Clinton first lady diary released

Mrs Clinton cites her time in the White House in campaign speeches

More than 11,000 pages of schedules detailing Hillary Clinton's daily activities as first lady have been released by the US National Archives.

The move follows months of pressure from freedom of information groups.

The campaign team for Democratic rival Barack Obama was also keen to see if the papers backed Mrs Clinton's claim of experience gained during that time.

The records show she kept busy during the Monica Lewinsky crisis but, critics say, leave many questions unanswered.

In campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, Mrs Clinton has said her years with husband Bill in the White House would help equip her to be president.

She has claimed hands-on involvement in foreign policy areas including Northern Ireland and Kosovo.

'Extensive work'

Critics will be scrutinising the schedules closely to see whether or not they produce evidence to support Mrs Clinton's assertions of foreign policy and national security experience.

Barack Obama has challenged Mrs Clinton's claims to experience

They were published on the website of freedom of information campaign group Judicial Watch.

Mrs Clinton has been accused of seeking to delay the papers' release while making her bid for the White House.

"They are a guide and, of course, cannot reflect all of Senator Clinton's activities as first lady," Clinton campaign spokesman Jay Carson said in a statement.

"The schedules do help illustrate Hillary Clinton's extensive and exhaustive work as a public servant and her role as an influential advocate at home and around the world on behalf of our country."

Many of the entries show her fulfilling the traditional role of a first lady, carrying out social duties and attending events on foreign trips with political wives.

Obama campaign foreign policy adviser Greg Craig said last week: "When your entire campaign is based upon a claim of experience, it is important that you have evidence to support that claim.

"Hillary Clinton's argument that she has passed the commander-in-chief test is simply not supported by her record."

Privacy

More than one-third of the 11,046 pages of schedules, covering the period from 1993 to 2001, have parts blacked out.

Archivists said it was to protect the privacy of third parties. Entries may also have been blacked out for national security reasons.

According to records for the week in January 1998 in which the news about her husband's affair with intern Monica Lewinsky came out, Mrs Clinton had a packed schedule.

She gave speeches, attended a black tie dinner and appeared by her husband's side at an education event. Mr Clinton's annual State of the Union address was that same week.

The papers also detail Mrs Clinton's activities at the time of the Whitewater investigation, although her diary for 26 January 1996 - the day she was questioned before a federal grand jury - says "no public schedule".

The Clintons were eventually cleared of acting illegally in the Arkansas land deal known as Whitewater.