Clinton defends role in N.Ireland peace process

PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton defended her role in the Northern Ireland peace process on Saturday and accused rival Barack Obama of "nitpicking" her record on the issue.

Clinton, a senator from New York, and Obama, a senator from Illinois, have made experience and judgment key arguments in their respective quests to become the Democratic Party's White House nominee.

Clinton has cited repeatedly her involvement in the peace process as first lady during former President Bill Clinton's administration as an example of her foreign policy credentials. Obama advisers have said her role was minimal at best.

"I helped with the peace process in Northern Ireland," Clinton told reporters on her campaign plane on Saturday. "That's been validated in many different settings by many different people who were part of the process."

Her husband helped broker the 1998 Good Friday peace accord that paved the way for a power-sharing government in Belfast and a greater role for Dublin.

She said she continues to be engaged with leaders from Northern Ireland and questioned whether Obama could say the same.

"Just this week I was called to meet with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which I do on a regular basis, to get an update about where the process is now," she said.

"I understand the desire of my opponent to try to nitpick and bring people out to say things, but I think the record is very clear and one can, you know, look at many different sources. I don't know how many times Senator Obama has met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland."

The Obama campaign issued a statement that again accused the former first lady of inflating her role.

"It is a gross overstatement of the facts for her to claim even partial credit for bringing peace to Northern Ireland," the statement said, quoting Greg Craig, a former director of the U.S. State Department's policy planning office under Bill Clinton.

Senator Clinton said she had visited Belfast five or seven times between 1995, when her husband was president, and the early part of her Senate career, which began in 2001.

"I actually went to Belfast more than Bill did as part of what I was doing to help the process," she said. "I really feel very privileged that I played a role."

(Editing by Xavier Briand)