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U.S. NEWSWednesday 23 September

Clinton opposes construction of Keystone XL pipeline

KEN THOMAS Clinton said she decided to she shouldn’t take a posi-
CATHERINE LUCEY speak out after concluding tion on the issue, because
Associated Press that the ongoing debate she didn’t want to inter-
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — over whether the pipeline fere with the Obama ad-
Democratic presidential should be built had be- ministration as it considers
front-runner Hillary Rodham come a distraction to larg- whether to allow construc-
Clinton said Tuesday she er efforts to fight climate tion of a pipeline that would
opposes construction of change “and unfortunate- transport oil from Canada’s
the Keystone XL pipeline, ly, from my perspective, tar sands to refineries on
breaking her longstanding one that interferes with our the Gulf of Mexico.
silence over the construc- ability to move forward to The announcement was
tion of a project assailed deal with the other issues. viewed with disappoint-
by environmentalists as a Therefore I oppose it.” ment in Canada, where
threat to the planet’s cli- The former secretary of Prime Minister Stephen
mate. state had previously said Harper has said as recently

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton
speaks during a community forum on healthcare, Tuesday,
Sept. 22, 2015, at Moulton Elementary School in Des Moines,
Iowa. Clinton broke her longstanding silence over the construc-
tion of the Keystone XL pipeline, telling voters at a campaign
stop in Iowa on Tuesday that she opposes the project assailed
by environmentalists.

(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

as last month that he was Washington at the start of
confident the next U.S. a closely watched visit to
president would approve the United States. Her op-
the project. position came in response
“This is not a debate be- to a question from a young
tween Canada and woman attending Clin-
the U.S.,” said Stephen Lec- ton’s forum on prescription
ce, a spokesman for Harp- drugs.
er. “We know the American “I was in a unique position
people support the project. having been secretary of
We will not engage in presi- state ... not wanting to in-
dential primary debates.” terfere with ongoing deci-
Less reluctant was Republi- sion making,” Clinton said.
can presidential candidate “I thought this would be de-
Jeb Bush, who said on Twit- cided by now and there-
ter that Clinton’s decision fore I could say whether
proves she “favors environ- I agree or disagree. But it
mental extremists over U.S. hasn’t been decided and I
jobs.” think now I’ve got a respon-
Spurred on by environ- sibility to you and other vot-
mental activists and liber- ers who ask me about this.”
als who play a key role in Clinton’s main rivals for
the Democratic primaries the Democratic nomina-
and vigorously oppose the tion have long opposed
pipeline project, Clinton the project. Vermont Sen.
had expressed impatience Bernie Sanders, who has
in recent weeks over the surpassed Clinton in some
Obama administration’s polls in Iowa and New
drawn-out deliberations. Hampshire, said in a state-
Campaign events in New ment he was “glad that
Hampshire and Maine last Secretary Clinton finally has
week drew activists who made a decision and I wel-
held signs that read “I’m come her opposition to the
Ready for Hillary to say no pipeline. Clearly it would be
KXL.” absurd to encourage the
Clinton announced her extraction and transporta-
decision moments after tion of some of the dirtiest
Pope Francis arrived in fossil fuel on the planet.”q