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December 20, 2007
Bolton Interview: Speaks About Bush, Rice and Hillary
'Bush's Foreign Policy Is in Free Fall'
Spiegel International online
Former US Diplomat John Bolton is no longer in office, but he still has a lot to say about American foreign policy. SPIEGEL spoke to him about Bush's softness abroad, Rice having been taken hostage by the liberal State Department, and why it doesn't matter that the world hates the US.
SPIEGEL: Mr. Ambassador, you worked closely with the president and you shared his hawkish views on Iraq. But your new book is fiercely critical of George W. Bush. Why?
Bolton: His foreign policy is in free fall. The president is turning against his own best judgment and instincts under the influence of Secretary (of State Condoleeza) Rice. She is the dominant voice, indeed, almost the only voice on foreign policy in this administration.
SPIEGEL: The popular reading of her looks a bit different. She is presumed to be weak and not particularly efficient.
Bolton: No. Rice is channeling the views of the liberal career bureaucrats in the State Department. The president is focusing all his attention on Iraq and, by doing so, has allowed the secretary to become captured by the State Department. He is not adequately supervising her. It is a mistake.
SPIEGEL: Could it be that your pique really comes from the fact that the president doesn't seem to be listening to neoconservatives like you anymore?
Bolton: The vice president (Vice President Dick Cheney) is still there. But the idea that somehow the neocons were so powerful is a myth -- I mean, it was five or six people, for God sakes. I am not a neoconservative. I am pro-American.
SPIEGEL: You have said that the new moderate foreign policy currently being followed by Bush compromises the security of the United States.
Bolton: Well, I think so. North Korea is going to get away with keeping its nuclear weapons. I think the (National Intelligence Estimate) sends Iran a signal they can do whatever they want...
SPIEGEL: ...You are talking about the recent report by US intelligence services that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons program in 2003 ...
Bolton: Yes. For 12 hours after the NIE announcement, there was not a word from Iran. They were sitting there in Teheran saying: "What devious trick are the Americans playing on us now?" They couldn't believe it and finally declared victory.
SPIEGEL: In the past, you argued for a military intervention in Iran. Do you still consider that an option?
Bolton: I don't have the same high confidence these intelligence analysts do that, in fact, there was a full suspension of the military program in Iran. This is not like those claims about Cheney pressuring the poor intelligence community to spin intelligence on Iraq. This is politicization from the other side -- people in the intelligence community allowing policy preferences to affect their analysis and judgments about the intelligence.
SPIEGEL: And where is the president? Is he merely a puppet?
Bolton: Look at the North Korean policy. The North Koreans certainly were involved in that facility in Syria that was raided by the Israelis. The North Koreans renege on their commitments and we still negotiate.
SPIEGEL: What do you see as the alternative -- bombing Pyongyang?
Bolton: I'm not running around the world looking for ways to create hostilities. The solution to North Korea is the reunification of the Korean Peninsula. China could influence the North; it supplies 80 to 90 percent of North Korea's energy. The United States have to put pressure on China in order for China to pressure North Korea.
SPIEGEL: Do you have any second thoughts about the American engagement in Iraq?
Bolton: It was right to overthrow Saddam Hussein. It was the regime itself that was a threat. I think in hindsight, what I would have done is turn authority back over to Iraqis much more quickly and say: "Your country, you figure out how to run it."
SPIEGEL: Would you say the world is now a safer place than before the Iraq war?
Bolton: Yes. There is now no possibility that Iraq is going to have weapons of mass destruction. We had the ancillary strategic victory when (Libyan leader) Moammar Gadhafi gave up his nuclear weapons program as well. When he looked at Saddam, he concluded -- incorrectly -- that he might be next.
SPIEGEL: You don't seem to doubt the go-it-alone approach of the United States although anti-Americanism is rising across the world. Doesn't such a negative view of America weaken US power?
