The Bolton battle -- again

It is a fair question just what kind of ambassador the United States should send to the United Nations.

This country is, after all, by far the most powerful nation in the world -- militarily, economically and therefore politically. It has legitimate interests all over the globe, and, by virtue of its might, is a vital partner in any major international effort.

As for the United Nations, it is the principal international forum, where all the world's countries gather to argue, agree, disagree and conspire with one another. Inevitably, it has pretensions to be a sort of world government, but in fact, it has been a thoroughgoing disappointment in many ways, including the notoriously corrupt Oil-for-Food program.

So what sort of ambassador should the United States send to the United Nations? Should it be some smooth-talking diplomat, adept at schmoozing his fellow ambassadors, and thereby (perhaps) persuading them to go along with America's wishes? Or ought it to be a firm, outspoken advocate of America's interests? In nominating Foreign Service officer John Bolton to the post of our U.N. ambassador last year, President Bush deliberately opted for the latter choice. Bolton is an experienced official, but nobody has ever called him soft-spoken, let alone a smoothie. And quite aside from the matter of rhetorical technique, he had acquired a reputation over the years for having a sometimes outsized temper.

It was this reputation that the Democratic minority in the U.S. Senate seized on and decided to use as an excuse for refusing to ratify his nomination. Being in the minority was not a fatal handicap: the Democrats let it be known that they were prepared to filibuster the nomination, and it takes 60 votes to end a filibuster. The Republicans have only 55.

And it soon transpired that they didn't even, on the issue of Bolton, have 55. Ohio Republican George Voinovich decided, on the basis of the stories about Bolton's temper, that he would oppose him. Voinovich is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and without his support the Republicans couldn't even win approval for Bolton in the committee. So his nomination was sent to the floor without a recommendation, and there it was doomed.

President Bush, however, could and did give Bolton a "recess appointment" as ambassador to the United Nations -- an appointment that, under the rules, expires with the end of this session of Congress. Bolton promptly moved into our ambassador's suite in the Waldorf, and began representing the United States at Turtle Bay.

There, to the surprise of many, he has done a thoroughly effective job. So effective that, when Sen. Voinovich canvassed Bolton's colleagues there, most were quite complimentary about his performance. No temper tantrums: just firm and effective representation of American interests, and frank criticism of the United Nations when that was called for.

So, Sen. Voinovich announced that he has changed his mind, and will support Bolton in the Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate when President Bush's renomination of him is voted on.

That puts the Senate Democrats in a tight spot. Having lost their bipartisan cover, they face the unappetizing prospect of mounting a filibuster by Democrats only. And while there are Democratic senators more than happy to oblige -- Sens. Kennedy, Dodd and Feingold among them -- others are visibly unhappy at that idea, including Hillary Clinton.

So it appears that John Bolton may win Senate approval after all, and continue giving the United States firm and effective representation at the United Nations.

John Bolton: The Man

America Needs At the UN

By John E. Carey
July 28, 2006

John Bolton is exactly the face of the United States we, as a nation, want and deserve at the United Nations during these difficult times.

In the midst of the “global war on terror” which includes the hot spots of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lebanon, along with the most difficult diplomatic projects of Iran and North Korea, the United States requires a diplomat with vision who is at the top of his game at the U.N.

Bolton is tough, sincere, hard working, principled, and dedicated. He follows the orders of his president and Secretary of State Rice, with whom he shares his firm belief that the U.N. needs to be cleared of corruption and reformed before it can function effectively and with the respect of the world community.

Moreover, Bolton can spot the mind games and chicanery that often gets pushed to the light of day by those with hidden agendas. He knows how to gently twist arms and “educate” his colleagues who are “getting off the reservation.”

While much of the diplomatic work at the UN remains shrouded in secrecy, we are already seeing and hearing of John Bolton’s positive influence.

Bolton is the man we need at the U.N. now.

