McCain: Envoy decision ‘risks’ progress

BARACK OBAMA’S decision to consider whether a special US envoy to the North was still necessary puts progress in the province “at risk”, his Republican rival John McCain’s campaign said yesterday.

McCain said the move showed the Democrat’s “total lack of experience and profoundly poor judgment on matters of foreign policy” and was further evidence that the Illinois senator was “simply not ready to lead”.

Brian Rogers, a spokesman for the McCain campaign, said: “The special US envoy was first appointed by president Clinton and has been critical to fostering peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.