Questions for John Bolton:
A Chilling Glimpse into the Mind of the Man Representing the US at the United Nations

Q: The United Nations Charter defines the organization’s most fundamental purpose as saving “succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” Do you share this priority?

Bolton advocates the use of military force to overthrow the governments of North Korea, Syria, and Iran and argues for the US to have unrestricted “discretion in using force to advance its national interests.” 1 Bolton was a hard-line supporter of the 1980s Nicaraguan Contra War, the 1991 Gulf War, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He fought for the US to withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and for the revival of the "Star Wars" missile system. He sabotaged a 2001 UN bio-weapons conference, and referred to supporters of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (including over 80 percent of the US public) as "misguided individuals following a timid and neo-pacifist line of thought." 2

Q: How do you propose to resolve armed conflicts raging in Colombia, Sudan, Congo, and other places where weapons sold by US arms dealers are the primary instruments of killing?

Bolton virulently opposes any limits on civilian access to weapons and international restrictions on small-arms trade, landmines, biological weapons, child soldiers, and nuclear-weapons testing. Bolton is categorically opposed to any US peacekeeping missions.

Q: Do you believe that the United States is exempt from international law?

Bolton has said: "It is a big mistake for us to grant any validity to international law even when it may seem in our short-term interest to do so, because over the long term, the goal of those who think that international law really means anything are those who want to constrict the United States." 3

Q: As Ambassador to the United Nations, what approach would you take to working with other countries to solve international problems?

Bolton has said, "If I were redoing the Security Council today, I'd have one permanent member [the US] because that's the real reflection of the distribution of power in the world."4 And: "There is no such thing as the United Nations. There is an international community that occasionally can be led by the only real power left in the world and that is the United States, when it suits our interests and we can get others to go along." 5

Q: Have you ever made false claims about a country possessing weapons of mass destruction?

In May 2002, Bolton claimed without any evidence that Cuba possessed "at least a limited offensive biological warfare research development effort," and that Cuba had provided this technology to "other rogue states." 6 Secretary of State Powell and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld quickly disavowed the claim for lack of evidence. In 2003, Bolton intended to testify before Congress about a Syrian WMD program. His testimony was suddenly rescheduled because the CIA and the State Department could find no evidence of this claim.

Q: The International Criminal Court (ICC) is recognized around the world as a crucial instrument for pursuing international justice for grave human rights abuses, such as genocide. Yet you have always been vocally opposed to the Court. Why?

Bolton has characterized the ICC as "dangerous"7 because it would have jurisdiction to try US citizens accused of severe human rights abuses. Bolton led the fight within the Bush Administration that resulted in the unprecedented decision to renounce the treaty upholding US participation in the ICC. Bolton called Bush’s withdrawal from the treaty “the happiest moment of my government service.” 8

Q: It is widely acknowledged that the UN has done more than any single government or international agency to promote global development, fight poverty, and stem the spread of AIDS and other preventable diseases. As the world’s richest country, what role do you think the US should play in these efforts?

Although the US gives proportionately less development aid that any other industrialized country, Bolton has advocated halting the US contribution to the UN altogether, stating that, "nothing more should be paid to the UN system."9 Bolton has been a major proponent of economic policies skewed to benefit multinational corporations—particularly US arms manufacturers and oil companies—and a staunch critic of development strategies that aim to meet the basic needs of people in the most impoverished countries.

Q: Do you concur with the UN Charter that “promoting and encouraging respect for human rights” is a fundamental priority of our time?

Bolton has referred to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Millennium Declaration, which offers a human rights blueprint for ending global poverty, as "mind-numbing."10

Q: Do you believe that citizens should be prevented from having a voice at the United Nations, even when the UN is formulating policy that has a direct impact on their lives?

Bolton has said, "We do not support the promotion of international advocacy activity by international or non-governmental organizations, particularly when those political or policy views advocated are not consistent with the views of all member states."11

Q: You have been called confrontational, ruthless, dogmatic, and the “anti-diplomat.” Why do you think people say these things about you?

Bolton has asserted that US diplomacy towards North Korea should be based on "making it clear to the North that we are indifferent to whether we ever have 'normal' diplomatic relations with it."12 When asked about taking a carrot-and-stick approach to Iran, Bolton’s response was, "I don't do carrots." 13 Bolton called for the CIA to spy on Hans Blix after the chief UN weapons inspector did not find weapons in Iraq. More recently, Bolton has been trying to fire Mohamed ElBaradei, the highly-respected chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, for not finding nuclear weapons in Iran.

While the UN is hardly a perfect institution, it is the only world body in which all countries can work together to solve international problems and the only truly global organization dedicated to promoting peace and development. Public opinion polls consistently show that the majority of people in the US overwhelmingly support the United Nations and constructive US participation in the organization. John Bolton is an extremist who has made a career of undermining the United Nations and the principle of international cooperation.

Take Action! Contact your Senators and urge them not to confirm Bolton as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations.