Sir, - Now that the US Presidential election is over, some people have asked me if the President will continue his deep interest in Ireland and, particularly, in the peace process. There is a mistaken impression among some that the President's policies with respect to Northern Ireland have driven by a desire to gain Irish American votes.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
People on this side of the Atlantic sometimes tend to overestimate the impact of domestic American politics on US Irish policy. The Irish question did not figure in the presidential campaign. It is not an issue between the parties. Nor do Irish Americans vote as a community. Historically, Irish Americans have been primarily Democrats, but in recent years, a good many of them have voted Republican.
Those who believe the President is expediently responding to Irish Americans to win votes do not understand American politics and do not understand the President. President Clinton has demonstrated a constant and abiding commitment to encouraging peaceful resolutions to senseless conflicts, not alone in Ireland, but in Bosnia, in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world. He believes that we can and we must help all people of goodwill who want their children to grow up in a world at peace.
The people of Ireland do not contribute to the starving people of Africa because there is something in it for Ireland. They do it because they see children hungry and they think of their own children and they remember their past. I admire their sacrifices and am moved by their example.
In the same way, President Clinton and the American people support peace in Northern Ireland not because the President is pandering to Irish American voters, but because it is the right thing to do if we are ever to become a more civilized and peaceful world.
The President has taken great risks for the peace process, and he is completely committed to helping secure a negotiated settlement that is fair and just to both traditions. - Yours, etc.,
United States Ambassador, Dublin 4.