Bolton slams president’s foreign policy, says Bush ‘doesn’t supervise Secretary of State Rice enough’
US President George W. Bush’s foreign policy is in free fall and puts the nation’s security at risk, former ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told a German magazine on Sunday.
Bolton , who was a leading hawk in the US administration and favored a tough stance against Iran, North Korea and Iraq, told the Der Spiegel weekly that Bush needed to rein in Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
“His foreign policy is in free fall. The president is acting against his own judgment and instincts (and is) under the influence of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,” he was quoted as telling the magazine.
Bolton said Rice’s was the dominant voice on foreign policy and that she was a channel for the views of liberal career bureaucrats in the foreign ministry.
“(Bush) does not supervise her enough. That is a mistake,” he was quoted as saying, adding that a moderate foreign policy was a threat to US security.
“North Korea will, for example, now keep its nuclear weapons. And the Iranians have got a signal from our own intelligence services that they can do whatever they want.
“I am not as confident as the intelligence services that Iran has stopped its nuclear weapons program.”
The former diplomat, who quit his UN job last December after failing to win Senate confirmation and now works at a think-tank, also predicted a withdrawal of US troops from Iraq if Hillary Clinton became the next US president.
The Black Plague As I like to refer to Condi is and has never been on the correct side of any issue and therefore neither is Bush! Bolton has been on the correct side. Bolton is a loyal Republican and Tempers his criticism of Bush and Condi.
Bolton has no Power Bush and Condi enormous power, that said I agree with geigergag, keelie, and even Bill Narvey!
Bolton’s call to rein in Condisleazy Rice is rather moderate. Given what Bolton feels about Condisleazy, I would have thought Bolton would have called on Bush to boot her out and as far away from Washington as possible.
The woman is just bad news.
Yup – the influence of the Saudis on the Bush dynasty is a major problem. Perhaps – as you imply – Rice has been a great convenience to Bush junior, in that he can get away with doing things that daddy insists upon, while blaming it all on her.
I agree with Bolton that Rice is a not doing a good job as Sec of State, but Pres. Bush is responsible for what she is doing and for policy and I find it hard to believe that she is making policy that is against the wishes of Pres Bush. Bush has reverted to his dad’s and James Baker III vision of the world where whatever the Saudis want, the Saudis get. That is George Bush doing that and Condi Rice is helping but the Pres is fully repsonsible