace process. Irish American Magazine named Hillary "Person of the Year", celebrating "her work on the Northern Ireland peace process". [Irish American Magazine, April/May 07"

[midtown]

The honor was for her " her longstanding support for Ireland. Mar 12, 2007 IRISH AMERICA MAGAZINE.

[midtown]

"Senator Clinton has long been a supporter in calling for peace in Ireland. During the 109th Congress Senator Clinton was a champion of a resolution condemning the violence and criminality by the Irish Republic Army and calling for peace in Northern Ireland. She will meet with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern later this week to discuss Ireland's progress to establish peace."

The 109th Congress started Jan 4, 2005. Hillary Clinton took these actions while she was Senator for NY. This award was for her actions as US Senator, NOT DURING THE 1990s as Dazedandamazed is trying to imply.

[Dazedandamazed]

Does it not say 2007 in my post. Was she not a Senator in 2007. Does that make it any less her accomplishment. After all you claim that she has no experience except being married to Bill so I post something said about her accomplishments in 2007 and you claim it is to recent to be relevent? So what foreign affairs acheivement can Senator Obama claim for 2007?

[Dazedandamazed]

If you need sources from the 1990's here you go...

1999: Hillary made frequent trips to Northern Ireland where she was 'not just in the humdrum affairs of state…but in the nitty gritty of the political scene' “A few years back the notion of an American First Lady speaking out on any aspect of life in Northern Ireland would have been taboo. Now it is accepted that not just this First Lady but also her husband make frequent trips to the North, and that they become involved not just in the humdrum affairs of state such as opening a new training center or mouthing niceties at a conference, but in the nitty gritty of the political scene too." [Irish Voice, May 25, 1999]

[athy]

“Hillary Clinton has repeatedly cited her White House years as key to why she has the ability to serve as president from "Day One." Both she and her husband have pointed to her "independent" role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland as an example of her foreign policy experience. Her critics, notably former Clinton pollster Dick Morris, have poured scorn on her claim that she was "intimately involved" in the peace process. So who is right?”

Mr Norris, I challenge you to tell me where & when Sen Clinton stated that she was “deeply involved “ OR “Intimately Involved” with this peace process?

You are using a straw man argument. Sorry. It wont work. You attribute something to her that is incorrect…and then you proceed to discredit what you created for attribution.
Acc to her website: 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
www.hillaryclinton.com
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/07/clinton_trumpets_role_as_irish_peace_facilitator/
"She was very much involved in encouraging the emergence of women in the political process in northern Ireland, which was a significant factor in ultimately getting an agreement," Mitchell told me. Mitchell believes that Clinton's time in the White House enabled her to become "personally acquainted" with world leaders, which will help her if she becomes president.”
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/07/clinton_trumpets_role_as_irish_peace_facilitator/
Indisputably, Clinton promoted peace in Northern Ireland during several trips there in the 1990s. Among those who followed the peace process, memories differ on whether her role was decisive. One activist from Northern Ireland recalls that Clinton did bring enemies together. A prominent journalist, however, doubts she could have brought foes together for the first time, as she describes
We should be focused on these two very disturbing articles-instead of challenging straw man arguments. Please guys-stop trying to ‘dumb down” the voters…
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070219/hayes Check out this article in The Nation magazine
“Obama’s Media Maven” by Chrisptoher Hayes. 2/19/08 issue

This article supports what The Nation magazine author reports-

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=aa0cd21b-0ff2-4329-88a1-69c6c268b304

The New Republic
Race Man
by Sean Wilentz
How Barack Obama played the race card and blamed Hillary Clinton.
Post Date Wednesday, February 27, 2008


If I sound outraged, it is because I am outraged. The voters are being played with & manipulated…

[JakeEasy]

Typical HuffPo puffery. Found a right wing rag quoting a stuffy old Englsh lord who doesn't want to share credit. HuffPo's summary leave it out, but you have to go all the way to the end of the article to find where the man who did share the Nobel Prize is amazed that the puffy old lord would say that Hillary wasn't influential. Slanted and selective journalism? No, not much.

