Bolton, Former Top U.S. Envoy at UN, Turns Against Bush on Iran
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aGsx72KMt.WE&refer=usMarch 2 (Bloomberg) -- John Bolton, who helped shape President George W. Bush's diplomacy aimed at blocking the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea, said those efforts are failing and the U.S. may have to seek the ouster of the governments in Tehran and Pyongyang.
Bolton has been quick to voice his disappointment with the president he was serving as United Nations ambassador less than three months ago. The agreement with North Korea to exchange economic aid for a nuclear disarmament pledge shows the Bush administration has ``abandoned the principles it pursued for much of its first several years in office,'' he said in an interview yesterday.
Talks with either North Korea or Iran won't work, Bolton asserted. ``Unless you're prepared to believe that the Iranians are voluntarily going to give up the pursuit of nuclear weapons, the idea of pursuing negotiations is ultimately going to be fruitless,'' he said.
The U.S. has allowed Britain, France and Germany to ``screw around'' in nuclear talks with Iran, according to Bolton. The diplomacy has gone on for ``three and a half years, and that allowed the Iranians to make enormous progress on their nuclear- weapons program,'' he said.
``Regime change in Iran or, as a last resort, military action is the only thing that will stop the Iranians from getting nuclear weapons,'' Bolton said.
His criticisms drew a retort from President Bill Clinton's UN ambassador, Bill Richardson. ``Mr. Bolton's insults to our European allies and this saber-rattling are irresponsible,'' Richardson, the governor of New Mexico and a Democratic candidate for president, said in an e-mail. ``We need tough, direct negotiations with Iran but also with our allies, especially Russia, to provide a united front to pressure Iran.'' more:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aGsx72KMt.WE&refer=ushttp://journals.democraticunderground.com/bigtree
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