Amb. Bolton: America’s advocate

(Washington, D.C.): President Bush’s announcement today that he was giving one of the Nation’s most principled, courageous and accomplished public servants, John R. Bolton, a recess appointment as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations was as welcome as it was necessary.

In a matter of weeks, there will be historic opportunities to determine whether the UN will undergo long overdue and systemic changes – or whether it will be encouraged and enabled to continue to be mired in wasteful spending, corruption, virulent anti-Americanism and malfeasance. The latter would inevitably follow from the authorization the UN General Assembly is expected to seek next month to begin imposing what are euphemistically called "innovative international funding mechanisms" and what the Center for Security Policy calls "globotaxes."

In a White House ceremony today with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Amb. Bolton, Mr. Bush made it clear that – despite the demeaning treatment his choice for the UN had received at the hands of a small number of Senators – the UN emissary enjoys his "complete confidence." The President went on to note the qualities that he found so important to dispatch to New York at this juncture:

Ambassador Bolton believes passionately in the goals of the United Nations Charter, to advance peace and liberty and human rights. His mission is now to help the U.N. reform itself to renew its founding promises for the 21st century. He will speak for me on critical issues facing the international community. And he’ll make it clear that America values the potential of the United Nations to be a source of hope and dignity and peace.

As he embarks on his new assignment, Ambassador Bolton will bring tremendous wisdom and expertise. Over the past two decades, John Bolton has been one of America’s most talented and successful diplomats. He’s been a tireless defender of our nation’s values, and a persuasive advocate for freedom and peace. As a senior leader at the State Department in the 1980s and 1990s, he brought people together to achieve meaningful results at the United Nations — from resolving payment issues, to helping rally the coalition in the Persian Gulf War, to repealing a shameful resolution that equated Zionism with racism. And over the past four years as Undersecretary of State, he’s shown valuable leadership on one of the most urgent challenges of our time: preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

The Center for Security Policy has strongly supported the nomination of Mr. Bolton to the United Nations since it was first announced by Secretary Rice nearly five months ago. It is proud to have helped illuminate the breadth of support the Ambassador enjoys within the national security policy community and among groups representing millions of Americans who agree that John Bolton is the man needed to help reform the UN and to prevent the imposition of globotaxes. The Center commends President Bush for his choice of Mr. Bolton and for his steadfastness in ensuring that the talents and capabilities of this outstanding public servant will finally be brought to bear for America at the United Nations.