[gappedtoothgodwarrior]

"quoting a stuffy old Englsh lord "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Trimble

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Peerage

Before you pontificate, read a little on the facts, it prevents one from seeming like an ignorant twat

[Dazedandamazed]

Hillary traveled to Northern Ireland seven times between 1995 and 2004, and gave what Northern Irish leader and Nobel Laureate John Hume recently described as “decisive support” to the peace process in Northern Ireland. She focused especially on encouraging the emergence of women in the political process. In addition, Hillary's work at the grass roots and behind-the-scenes helped cultivate the conditions necessary for the peace to take hold and last.

As political leaders on all sides of the process have attested, Hillary made important contributions in a wide variety of ways. She made private calls to the negotiating parties on all sides and at all levels to encourage them towards peace. She gave advice and technical assistance to Northern Ireland leaders on a range of governance issues. She used the bully pulpit to inspire and to challenge at a major address in 1998 before leaders from the contending sides.

In 1998 under the auspices of the U.S.-led Vital Voices Democracy Initiative, established by Hillary and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright the previous year – Hillary brought together 400 women in Belfast, Northern Ireland to foster their rise to prominence and leadership and to ensure that their success helped support peace. She met with community workers and with women politicians in Northern Ireland to encourage them to take on a larger role. She carried a pledge to the government of Ireland that the United States would remain a partner in the peace process.

Senator George Mitchell said that “She was very much involved in encouraging the emergence of women in the political process in Northern Ireland, which was a significant factor in ultimately getting an agreement.”

Hillary’s efforts have continued as Senator. She visited the Republic of Ireland on her first trip during her Senate term, and Northern Ireland on her second trip, where she spoke with all of the major leaders in Northern Ireland.

Every year, she meets with the Taoiseach and other party leaders from Ireland. She continues to take calls from all parties to provide help behind the scenes and to keep the process moving forward. And she has held meetings in her office at the request of Northern Irish officials on job creation, trade, agriculture, autism, policing, economic development – and of course reconciliation.

In December 2007, when Martin McGuiness and Ian Paisley were in Washington, they met with President Bush and Hillary, thanking Hillary for her contribution to the peace process.

Testimonials:

Statement from John Hume former MP MEP, founder of the SDLP and an architect of the Good Friday Agreement. He is the only person to win the Nobel Prize for Peace, the Ghandi Peace Award and the Martin Luther King Peace Prize.

“I am quite surprised that anyone would suggest that Hillary Clinton did not perform important foreign policy work as First Lady. I can state from firsthand experience that she played a positive role for over a decade in helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland.

She visited Northern Ireland, met with very many people and gave very decisive support to the peace process. There is no doubt that the people of Northern Ireland think very positively of Hillary Clinton’s support for our peace process, due to her visits to Northern Ireland and her meetings with so many people. In private she made countless calls and contacts, speaking to leaders and opinion makers on all sides, urging them to keep moving forward.

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.”
Inez McCormack, first female president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions:

"Hillary Clinton took risks for peace in asking me and others to bring women and communities from both traditions to affirm their capacity to work for common purpose and to assert, when there was no public dialogue which supported it, that working for common purpose on the basis of mutual respect was the core of effective peace building. She used her immense influence to give women like me space to develop this work and validated it every step of the way. This approach is now taken for granted bit it wasn't then. She told us that if we take risks for peace, she would stay with us on that journey. In my experience, it took hard work, attention to detail and a commitment of time and energy which she delivered steadily and where it was needed over the last decade."
Baroness May Blood of the House of Lords, who worked for many years as a community leader in Shankill area of West Belfast

"The First Lady sent the message that the work and influence that grassroots women were undertaking within their communities was just as important as anything else that was taking place. I witnessed her building new confidence in women at the grassroots level and their statue grew within Northern Ireland as a consequence. All of a sudden they were being taken more seriously. The message we were also told by Hillary Clinton was that this work needed a political focus."
Geraldine McAteer, Chief Executive of West Belfast Partnership Board

"As First Lady, Hillary Clinton was extremely supportive of the peace process in Northern Ireland, and in particular, of the women who live here. In her visits during the peace process negotiations she met with women from a range of backgrounds and she recognized there was a real need to strengthen and support the voices of women in the post conflict context and get the needs of women and communities to the forefront of the new political agenda. She recognized that this would be best done through building the skillls of women here. Through her Vital Voices Conference in September 1998, I and others were able to develop our skills for the betterment of our communities."

