Hillary Clinton Backs 'smart Power' to Assert Us Influence Around World

Hillary Clinton today endorsed the use of "smart power" to reassert global US influence, telling the Senate foreign relations committee, which is considering her nomination as secretary of state, that the country cannot do everything in isolation.

Clinton indicated she would depart from the ideologically driven foreign policy of the Bush administration and forge new alliances around the world, also calling for a just and lasting peace deal for the Middle East.

"America cannot solve the most pressing problems on our own, and the world cannot solve them without America," she said. "I believe American leadership has been wanting, but is still wanted. We must use what has been called 'smart power', the full range of tools at our disposal. With 'smart power', diplomacy will be the vanguard of foreign policy."

Addressing the Israeli military attack on Gaza, Clinton said she and Barack Obama had sympathy for Israel's desire to stop rocket attacks by militants but she also noted the huge human cost of the fighting on the Palestinian population.

"The president-elect and I understand and are deeply sympathetic to Israel's desire to defend itself under the current conditions, and to be free of shelling by Hamas rockets," Clinton said. "However, we have also been reminded of the tragic humanitarian costs of conflict in the Middle East, and pained by the suffering of Palestinian and Israeli civilians. This must only increase our determination to seek a just and lasting peace agreement that brings real security to Israel; normal and positive relations with its neighbors; and independence, economic progress, and security to the Palestinians in their own state."

Clinton was greeted warmly by a number of senators and her daughter, Chelsea, as she entered the hearing.

The committee chairman, John Kerry, introduced her as an extraordinarily capable appointment who, he said, would signal to billions of people around the world that America was back.

The top Republican on the committee, Richard Lugar, praised Clinton's qualifications, calling her "the epitome of a big leaguer". But he raised questions about foreign donations to the William J Clinton Foundation, the charitable organisation set up by her husband, the former president. In the run-up to today's hearing several commentators had questioned whether large gifts to the foundation by the Saudi government and others could be seen as a conflict of interest.

Lugar said the only way to prevent this would be if the charity refused any new foreign contributions. "The Clinton Foundation exists as a temptation for any foreign entity or government that believes it could curry favor 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."

Clinton is reported to have spent days carefully preparing for the appearance.

Although she is expected to secure a swift confirmation as the top US diplomat, the Republican members of the committee may seek to highlight areas of foreign policy where Clinton clashed with Obama during the primary season.

Clinton famously said her opponent in the Democratic primaries was "irresponsible and frankly naive" for offering to meet leaders of countries such as North Korea and Iran without preconditions. As Obama's secretary of state, Clinton will be expected to adopt his foreign policy positions.

Her confirmation will also open a new chapter in a remarkable journey, in which she has been First Lady, senator and US presidential contender.

Steven Chu, the Nobel prizewinning physicist chosen by Obama to be his energy secretary, also faced questioning today before a Senate committee.

The director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory told the energy and natural resources committee that if confirmed as US energy secretary he would aggressively pursue policies aimed at addressing climate change and achieving greater energy independence by developing clean energy sources.

But he also told committee members that he views nuclear power and coal as critical parts of the country's energy mix and said he was optimistic that ways could be found to make coal a cleaner energy source by capturing its carbon dioxide emissions.

Chu received immediate support from both Democrats and Republicans, and the committee chairman, the Democratic senator Jeff Bingaman, said he expected a vote confirming his selection would take place later this week.