A remarkably frank, honest and provocative interview with US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton. A harsh critic of the UN since, at least, the mid-1970s, Bolton has recently mocked outrage because the UN's second in command (under Kofi Annan) dared to criticise the United States.
Bolton explains how the US sees the world, and the UN, and the world and the UN may not like it much at all.
JOHN BOLTON IN QUOTES
From the London Times :
“The United States pursues its foreign policy interests through the UN. It can be an effective tool of American foreign policy.”
“To say we use it when it is useful, and we don’t when it is not useful, is accurate — and accurate of the other 190 members. Why are we the only one criticised?”
(On the UN being a democratic institution) “We never saw it that way.”
“I don’t think there is any risk there won’t be American engagement in the world...Talk of isolationism is inaccurate.”
“Whatever you say about Iran, and you can say a lot, little of it good, it all gets worse when they get nuclear weapons.”
“One of the frustrations for us is that the EU says, ‘We can’t discuss very much with you until we come to a common EU position’. That may be what the EU is all about, but to us it is very frustrating.”
Q: How will international disputes be resolved in years ahead? Is America now back in the UN stable or will it continue to gallop with coalitions of the willing?Bolton seems to suggest the UN could be cut adrift into the Atlantic.
“I don’t see why ad hoc approaches to international problems are inherently wrong. Lots of problems are regional. More regional organisations sorting out problems would be good. I don’t see why...a little competition is bad.”
