Posted on 12/26/2007 11:41:33 AM PST by seanmerc
Resistance by partisan ”shadow warriors” at the Department of State has limited the president’s options and is bringing us dangerously close to a military showdown with Iran, former Bush administration official John Bolton told Newsmax in an exclusive interview.
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice initially had planned to provide significant aid to the pro-democracy movement in Iran, as a means of giving the president more policy options, Bolton said. But resistance by the State Department bureaucracy crippled the programs and rendered them ineffective.
“[T]he outcome has been no overt program of support for democracy and no clandestine program to overthrow the regime,” Bolton said.
“This is a classic case study why diplomacy is not cost-free. If we had been working on regime change effectively over the last four or more years, we would be in a lot different position today,” he added.
The State Department emphasis on European-led negotiations has allowed Iran to buy time and to perfect the technology it needs to make nuclear weapons, Bolton argued.
Even if President Bush decided to reinvigorate the pro-democracy programs tomorrow, Bolton believes we probably don’t have enough time for them to be effective before the Iranians get the bomb.
“I think we are very close to a decision point,” Bolton told Newsmax. “And if the choice is between nuclear Iran and use of force, I think we have to look at the use of force.”
Bolton said that the CIA shared the State Department’s opposition to doing anything overtly or covertly to undermine the Iranian regime, and faulted Secretary of State Rice for getting “co-opted” by the bureaucracy.
“Secretary Rice has adopted the prevailing view within the bureaucracy, which have been reflected in our deference to the Europeans and the exclusively diplomatic approach for four years,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
It would be wonderful for the Nation if, when he gets back from the Ranch, if W would FIRE all of the entrenched State Department Treasonists and rid Washington of the scourge. He isn’t running again, and then we would have ONE YEAR of sound policy, that is, if the right people are hired. (I know this is a pipe dream, but one can dream...)
Who has that “Captain Obvious” graphic?
We ought to engrave “oderint duum Metuant” over the State Department entrance - on both sides of the door.
Doesn't he realize that the Katie Cupcake Media has "proof" that Puke-me-din-ajad is our newest bestest buddy and that Bush is the real threat to world peace?
/s
Clinton...the gift that keeps on giving.
We need a modern day Joe McCarthy to wage war against the striped pants crowd at State that do not have the best interest of the U.S. at heart.
If this person is actually ranting this way he has indeed lost it.
IMHO, the biggest failing of the Bush administration was to thoroughly house clean every agency seven years ago; and that includes State Dept., Justice Dept., and every other department, administration, office or agency. For example, if he’d fired ALL of the U.S. Attorneys, as Clinton did, think of how much simpler life would have been for him and R. Gonzales.
Bolton for president!
How is this a bad thing?....
>>“Secretary Rice has adopted the prevailing view within the bureaucracy, which have been reflected in our deference to the Europeans and the exclusively diplomatic approach for four years,” he said.<<
So what Bolton is really doing is blaming Rice if we go to war with Iran. The headline makes it sound like this is about the staff but I think its really about Rice.
State today is no different from the State of the 1930's and 1940's. Back then, while the policy from above was anti-communist, the moles at State made sure money and weapons were diverted or delayed to Chang Kai Shek, while on the other hand helping in any way they could Mao communists.
Classic. The Islamophiles in the St. Dept. have unintentionally brought us ever closer to what they most dread -- the military option.
... and back then it made no difference whether the admin was ‘Rat (Truman) or ‘Pub (Ike). Might be best to just close shop at State and start completely over with a new set of employees from the janitor to the top.
And at both points in our history...State is working against the best interests of the country and the people they are suppsoed to be serving.
Which helped lead to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the advent of WWII. We are in trouble, deep.
The United States Department of State has been filled with communists and fellow travlers - just as Joe McCarthy suggested - for a LONG time and anyone who cannot see that is BLIND!
This sort of thing should come as no surprise to anyone.
The State Department routinely screens out candidates who might represent America's interests except for an occasional token American to "prove" they aren't discriminating of those with military backgrounds or outside their normal network.
John Bolton ping
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.