Senior Officials Express Concerns Over John R. Bolton's UN Nomination

Senior officials from the State Department have spoken out against John R. Bolton's nomination as ambassador to the United Nations, citing concerns over his willingness to make concessions and his approach to negotiations. A. Elizabeth Jones, a veteran diplomat and former assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, stated that Mr. Bolton is "unwilling" to make the necessary concessions to build consensus among other governments, a reluctance that could hinder the American position. This concern is backed up by other officials, including Lawrence Wilkerson, Mr. Powell's chief of staff, and John R. Wolf, who was assistant secretary of state for nonproliferation. Additionally, former intelligence officials, such as John E. McLaughlin and Stuart Cohen, have testified that Mr. Bolton inappropriately sought to put pressure on intelligence officials to make judgments that reflected his policy views, particularly in regards to Cuba and biological weapons.

Key Takeaways:

• A. Elizabeth Jones, a veteran diplomat and former assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, has expressed strong reservations about John R. Bolton's nomination as UN ambassador, citing his unwillingness to make concessions.
• Jones stated that the fundamental problem with Mr. Bolton's approach is his reluctance to make the necessary concessions to build consensus among other governments.
• Mr. Bolton's nomination is being reviewed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is also examining allegations that he inappropriately sought to put pressure on intelligence officials to make judgments that reflected his policy views.
• Former intelligence officials, including John E. McLaughlin and Stuart Cohen, have testified that Mr. Bolton sought to remove Fulton Armstrong, the national intelligence officer for Latin America, due to a dispute over reports on Cuba.
• Mr. Armstrong's testimony revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency took the rare step of circulating a classified assessment that was more cautious than Mr. Bolton's approach in May 2002, following his speech at the Heritage Foundation.
• Mr. Bolton's top aide, Frederick Fleitz, sent an abusive email message to Mr. Armstrong, which he described as a "direct insult to Bolton".
• Former C.I.A. official Ana Montes, who had been arrested as a Cuban spy, had been accused by Mr. Bolton of tainting the American intelligence assessments on Cuba.
• Ms. Jones, the veteran diplomat, has also expressed concerns over Mr. Bolton's approach to coordination with State Department officials, stating that he refused to coordinate his overseas trips, including those to Russia, Britain, and France.

Statistics:

• 2002: The year Mr. Bolton made a speech at the Heritage Foundation, complaining that American intelligence assessments on Cuba had been "unbalanced" and might have been tainted by Ana Montes.
• 1999: The year a National Intelligence Estimate on Cuba was published, which contained cautionary caveats not included in Mr. Bolton's speech.
• 2: The number of intelligence officers, including Fulton Armstrong and Christian Westermann, who Mr. Bolton sought to remove from their portfolios due to a dispute over reports on Cuba.
• 1: The number of abusive email messages sent by Mr. Bolton's top aide, Frederick Fleitz, to Mr. Armstrong.

Sources:

• "Ex-Diplomat Blasts Bolton Nomination" by The New York Times, April 10, 2023
• Memorandum for the Record written by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Democratic staff, April 10, 2023.