Bolton is Shaking Things Up at the UN

The Independent reports on John Bolton's impact on business as usual at the UN.

Anne Pentketh, the diplomatic editor, fears that Bolton's arrival signals the "end of diplomacy." [here]

David Usborne, their UN correspondent, gives a fuller picture of what Bolton's up to.

Mr Bolton has demanded no fewer than 750 amendments to the blueprint restating the ideals of the international body, which was originally drafted by the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan.

The amendments are spelt out in a 32-page US version, first reported by the Washington Post and acquired yesterday by The Independent. The document is littered with deletions and exclusions. Most strikingly, the changes eliminate all specific reference to the so-called Millennium Development Goals, accepted by all countries at the last major UN summit in 2000, including the United States.

The Americans are also seeking virtually to remove all references to the Kyoto treaty and the battle against global warming. They are striking out mention of the disputed International Criminal Court and drawing a red line through any suggestion that the nuclear powers should dismantle their arsenals. Instead, the US is seeking to add emphasis to passages on fighting terrorism and spreading democracy.

Very quickly, Mr Bolton has given the answer to anyone still wondering whether his long and difficult journey to New York - President George Bush confirmed him to the post after the US Senate was unable to - would render him coy or cautious. Far from that, he seems intent on taking the UN by the collar and plainly saying to its face what America expects - and does not expect - from it.

Of course, none of the objections Bolton has issued deviate from what the Bush administration has been saying all along. The US is not going to accept the Kyoto framework nor the jurisdiction of the World Criminal Court, nor will it commit to contributing a specific portion of our GNP to international NGO's. And, the Bush administration has always been firm in its insistence that aid be tied to strict standards of accountability. So Bolton isn't acting as a free agent in this -- he's just representing accurately the views of his principals.

The positions of the Bush administration have been well known for a long time. By pushing ahead with a blueprint that specifically contradicts those positions the UN has been setting up a whole series of conflicts. Bush has seen this coming for a long time, and his insistence on Bolton is based on his convicton that this is the man who can best defend American interests in the coming fights -- and rest assured, there will be fights, big ones. And, they will get personal. Bolton will be a lightning rod for international criticism, but he's a big boy with a thick skin. He can take it.

Read the analysis here.