And Professor Brendan O'Leary, who is a director of the program covering ethnic conflict at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, says lessons learned by the former Maine senator in the Irish peace process will be applied in his new role as President Obama's special envoy to the Middle East.

"It's sometimes said he doesn't insist on preconditions before negotiations begin, but that's not true," said O'Leary of Mitchell.

"In Northern Ireland, he did establish a commitment to democratic principles and exclusively peaceful means to resolve differences. I imagine he will try the same strategy in the Middle East.

"He won't say that Hamas has to recognize Israel before it begins negotiations, but he will say there has to be a set of ceasefires in place and a commitment to resolve differences peacefully."

A native of County Cork, O'Leary is a world authority on conflict resolution and has spent the last five years as an advisor to the government of Iraqi Kurdistan.

In Ireland, he is best known for his work on the architecture of the Good Friday agreement and for fighting for the reform of policing in Northern Ireland - this after the refusal to reform the old RUC seemed set to derail the peace process.

O'Leary's latest book, "How To Get Out of Iraq With Integrity," was published last week by the University of Pennsylvania Press.

In it, O'Leary argues for an orderly and judicious U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, though one starting right now.

"There is no reason why America's withdrawal from Iraq should be as dishonest as its intervention has been judged to be," he said

He also argues that Iran can be a partner for peace with the U.S. and that its interests were well-served by the toppling of Tehran's arch-enemy, Saddam Hussein.

O'Leary believes Senator Mitchell will bring this kind of wider view to his Middle East role.

"I wish him well," he said.

"He has the right experience, right type of personality and doesn't believe in excluding people. He has an extraordinarily difficult task ahead of him, but he is one of the few American policy makers with the gravitas and patience to pull this off."

An expanded interview with Professor O'Leary can be read on the Irish Echo's website at www.irishecho.com.