Factcheck.org: Hillary's Adventures Abroad
We're hardly in a position to dispute a private conversation between Bill and Hillary Clinton. It is worth noting, however, that the conversation doesn't seem to have had any sort of verifiable effect. The conversation is not recorded in the memoirs of either Clinton. And there is no record of the former president raising the possibility of deploying troops with any of his advisers. Prudence Bushnell, the State Department official who held the Rwanda portfolio during the Clinton administration, told the Tribune that the U.S. did not ever consider a military intervention in Rwanda. Bushnell is not affiliated with any campaign. For that matter, the U.S. took an active role in removing the few international peacekeeping forces that had been in place. According to an article in The Atlantic by Samantha Power of Harvard (and author of a Pulitzer Prize-winning book on America's role in combating genocide), "staying out of Rwanda was an explicit U.S. policy objective." Power, of course, was an Obama adviser until her celebrated reference to Clinton as a "monster," but Power's article was written in September 2001 – well before Obama ran for the U.S. Senate.
Chinese Rights
On March 5, Clinton told CNN that "I've been standing up against ... the Chinese government over women's rights and standing up for human rights." Clinton is referring to a speech (you can watch it here) that she delivered in 1995 as part of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women. Clinton was critical of China's record on human rights generally and on women's rights in particular, and her forceful remarks drew praise at home from Republicans and Democrats alike. The Chinese were less pleased; her remarks were blacked out, and only 5,000 party members were permitted to hear the speech. Moreover, Clinton's speech achieved a diplomatic end: As incentive for the first lady to come to China, the Chinese government released Harry Wu, a human rights activist whom the government had jailed following his conviction on spurious espionage charges.
Clinton is exactly right as to the details of her China speech. Does a tough speech count as foreign policy experience? Clinton frequently says that Obama "offers speeches" while she "offers solutions," so by her own standards, the China speech doesn't deserve much consideration. We'll leave it up to you to determine how much China's human rights situation improved between 1995 and 2007.
Republished with permission from factcheck.org.
Sources
Baker, Peter. "The Trail: Hold the Crumpets." The Washington Post, 29 December 2007.
BBC News. "Trimble and Hume Centre Stage for Referendum," 19 May 1998.
Benac, Nancy. "Clinton's Foreign Policy Record Examined." AP, 8 March 2008.
Berke, Richard L. "Irish Feel Fierce Crosswinds as Fateful Vote Nears." 20 May 1998. The New York Times. 13 March 2008.
Clinton, Hillary. "George Stephanopoulos' Exclusive Interview with Sen. Hillary Clinton." George Stephanopoulous, 30 Dec. 2007.
Dorning, Mike and Christi Parsons. "Clinton's experience claim under scrutiny." Chicago Tribune, 7 March 2008
Hamby, Peter. "Clinton: Obama 'missing in action'." CNN. 29 Feb. 2008.
Harnden, Toby. "Nobel Winner: Hillary Clinton's 'silly' Irish Peace Claims." The Telegraph, 8 March 2008.
Healy, Patrick. "The Résumé Factor: Those 2 Terms as First Lady." The New York Times, 26 Dec. 2007.
Helman, Scott. "Bill Clinton: Hillary was right on Rwanda." Boston Globe, 10 Dec. 2007.
"Hillary Clinton to Visit Troops." Orlando Sentinel, 25 March 1996.
Lake, Anthony. "Bosnia After Dayton." U.S. Department of State Dispatch, 24 June 1996.
Murphy, Dean E. "Mrs. Clinton Suggests That U.S. Engage Aggressively in World Affairs." 18 October 2000. The New York Times. 13 March 2008.
Pomfret, John. "Everyone Say 'Hoo-ah! 'In Bosnia, Mrs. Clinton Gets a Warm Welcome." The Washington Post, 26 March 1996.
Power, Samantha. "Bystanders to Genocide." The Atlantic, Sept. 2001.
Oliver, Joe. "Hume Put Health on the Line in His Pursuit of Peace." 19 October 1998. Irish Examiner. 13 March 2008.
Reuters. "Hillary Clinton's Thanks on Bosnia." The New York Times, 25 March 1996.
Rhode, David. "Crisis in the Balkans: Macedonia." The New York Times, 24 May 1999.
"Schedule for Trip of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to Macedonia." U.S. Newswire, 13 May 1999.
Staunton, Denis. "Obama campaign accuses Clinton of inflating NI role." The Irish Times, 12 March 2008.
"The Facts: Hillary and Kosovo." The Fact Hub, 8 March 2008.
"The Facts: Hillary and Northern Ireland." The Fact Hub, 8 March 2008.
