DUBLIN — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to buck up a pair of stalwart American allies on Sunday, assuring the British that they still had a special relationship with the United States, and telling the Irish that she would help them keep Northern Ireland’s peace process on track.
Northern Ireland, while mostly tranquil, has flared up in recent months, with a few violent episodes, including the shooting of two British soldiers, and a dispute within the Northern Irish coalition government over the transfer of the police and justice functions from London to Belfast.
“Clearly there are questions and some apprehensions,” Mrs. Clinton said before meeting with Prime Minister Brian Cowen of Ireland at his residence here. “But I believe that due to the concerted effort of the British government, the Irish government, the support of friends like us in the United States, that the parties understand that this is a step they must take together.”
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