Clinton booed at literary festival

Clinton meets crowds at the Hay-on-Wye literary festival

HAY-ON-WYE, WALES -- The former U.S. President Bill Clinton arrived at the Hay-on-Wye Festival to boos from the crowd outside and slow-hand claps from the audience inside.

But once he began to speak the 1,300-strong audience they appeared won over by his talk on conflict resolution as he gave real insight into eight years in the most powerful job on earth.

He said he believed the peace process in Northern Ireland would succeed, but expressed his regret that conflict between Israelis and Palestinians continues today.

Standing in front of a star-studded audience on Saturday, he ended his talk on an emotional note, quoting a line from the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas written for his eldest child.

He quoted: "All our deeds and words, each truth, each lie, die in unjudging love."

He said that as a child he had never understood what it meant but as a parent, referring to his daughter Chelsea who was with him in Hay, he now understands it.

Clinton spoke of his time in the White House, telling humorous tales of conversations with world leaders alongside hard-hitting insights into his struggle to mediate and resolve conflicts.

In an increasingly interdependent world, he said the "fear of the other" continued to be the greatest threat to peace.

And for countries in conflict, he admitted: "It's harder than you might imagine for people who have been trapped in violence and oppression for a long long time."

He listed those things he believed may sound naive but were necessary to overcome any conflict.

He added: "I believe that all people are children of God and were created equal, that everyone counts and has a role to play.

"That no one has a monopoly on the truth, that you have to have the strength and wisdom to let go and don't remain in the grip of hatred.

"Then you have to have the discipline to work at it."

He said he had been impressed with both the late King Hussein and Nelson Mandela, whom he described as "my friend" as leaders of vision.

Clinton said he had asked Mandela how he had overcome his anger towards those who had kept him imprisoned to work with them afterwards.

And he said Mandela told him: "When I was walking down that road to freedom I felt anger and I felt fear.

"I had not been free for a long long time, but I said to myself, 'Mandela, they have had you for 27 years if you are still angry with them when you get out, then they will still have you.

"And I said I wanted to be free and so I let it go."

Clinton added: "You need more people like Nelson Mandela.

"Even if there is outside intervention, it still requires leaders who are prepared to treat their adversaries in a different way -- with respect and dignity."

But his humorous tales could also be poignant reminders of the very tricky business of negotiating peace.

Clinton had the whole audience laughing when he described how he had had to persuade Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat not to bring his gun to the Israeli-PLO signing ceremony on September 19, 1993.