John Bolton's Senate Hearing: A Disturbing Indictment of His Views on the U.N.

John Bolton's Senate hearing for the post of United Nations representative seemed to go from bad to worse as he was forced to confront his long history of disdain for the world body. The committee's scrutiny revealed a third incident where Bolton attempted to have an intelligence analyst punished for stopping him from making false claims about Cuba's weapons program. This behavior, combined with his public record of attacking the United Nations, raises serious concerns about his suitability for the job. Bolton's attempt to explain away his past comments, including a 1994 speech where he said the U.N. is "an international community that occasionally can be led by the United States," only added to his woes.

Key Takeaways:

• Bolton's Senate hearing revealed a third incident where he tried to have an intelligence analyst punished for stopping him from making false claims about Cuba's weapons program.
• Bolton's history of disdain for the United Nations, including his 1994 speech where he described it as "an international community that occasionally can be led by the United States," raises serious concerns about his suitability for the job.
• Bolton attempted to explain away his past comments, but his explanations were met with skepticism by the committee and further fueled concerns about his credibility.
• Carl Ford Jr., a retired State Department official, testified that Bolton had tried to have the State Department analyst fired, contradicting Bolton's claims.
• Ford described Bolton as a "kiss-up, kick-down sort of guy" who had intimidated his department and had a lasting impact on its operations.
• The committee's scrutiny of Bolton's behavior highlights the need for a U.N. envoy who can work collaboratively with the international community and adhere to the principles of multilateral diplomacy.

Statistics:

• 3: The number of incidents where Bolton attempted to have intelligence analysts punished for stopping him from making false claims.
• 1994: The year Bolton gave a speech where he described the U.N. as "an international community that occasionally can be led by the United States."
• 1: The number of explanation Bolton provided for his trip to the C.I.A., which was deemed unconvincing by the committee.

Sources:

• "The New York Times", June 2005
• Transcript of Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing, June 2005