http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/clinton-rules-out-negotiations-with-hamas/2009/01/14/1231608743657.html
Clinton rules out negotiations with Hamas January 14, 2009 - 6:12AM US secretary of state-designate Hillary Clinton on Tuesday ruled out negotiations with the Hamas militant group until it recognises Israel and abandons violence, saying her position is "absolute". "On Israel, you cannot negotiate with Hamas until it renounces violence, recognises Israel and agrees to abide by past agreements," Clinton told a Senate confirmation hearing. "That is just for me an absolute." Clinton also vowed to renew US leadership through a ``smart power'' mix of diplomacy and defence and promised to push for stronger US alliances around the globe. "We must build a world with more partners and fewer adversaries,'' said the woman that President-elect Barack Obama took for his administration's leading diplomatic job. "America cannot solve the most pressing problems on our own ... and the world cannot solve them without America'' Borrowing a phrase meant to signal a move away from the militarisation of US foreign policy, Clinton said: "We must use what has been called 'smart power', the full range of tools at our disposal,'' she said. "With 'smart power', diplomacy will be the vanguard of foreign policy.'' She credited Secretary of Defence Robert Gates with stimulating debate about the role of diplomacy and other civilian institutions' roles in fighting the global war on terror, endorsing his call for providing the State Department with more resources and a bigger budget. She assured the committee that if confirmed, the State Department "will be firing on all cylinders'' - applying pressure when needed and looking for opportunities to advancing US interests. Clinton, with daughter Chelsea in attendance, appeared set to sail smoothly through her hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, despite concerns among some lawmakers that the global fundraising of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, could pose ethical conflicts for her as secretary of state. Her husband was not present at the hearing. Senator John Kerry, a Democrat and chairman of the committee, said in opening the hearing that he welcomed Clinton's nomination, calling her "extraordinarily capable and smart''. In his opening remarks, Senator Richard Lugar, the panel's top Republican, praised Clinton, calling her "the epitome of a big leaguer" who is fully qualified for the job and whose presence at the State Department could open new opportunities for American diplomacy, including the possibility of improving the United States' image in the world. But Lugar also raised questions about the issue of Bill Clinton's fundraising work and its relation to her wife's new post. Lugar said that the only way for Clinton to avoid a potential conflict of interest due to her husband's charity is to forswear any new foreign contributions. The Indiana senator said the situation poses a "unique complication'' that requires "great care and transparency''. "The Clinton Foundation exists as a temptation for any foreign entity or government that believes it could curry favour through a donation,'' he said. "It also sets up potential perception problems with any action taken by the secretary of state in relation to foreign givers or their countries.'' However, Lugar indicated that he would accept the alternative approach proposed by Clinton and the Obama transition team. Lugar said their plan - which relies on State Department ethics officials to review the donations - would be more complex and require stringent oversight. It should be considered the minimum standard to ensure overseas donations do not propose a conflict of interest for Clinton as the nation's top diplomat. "We should be clear that this agreement is a beginning, not an end," Lugar said. "It is not a guarantee against conflict of interest or its appearance. For the agreement to succeed, the parties must make the integrity of US foreign policy their first principle of implementation.'' >From the moment it became known that Obama was considering nominating Clinton, >questions arose about her husband's charitable work and whether it might pose >a conflict of interest for her as secretary of state. Lawmakers have asked for more details on an agreement she and Obama worked out after the election. As outlined in a January 5 letter from the former president's lawyer, ethics officials at the State Department will be allowed to review overseas contributions made to Bill Clinton's charity. The State Department also will be able to assess in advance the former president's consulting work and speaking engagements. The committee could vote on Clinton's nomination as early as Thursday. If she is approved, as expected, Clinton could be confirmed by the full Senate as early as the January 20 Inauguration Day. In advance of the hearing, Hillary Clinton reached out to individual senators through telephone calls and face-to-face meetings, including an hourlong session with Lugar. On Monday night, outgoing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and national security adviser Stephen Hadley hosted a dinner for Clinton and Hadley's successor, retired General James Jones, at the State Department, officials said. Clinton, 61, intended to emphasise areas of foreign policy in which she and Obama think alike, including their conviction that in order to make gains abroad the United States needs to strengthen its domestic economy, the official said. Republicans are not expected to try to block the nomination and have even been generous in their praise of Clinton. AFP / AP