After North Korea staged its 4th of July missile extravaganza, Bolton remained cool and orchestrated the U.S. reply. Working with China, Russia, South Korea, and Japan; Bolton crafted the best possible outcome by bridging the gap between the Japanese who favored sanctions and the Chinese who would have, left to their own first impressions, remained silent completely.

Michael Green, who until recently served as the senior Asia expert on the National Security Council, said he believes Bolton’s hard work in bringing all interested parties to agreement before the crisis is paying off now.

"It's important to look at the quiet diplomatic work the administration did as North Korea prepared to launch these missiles," Green said. "The administration is now well-positioned to go back to these countries and say, 'North Korea defied you, and we should have a common position.' "

After the entire Security Council agreed to a unanimous communiqué, Bolton said he looks forward "to North Korea's full, unconditional and immediate compliance with this Security Council resolution." "It sends an unequivocal, unambiguous and unanimous message to Pyongyang: suspend your ballistic missile program; stop your procurement of materials related to weapons of mass destruction, and implement your September, 2005 commitment to verifiably dismantle your nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs," he told the council.

Said CBS Foreign Affairs Analyst Pamela Falk, "The unanimous vote at the Security Council on North Korea certainly sends a message to Iran that the world powers can work together and that the United Nations can be effective in sending a united message."

Falk, who doesn’t miss much, also said, "and in a sign that the U.S. wishes to work with China, Ambassador Bolton wore a tie of the Beijing Olympics to the vote."

Bolton also stands four-square for U.N. reforms, including the elimination of waste, fraud and abuse; stricter rules for peacekeepers (following accusations that blue-helmeted U.N. troops had raped and abused Africans they were supposed to protect); better planning, contracting and accountability for the U.N. building modernizations project; complete openness and accountability for the culprits in the “Oil for Food” scandal; and new rules for dealing with international government corruption.

John Bolton spearheaded the U.S. effort to eliminate the notoriously corrupt U.N. Human Rights Commission with a new Human Rights Council. This ended years of corrupt influence exerted by former Commission mainstays of human rights like Sudan and Libya.

Bolton also took the lead in the U.S.’s effort to forge the Convention Against Corruption at the U.N.

The Convention contributes to the objectives of the "Long War" by starting processes to prevent and deal with international corruption: a force that allowed dictators like Saddam Hussein to feather their nests with US and UN money while they defied international regulations and promoted a decidedly anti-US agenda, including support for Islamic extremists.

Despite critics' assertions that the Bush Administration avoids close cooperation with the UN and only pays lip service to allied coalitions and other accepted parts of the international diplomatic community, the Convention Against Corruption and the insistence of the United States that the UN deal with its own scandals proves otherwise.

The day after the Convention Against Corruption went into effect, US ambassador to the UN John Bolton told assembled representatives of the UN: "With regard to corruption, the United States has and will continue to take a policy of zero tolerance. As President Bush has noted, the stakes are very high. In his own words, the President noted how corruption 'hinders sustainable development, erodes confidence in democratic institutions, and facilitates transnational crime and terrorism.'"

We support John Bolton’s continued tenure at the UN as America’s spokesman for peace, freedom, human rights, efficiency, justice and an end to corruption.

John E. Carey is former president of International Defense Consultants, Inc. and a frequent contributor to The Washington Times.

And quite aside from the matter of rhetorical technique, he had acquired a reputation over the years for having a sometimes outsized temper.

I find this particular sentence of interest. When the Democrats use this as a reason for disqualifying Bolton, they should be publicly reminded of the "reputation" Hillary has aquired for her temper. As far as rhetorical technique, no one has caught Bolton refering to any his associates as "Jew b-----d", as did Hillary. Do any of the DIMs claim that Hillary is unqualfied to be a Senator or [ludicrous] a President because of her foul mouth and temper?

Suppose Bolton threw strings of vulgarities at his security people, insulting them [on a personal level] frequently? As Hillary was known to do to the Secret Service.

Perhaps it is time for a Republican Senator to point this out, on the floor of the Senate, when these charges are leveled at Bolton.

Yeah, like that will ever happen.

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