John Bolton Hopes Americans Will Choose Another President with a Neocon Foreign Policy

John Bolton says that American voters should have foreign policy at the top of their list of demands for their choice of president. He wishes for another administration that will stray further away from our national interests, and seems to really think that neocons still have any legitimate support base in this country. He certainly doesn't want to realize that a majority of Americans want a total 180 in our foreign policy, and with his pushing that priority down our throats will only have the opposite effect on what he wishes would happen. He is right that next year's election will have a large bearing on our foreign policy, but if the actual majority of citizens vote with any sort of sense, it won't be what he has in mind.

Bolton said the next president will have to cope with countries seeking to acquire weapons of mass destruction, countries that already have nuclear weapons and long-term policy challenges from the rise of China and India and the resurgence of Russia with oil at $90 a barrel.

"The way the American president deals with China I think will have a major impact on how China sees itself and continues to evolve," Bolton said.

He said that in continuing the war against terrorists and dealing with the threats of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. currently faces many challenges.

"These are acute threats to the United States and our friends and allies around the world," Bolton said.

Talking about the debate over President Bush's policy in Iraq, he said, "we lose sight that the president's decision to overthrow Saddam Hussein has brought the United States to an enormous strategic victory."

He said that the invasion of Iraq brought an end to the dictatorship.

"This regime was a threat to the United States," said Bolton, who added that the U.S. surge policy in Iraq is working and the level of violence is down.

Talking about Iran's alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons, he said that unless the U.S. is prepared to accept an Iran with such capabilities, the time for diplomacy is over. He said one option is a regime change in Iran and the other is a last resort of targeted use of military force against Iran's nuclear program.

"...I Hate All Iranians" - Bush Aide

I must have missed this over the weekend, and went through quite a lot of digging the past few days before I finally noticed it. It hasn't exactly made many headlines as far as I can tell, even though it most certainly should. Debra Cagan, a top foreign policy aide to Bush, apparently told members of the British Parliament visiting the Pentagon on September 11 that she hates "all Iranians."

The six MPs were taken aback by the hardline approach of the Pentagon and in particular Ms Cagan, one of Mr Bush's foreign policy advisers.

She made it clear that although the US had no plans to attack Iran, it did not rule out doing so if the Iranians ignored warnings not to develop a nuclear bomb.

It was her tone when they met her on September 11 that shocked them most.

The MPs say that at one point she said: "In any case, I hate all Iranians."

But the anonymous members of Parliament added more.

"She seemed more keen on saying she didn't like Iranians than that the US had no plans to attack Iran," said one MP. "She did say there were no plans for an attack but the tone did not fit the words."

Another MP said: "I formed the impression that some in America are looking for an excuse to attack Iran. It was very alarming."

Tory Stuart Graham, who was on the ten-day trip, would not discuss Ms Cagan but said: "It was very sobering to hear from the horse's mouth how the US sees the situation."

Ms Cagan, whose job involves keeping the coalition in Iraq together, also criticised Britain for pulling out troops.

"She said if we leave the south of Iraq, the Iranians will take it over," said one MP.

Another said: "She is very forceful and some of my colleagues were intimidated by her muscular style."

The Pentagon is, of course, denying this. But who do you really tend to believe? The UK media hasn't been one to lie over the past few years.