Vlahou, Toula. "Mrs. Clinton brings hope, pledge to dispirited camp." Boston Globe, 15 May 1999.
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Member Comments
Posted By: Illinois Voter @ 04/14/2008 1:32:44 AM
Comment: As has been reported, Mrs. Clinton?s trip to Bosnia included a U.S.O.
component with the comedian Sinbad and the singer Sheryl Crow. The
helicopters that carried them to performances at American base camps
zigzagged just above the trees to avoid potential ground fire, according
to Carey Cavanaugh, who was then a State Department official traveling
with Sinbad, and helicopters flew alongside to deal with the threat of
anti-aircraft fire or snipers. These facts explain why many of us,
including the first lady, believed that the conditions on the ground
were precarious. We were worried about sniper fire and were prepared to
rush off the tarmac when we landed.
In their single-minded focus on the landing in Tuzla, reporters and
commentators have omitted any discussion of what Mrs. Clinton
accomplished on her trip. In addition to showing support for our troops
and for the peace accords in Bosnia, Mrs. Clinton met with Bosnian
religious leaders, women and community activists and, when she returned
to Washington, was able to give administration officials her firsthand
assessment of the nascent reconstruction effort.
After leaving Bosnia, she met with leaders of Turkey and Greece and in
those countries promoted efforts on behalf of international development
and democracy. In Istanbul, five years before 9/11, Mrs. Clinton
presciently convened representatives of some of the world?s major
religions to advance a dialogue about religious reconciliation and ways
to counter religious extremism.
The video of her arrival on the tarmac in Bosnia may be great theater
and easy fodder for commentators, but it shouldn?t be allowed to obscure
what else was happening on this important trip when the cameras weren?t
rolling.
Lissa Muscatine was the chief speechwriter and Melanne Verveer was the
chief of staff for Hillary Rodham Clinton when she was first lady. Ms.
Muscatine is an adviser to Mrs. Clinton?s presidential campaign.
Posted By: Illinois Voter @ 04/14/2008 1:30:56 AM
Comment: <http://www.nytimes.com/adx/bin/adx_click.html?type=goto&page=www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/opinion&pos=Frame4A&sn2=f8475720/9aad5d74&sn1=e953c8ee/c8117c88&camp=foxsearch2008_emailtools_810902c-nyt5&ad=UTSM3.19.8&goto=http://www.foxsearchlight.com/underthesamemoon/>
By LISSA MUSCATINE and MELANNE VERVEER
Published: April 1, 2008
Washington
AS staff members who traveled with the first lady, Hillary Rodham
Clinton, to Bosnia in March 1996, we have followed with more than
passing interest the extensive news coverage of her landing in Tuzla.
Video footage clearly shows that Mrs. Clinton?s assertions that she
landed ?under fire? and that the arrival ceremony was canceled were
wrong. She said so herself last week.
Yet even since she acknowledged her mistake, the commentary has
continued unabated. Reports are now being embellished (to borrow the
term du jour) to suggest that Bosnia was not really a danger zone. Her
visiting American troops on a peacekeeping mission in a hostile
environment is now being treated as if it were a trip to the beach.
During a week of nonstop coverage, few journalists went beyond the
irresistible video footage to ask what else happened on this trip and
how Mrs. Clinton might have erred in the details about the landing in
Tuzla. So here are some facts that provide context:
We flew in a C-17 cargo plane from Germany to Bosnia precisely because
it was capable of steep descents and ascents into and out of areas of
conflict. We were issued flak jackets on the plane before landing in
Tuzla and were told the tarmac ceremony might be canceled or curtailed
due to sniper fire from the surrounding hillsides. The first lady and
Chelsea Clinton were moved to the armored cockpit for the landing.
Armored vehicles were placed around the tarmac, and Apache helicopters
hovered overhead.
In a recent e-mail message to a British blogger, Ejup Ganic, who was the
acting president of Bosnia during Mrs. Clinton?s visit, wrote: ?I
remember that visit quite well. Although the NATO troops were in Tuzla,
we still believed that some positions on the hills were occupied by
radical Serbs, so I was worried about the overall safety.? The planned
welcoming ceremony was shortened, he said, but it still lasted a bit
longer than expected because a nongovernment group brought along a
little girl to sing to the first lady.
Later, Mrs. Clinton flew from Tuzla to two military outposts by
helicopter, escorted by Apache gunships.
Posted By: Jumpingnots @ 04/06/2008 8:28:55 PM
Comment: Hilary is an repeted liar that we all know by now there comes not an straight forward word out of her mouse
she is a born liar so despared to tell you anythink to get her and Bill back in that White-House for her own ego trip.NOT THIS TIME VOTE OBAMA !!!!!