Bolton: I don't think so. I have looked at public opinion polls in France in the late 1940s and early 1950s during the height of Marshall Plan aid. They had a very negative attitude towards the United States then. There were negative attitudes towards the United States because of Vietnam. There were negative attitudes about the United States when Reagan wanted to deploy intermediate range ballistic missiles. I don't think the president should base his foreign policy on American public opinion polls, let alone foreign public opinion polls.
SPIEGEL: What kind of foreign policy will the next president pursue?
Bolton: If you get a President (Hillary) Clinton, you might well find, just as after Vietnam, that there is a retraction from Iraq and of American influence in the world. And in a couple of years the Europeans will be complaining about that too. See how long American troops last in Europe under an administration that thinks it is time for America to come home.
SPIEGEL: Is that a threat?
Bolton: No. The European Union can now act like a major power, at least that is what the European Union tells us. So they should do so -- they can experiment with Russia.
SPIEGEL: Mr. Ambassador, thank very much for taking the time to speak with us.
Wild Thing's comment........
John Bolton ROCKS, he gets it! John Bolton loves his country and wants it to be strong and sovereign. He is remarkably consistent: he speaks exactly the same truth to the Germans, the UN, the Islamonazis, the President... anyone who will listen (and to some who, unfortunately won’t listen).
Posted by Wild Thing at December 20, 2007 12:44 AM
Comments
I wish there was a major leadership position in the future for John Bolton. He is honest and honestly outspoken. We need that truth telling.
George Bush and "compassionate conservatism' have been a disaster for America. His leadership skills have been nil. He inspires no one. After 9/11, George Bush could have been one of the greatest American presidents. He could have protected our sovereignty and inspired and united us. Instead, he seems focused on socialist globalism and his foreign policy has wallowed around with hollow threats, dubious alliances and reversing, meaningless or erroneous policies. He obviously will never be considered for a place on Mt Rushmore.
Posted by: TomR at December 20, 2007 04:20 AM
Bolton For President!! (I can dream, anyway.)
I can't wait to have time to read his book!!
He has cajones, which is why he is so unpopular among our neutered congress critters.
Posted by: yankeemom at December 20, 2007 06:39 AM
I agree Bolton for President.
Good point Tom, now i have an idea, we ought to go over to the daily kos and start the rumor that Bush is taking bids, from sculptors for his mug on Mt. Rushmore, and that the work would begin January 3 to coincide with the Iowa caucuses, and to have the official ground breaking on February 5 or whenever super tuesday is. That would drive them nuts
Posted by: Mark at December 20, 2007 10:32 AM
Great idea Tom and Mark. We won't see any movement on the border issue because Jorge has sealed the deal, it's just a matter of timing now. Until all the pieces of the puzzle are in place, one just dropped in, check out the maps in this article:
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59267
Will it be the Amero as our currency standard or will it be laundering Peso's for Dollars? Either way we lose our sovereignty, our way of life and become a Turd World country begging for the Islamic UN to protect us.
Posted by: Jack at December 20, 2007 02:02 PM
Tom I agree so much with what you said.
And I like the sound of President Bolton that would be great.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 20, 2007 06:25 PM
Yankeemom, Yesss for President I would love that.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 20, 2007 06:26 PM
Mark, ROTFLMAO oh gosh that would be fun. I have never even been to that site yet. hahahahhaha
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 20, 2007 06:29 PM
Jack thanks for the link. wow that road sheesh it is just not going to go away. I keep wishing it would and no such luck.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 20, 2007 06:31 PM
So far, my dream team ticket and cabinet is Fred Thompson for President, Duncan Hunter for VP, John Bolton for Secretary of State, Gen. David Petraeus for Secretary of Defense, and Tom Tancredo for Secretary of Homeland Security.
Any other recommendations for a Conservative Republican ticket and cabinet?
Posted by: Les at December 20, 2007 06:38 PM
Les now that would be soooooooo perfect!!!! OH how I wish we could have exactly that!!!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 20, 2007 11:34 PM