News reports:

2007: Hillary honored for her work on the Northern Ireland Peace process. Irish American Magazine named Hillary “Person of the Year”, celebrating “her work on the Northern Ireland peace process”. [Irish American Magazine, April/May 07]
2007: Hillary met with Irish leaders who wanted to 'pay their respects to Hillary' for her work on behalf of peace in Northern Ireland. Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley recently traveled to Washington on behalf of the fledging Northern Ireland government, and they specifically requested two personal meetings: one with President George W. Bush and one with Senator Hillary Clinton. They wanted to “pay their respects to Hillary” for her long and varied role in promoting and working for peace in Northern Ireland. [Guardian, December 8, 2007]. As McGuinness put it, “these are wonderfully exciting times for all of us back home, not least because of the contributions made by President Clinton and Mrs. Clinton.” [AP, December 7, 2007].
1999: Northern Ireland Secretary: ‘Hillary is one of the essential reasons’ Ireland had peace. An August 1999 issue of Talk Magazine quotes Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam: "Hillary is one of the essential reasons we've had 18 months of relative peace. Without her we would have no economic boom."
1999: Hillary made frequent trips to Northern Ireland where she was 'not just in the humdrum affairs of state…but in the nitty gritty of the political scene' “A few years back the notion of an American First Lady speaking out on any aspect of life in Northern Ireland would have been taboo. Now it is accepted that not just this First Lady but also her husband make frequent trips to the North, and that they become involved not just in the humdrum affairs of state such as opening a new training center or mouthing niceties at a conference, but in the nitty gritty of the political scene too." [Irish Voice, May 25, 1999]

[Dazedandamazed]

"Hillary traveled to Northern Ireland seven times between 1995 and 2004, and gave what Northern Irish leader and Nobel Laureate John Hume recently described as “decisive support” to the peace process in Northern Ireland. She focused especially on encouraging the emergence of women in the political process. In addition, Hillary's work at the grass roots and behind-the-scenes helped cultivate the conditions necessary for the peace to take hold and last.

As political leaders on all sides of the process have attested, Hillary made important contributions in a wide variety of ways. She made private calls to the negotiating parties on all sides and at all levels to encourage them towards peace. She gave advice and technical assistance to Northern Ireland leaders on a range of governance issues. She used the bully pulpit to inspire and to challenge at a major address in 1998 before leaders from the contending sides.

In 1998 under the auspices of the U.S.-led Vital Voices Democracy Initiative, established by Hillary and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright the previous year – Hillary brought together 400 women in Belfast, Northern Ireland to foster their rise to prominence and leadership and to ensure that their success helped support peace. She met with community workers and with women politicians in Northern Ireland to encourage them to take on a larger role. She carried a pledge to the government of Ireland that the United States would remain a partner in the peace process.

Senator George Mitchell said that “She was very much involved in encouraging the emergence of women in the political process in Northern Ireland, which was a significant factor in ultimately getting an agreement.”

Hillary’s efforts have continued as Senator. She visited the Republic of Ireland on her first trip during her Senate term, and Northern Ireland on her second trip, where she spoke with all of the major leaders in Northern Ireland.

Every year, she meets with the Taoiseach and other party leaders from Ireland. She continues to take calls from all parties to provide help behind the scenes and to keep the process moving forward. And she has held meetings in her office at the request of Northern Irish officials on job creation, trade, agriculture, autism, policing, economic development – and of course reconciliation.

In December 2007, when Martin McGuiness and Ian Paisley were in Washington, they met with President Bush and Hillary, thanking Hillary for her contribution to the peace process.

Testimonials:

Statement from John Hume former MP MEP, founder of the SDLP and an architect of the Good Friday Agreement. He is the only person to win the Nobel Prize for Peace, the Ghandi Peace Award and the Martin Luther King Peace Prize.

“I am quite surprised that anyone would suggest that Hillary Clinton did not perform important foreign policy work as First Lady. I can state from firsthand experience that she played a positive role for over a decade in helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland.

