Ahern praises Hillary’s role in peace process

BERTIE AHERN became embroiled in the bitter race for the US presidency last night as he backed Hillary Clinton’s disputed claims to have been a peace-broker in the North.

Following a meeting with the Democratic party hopeful, the Taoiseach insisted those who tried to talk down her role in achieving the Belfast accord were wrong.

Ms Clinton’s assertion to have aided the peace process while first lady has drawn considerable fire from the camp of her challenger for the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama.

A spokesperson for Senator Obama stated Ms Clinton inflated her role and could not even claim partial credit for peace in the North.

However, in comments likely to be seized on by the Clinton campaign, Mr Ahern said the former first lady had given “enormous heart” to those involved in the Good Friday Agreement, and the Taoiseach said this had been accepted by her rival in a telephone call.

“In my conversation that was totally acknowledged by Senator Obama,” Mr Ahern said as he concluded his annual St Patrick’s Day visit to the White House.

President Bush used the traditional shamrock presentation ceremony to applaud both sides in the power-sharing executive at Stormont who “have shown great courage to put behind them a terrible past and focus on a hopeful future”.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams and former Northern minister Ian Paisley Jnr were in the audience to hear the remarks.

The ceremony followed hour-long talks between the Taoiseach and Mr Bush in the Oval Office that covered immigration, trouble in the world economy, investment in the North and the deployment of Irish troops in Chad.

After the discussions and a lunch with Congressional leaders, Mr Ahern made it clear an amnesty for the 25,000 to 50,000 illegal Irish in the US was now out of the question.

“The concept of an amnesty is just not on. People shouldn’t be trying to give people an impression that something that isn’t on is on,” he said.

The Taoiseach added the best that could be hoped for was some form of visa exchange for people under 35 between the US and Ireland along similar terms to a deal already operating between the Republic and Australia.

Mr Ahern added the president briefed him on the unfolding turmoil in the banking system and the Taoiseach admitted he had expected problems to have “washed through” by now, but now accepted it would take a lot longer to stabilise credit markets.

Mr Ahern will return to Washington next month to address both houses of congress.