The Bolton angle.(John Bolton's remarks on the role of United Nations)

Prior to Senate hearings into his nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the UN, John Bolton was portrayed by both allies and critics as the bane enemy of the world body. Yet in his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations committee last month, the notoriously pugnacious Bolton took care to treat the UN as indispensable to U.S. foreign policy.

"Walking away from the United Nations is not an option," insisted Bolton in his opening remarks before the Committee. "The United States is committed to the success of the United Nations, and we view the UN as an important component of our diplomacy...."

Bolton predicted that the UN would play a central role in the Bush administration's "global democratic revolution." "Now more than ever the UN must play a critical role, as it strives to fulfill the aspirations of its original promise," he declared. While conceding that he had often spoken critically of the UN in recent years, Bolton asserted that the "consistent theme" of his public criticism "is that for the UN to be effective it requires American leadership." It is the Bush administration's intention, he continued, to "strengthen" the UN by making it "a more efficient and uncorrupt organization."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice seconded Bolton's desire to "strengthen" the UN. "There's no doubt that this is an organization that needs updating and reforming in order to be effective," stated Rice in an April 15 interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News, an unabashed media cheerleader for the ...