She visited Northern Ireland, met with very many people and gave very decisive support to the peace process. There is no doubt that the people of Northern Ireland think very positively of Hillary Clinton’s support for our peace process, due to her visits to Northern Ireland and her meetings with so many people. In private she made countless calls and contacts, speaking to leaders and opinion makers on all sides, urging them to keep moving forward.

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.”
Inez McCormack, first female president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions:

"Hillary Clinton took risks for peace in asking me and others to bring women and communities from both traditions to affirm their capacity to work for common purpose and to assert, when there was no public dialogue which supported it, that working for common purpose on the basis of mutual respect was the core of effective peace building. She used her immense influence to give women like me space to develop this work and validated it every step of the way. This approach is now taken for granted bit it wasn't then. She told us that if we take risks for peace, she would stay with us on that journey. In my experience, it took hard work, attention to detail and a commitment of time and energy which she delivered steadily and where it was needed over the last decade."
Baroness May Blood of the House of Lords, who worked for many years as a community leader in Shankill area of West Belfast

"The First Lady sent the message that the work and influence that grassroots women were undertaking within their communities was just as important as anything else that was taking place. I witnessed her building new confidence in women at the grassroots level and their statue grew within Northern Ireland as a consequence. All of a sudden they were being taken more seriously. The message we were also told by Hillary Clinton was that this work needed a political focus."
Geraldine McAteer, Chief Executive of West Belfast Partnership Board

"As First Lady, Hillary Clinton was extremely supportive of the peace process in Northern Ireland, and in particular, of the women who live here. In her visits during the peace process negotiations she met with women from a range of backgrounds and she recognized there was a real need to strengthen and support the voices of women in the post conflict context and get the needs of women and communities to the forefront of the new political agenda. She recognized that this would be best done through building the skillls of women here. Through her Vital Voices Conference in September 1998, I and others were able to develop our skills for the betterment of our communities."

News reports:

2007: Hillary honored for her work on the Northern Ireland Peace process. Irish American Magazine named Hillary “Person of the Year”, celebrating “her work on the Northern Ireland peace process”. [Irish American Magazine, April/May 07]
2007: Hillary met with Irish leaders who wanted to 'pay their respects to Hillary' for her work on behalf of peace in Northern Ireland. Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley recently traveled to Washington on behalf of the fledging Northern Ireland government, and they specifically requested two personal meetings: one with President George W. Bush and one with Senator Hillary Clinton. They wanted to “pay their respects to Hillary” for her long and varied role in promoting and working for peace in Northern Ireland. [Guardian, December 8, 2007]. As McGuinness put it, “these are wonderfully exciting times for all of us back home, not least because of the contributions made by President Clinton and Mrs. Clinton.” [AP, December 7, 2007].
1999: Northern Ireland Secretary: ‘Hillary is one of the essential reasons’ Ireland had peace. An August 1999 issue of Talk Magazine quotes Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam: "Hillary is one of the essential reasons we've had 18 months of relative peace. Without her we would have no economic boom."
1999: Hillary made frequent trips to Northern Ireland where she was 'not just in the humdrum affairs of state…but in the nitty gritty of the political scene' “A few years back the notion of an American First Lady speaking out on any aspect of life in Northern Ireland would have been taboo. Now it is accepted that not just this First Lady but also her husband make frequent trips to the North, and that they become involved not just in the humdrum affairs of state such as opening a new training center or mouthing niceties at a conference, but in the nitty gritty of the political scene too." [Irish Voice, May 25, 1999]"

[Dazedandamazed]

Sorry about the double post. My Bad.

[AnninCA]

I've hit the first page of comments.

Come on, Huff........pretend to be fair.

[TerryFL]

.

Ann, please consider getting a boyfriend, girlfriend, dog, cat, or hamster...., take up pottery, golf, bridge, or painting, ...consider drinking, smoking, or shooting guns......but please STOP posting all the crap you post. .

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[AnninCA]

OK, I finally got how to get to the headline story.

Clearly, she's well respected and isn't inflating her role in this process.

More important, I think the solutions found in that region give all of us a blueprint for how to handle our own seemingly intractable problems.

It's terrific to know that she has insight.