A Clash in the Senate Likely on Nomination of Bolton to the U.N.

WASHINGTON – President Bush has selected one of Washington’s most outspoken critics of the United Nations to lead America’s mission to that institution, a move that has already drawn cheers from Washington hawks and opposition from the Senate Democrats who will be asked to confirm him.The selection of John Bolton as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is one of the clearest signals the White House has given to date that the second Bush administration intends to push U.N. reform over any reconciliation with the international body, which is the subject of multiple fraud investigations for its management of the oil-for-food program.In his remarks yesterday, Mr. Bolton said, “I have consistently stressed in my writings that American leadership is critical to the success of the U.N., an effective U.N., one that is true to the original intent of its charter’s framers.”Mr. Bolton’s nomination is also a victory for the president’s pro-war advisers, perceived in recent weeks to have been overlooked for key appointments in the new administration. The ambassadorship will not be a Cabinet position, however, as it was for Presidents Reagan and Clinton.Secretary of State Rice yesterday called Mr. Bolton a “tough-minded diplomat,” adding that he has “a strong record of success and he has a proven track record of effective multilateralism.” Ms. Rice also compared Mr. Bolton to two former American ambassadors in Turtle Bay, Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Jeanne Kirkpatrick, both of whom she praised for their strong voices against the tide of conventional wisdom there.Not surprisingly, one of Mr. Bolton’s first calls yesterday was to Ms. Kirkpatrick, who held the post during Reagan’s first term. “My advice to him is to stand for what he believes in,” Ms. Kirkpatrick said in an interview. “It is harder in the U.N. than other places. There are many people that are sort of not so serious in the United Nations. But I told John I had learned more about the world there than any other place.”Mr. Bolton, like Ms. Kirkpatrick, has been an outspoken critic of the U.N. in both the current administration and in the first Bush administration. For example, he led the charge in 2001 and 2002 to make it American policy to sign agreements with countries making American citizens immune from the International Criminal Court.Mr. Bolton was also one of the first high officials to warn publicly of Iran’s efforts to conceal its nuclear weapons programs, and he warned of North Korea’s intentions in the five-party talks over its nuclear program. Behind the scenes, Mr. Bolton was a critic of both engagement with North Korea and the current European negotiations with Iran. In 2003, Pyongyang famously refused to participate in any negotiations if Mr. Bolton was present, a demand to which his bosses at the State Department caved.While Mr. Bolton has drawn praise from Secretary of State Rice and other Republicans, prominent Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee – the panel that will refer his nomination to the Senate floor – yesterday came out against him.The Democrats’ 2004 presidential nominee, Senator Kerry of Massachusetts, called Mr. Bolton’s nomination “just about the most inexplicable appointment the president could make to represent the United States to the world community.”The ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Biden of Delaware, said in a statement that the Bolton nomination gave him “great pause.” “In light of the president’s recent efforts to reach out to allies and the international community, I’m surprised at the choice of John Bolton to be our U.N. representative,” Mr. Biden said.At the United Nations, a spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Annan said his boss had “nothing against people who hold us accountable,” and said Mr. Annan was “looking forward to working with Mr. Bolton.”Other ambassadors to the United Nations took a wait-and-see approach.China’s ambassador to the United Nations, Wang Guangya, told the New York Sun yesterday that he was looking forward to “working closely” with Mr. Bolton. “People have different views on different issues, including his views on the United Nations. I’m certain that once he is here he might have a different perspective on the U.N.’s role,” he said.When Mr. Bolton was out of government, he wrote articles urging President Clinton to offer diplomatic recognition to Taiwan, which China sees as a breakaway province of its own country.The Algerian ambassador to the United Nations, Abdallah Baali, was all praise. “If he’s outspoken, it’s fine,” he told the Sun. “We need to be outspoken in this house to make things move forward. If you hide behind very cautious formulations, you don’t get things done.”As the only Arab League representative on the Security Council, Mr. Baali declined to comment on Mr. Bolton’s views on Middle East issues.As the assistant secretary of state for international organizations under the first President Bush, Mr. Bolton led the effort to repeal the U.N. General Assembly resolution equating Zionism with racism. In his remarks yesterday, Mr. Bolton called that campaign a highlight of his professional career.Yesterday, the Israeli foreign minister, Sylvan Shalom, praised Mr. Bolton when asked about the nomination. “We think he is a very honest guy and he is very committed to the necessity to bring more stability to our region,” Mr. Shalom said, adding that he is “very well known in the region.”A spokesman for the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said yesterday that hearings on Mr. Bolton’s nomination would likely commence after the Senate’s Easter recess.

A Clash in the Senate Likely on Nomination of Bolton to the U.N.

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