February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Susan Falvella-Garraty
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Jon Kyl, an ultra-conservative Arizona Republican, is holding up the Bush administration’s appointment of a special point person on the Irish peace process.
Richard N. Haass was appointed by President Bush last February to work on Northern Ireland. Haass is currently the State Department’s chief of policy planning.
Secretary of State Colin Powell had requested Haass be invested with ambassadorial rank as a sign to foreign officials of Haass’s standing within the administration. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted his ambassadorial nomination out of committee and sent it for a final vote by the full Senate, whereupon Kyl instituted a hold on the nomination.
Common understanding surrounding the rationale for the hold is Kyl’s objection to some of Haass’s positions on Middle East policy. However, Kyl has voiced equal disdain for the use of special envoys, so common during the Clinton administration. Kyl has also had recent meetings with UUP leader, First Minister David Trimble.
At a February roundtable sponsored by the conservative think tank The American Enterprise Institute, Kyl and Trimble shared the stage for a discussion of international terrorism.
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During the discussion, Trimble castigated the Clinton administration for having "romantic" notions regarding some nationalist politicians that the UUP leader maintained had continued direct relationships with the IRA and other terrorist organizations in Northern Ireland.
Kyl remarked during the appearance with Trimble: "There are large ethnic minorities in the United States which have significant influence on American policy, not always, to my way of thinking, positive."
Kyl’s office said that he had not made any public comments about the Haass nomination, and would not say whether they included concerns over the Haass appointment to work specifically on Northern Ireland on behalf of President Bush.
The White House had been hopeful that Haass would be able to meet with the parties in the next few weeks. Even with the lack of confirmation for his ambassadorial rank, White House officials said Tuesday that Haass may be able to make such a visit, but that there had been no final decision on whether he could function without confirmation.
Haass has indicated a begrudging respect for the Clinton administration’s role in the peace process. In a "Foreign Affairs" article last May, Haass wrote: "significant diplomatic progress was made in both Northern Ireland and the Middle East. In both instances, the bulk of the credit should go to those local leaders who showed courage and flexibility. But the Clinton administration played a crucial role through its sustained and often high-level diplomatic efforts."
And last January, in a forum, Haass assessed Clinton’s role in the peace process. "I should have mentioned Ireland on the positive side, although its final resolution is still somewhat in doubt, shall we say, so whether he actually for all of his efforts will have an enduring monument to them is up for grabs," he stated.