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Banned
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Will John Bolton Win Senate Approval to Head US's UN Mission or Embarass Bush?
John Bolton is coming back from the predicted political grave to win senate foreign relations committee approval vote, on his way to become America's UN ambassador, or is he?
On the one hand....the "cook the intelligence info to alter the facts to justify your invasion du jour" , will love him for this:
Quote:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/05/12/news/bolton.php
Bolton would speak his mind at UN
By Douglas Jehl The New York Times
THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2005
WASHINGTON In advance of a vote scheduled for Thursday, John Bolton has told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that a policy maker should maintain the right to "state his own reading of the intelligence" even when those assessments are not supported by intelligence agencies.
The statement by Bolton, which had not previously been disclosed, addresses an issue central to the panel's inquiry into his nomination as ambassador to the United Nations.
The committee has been exploring whether Bolton, as an under secretary of state, improperly sought to pressure intelligence agencies to endorse his views, as well as whether he himself sought to bypass the agencies' objections by describing his own views as those of the U.S. government.
Among newly declassified documents being reviewed by the committee are some from the Central Intelligence Agency expressing vehement opposition to testimony on Cuba that Bolton planned to give in June 2002, on grounds that he was seeking to state as the views of the United States conclusions that had been rejected by the intelligence agencies and could not be supported by the facts.
Bolton said that if confirmed as UN ambassador, he would adhere to rules that require formal clearance of any policy maker's statement that purports to describe intelligence agencies' views.
But when he was asked by Senator John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat, whether, as ambassador to the UN, he would "unfailingly use the established procedure" for clearing speeches, testimony and other public remarks with intelligence agencies, Bolton cited an exception.
"A policy official may state his own reading of the intelligence (assuming the information is cleared for release as a policy matter) as long as he does not purport to speak for the intelligence community," Bolton wrote.
A copy of his response was provided by congressional Democrats opposed to the nomination who said they would cite it as evidence that he would adopt a loose standard when it came to using intelligence as the basis for pronoucements.
As an under secretary of state, Bolton was known for challenging intelligence agencies' views on Cuba, Syria and other issues and for proposing more hawkish assessments based on his own independent analysis of intelligence, including highly classified documents he obtained from outside the State Department.
Under current practice, policy makers have always insisted on a free hand in discussing policy matters, but generally have deferred to agencies' conclusions when it comes to assessing intelligence.
Among the newly declassified documents provided by the CIA to the committee is a memorandum from June 6, 2002, in which the agency's analytical directorate voiced "serious concerns about the tone and tenor" of the testimony on Cuba that Bolton had proposed, saying that it "misrepresents" the judgments of the intelligence agencies "not only B.W.," or biological weapons, "but also on terrorism."
Another declassified memorandum, sent on June 5, 2002, to George Tenet, then director of central intelligence, by the national intelligence officer for Latin America, reported that a controversy between Bolton's office and the intelligence agencies over Cuba "will not end soon" because Bolton had instructed his aides not to solicit substantive objections to the assertions he planned to make. Bolton never delivered the testimony, scheduled before a subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee. But drafts of the speech and comments about it declassified by the CIA show that intelligence agencies objected strongly to Bolton's plan to assert flatly that Cuba had a biological weapons program.
WASHINGTON In advance of a vote scheduled for Thursday, John Bolton has told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that a policy maker should maintain the right to "state his own reading of the intelligence" even when those assessments are not supported by intelligence agencies.
The statement by Bolton, which had not previously been disclosed, addresses an issue central to the panel's inquiry into his nomination as ambassador to the United Nations.
The committee has been exploring whether Bolton, as an under secretary of state, improperly sought to pressure intelligence agencies to endorse his views, as well as whether he himself sought to bypass the agencies' objections by describing his own views as those of the U.S. government.
Among newly declassified documents being reviewed by the committee are some from the Central Intelligence Agency expressing vehement opposition to testimony on Cuba that Bolton planned to give in June 2002, on grounds that he was seeking to state as the views of the United States conclusions that had been rejected by the intelligence agencies and could not be supported by the facts.........
.....................Bolton said that if confirmed as UN ambassador, he would adhere to rules that require formal clearance of any policy maker's statement that purports to describe intelligence agencies' views.
But when he was asked by Senator John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat, whether, as ambassador to the UN, he would "unfailingly use the established procedure" for clearing speeches, testimony and other public remarks with intelligence agencies, Bolton cited an exception.
"A policy official may state his own reading of the intelligence (assuming the information is cleared for release as a policy matter) as long as he does not purport to speak for the intelligence community," Bolton wrote.
A copy of his response was provided by congressional Democrats opposed to the nomination who said they would cite it as evidence that he would adopt a loose standard when it came to using intelligence as the basis for pronoucements.
As an under secretary of state, Bolton was known for challenging intelligence agencies' views on Cuba, Syria and other issues and for proposing more hawkish assessments based on his own independent analysis of intelligence, including highly classified documents he obtained from outside the State Department.
Under current practice, policy makers have always insisted on a free hand in discussing policy matters, but generally have deferred to agencies' conclusions when it comes to assessing intelligence...............
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No problemo....so far....just the kind of UN delgation chief Bush, Cheney, and their Christian Right political base can love, right ?????
Well,,,,,not so fast......maybe.....
Quote:
http://rawstory.com/exclusives/byrne...rds_bolton_511
The following court records, obtained by Larry Flynt and provided to RAW STORY, show that Bolton's first wife left him during a two-week trip to Vienna in 1982. More details of Bolton's past, unearthed by Flynt, are included in a separate article.
Hustler says the files are public record.
Image files of the pages of the record follow.
###
V I R G I N I A: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA
JOHN R. BOLTON
Complainant
VS.
CHRISTINA M. BOLTON
Defendant
IN CHANCERY NO. 15645
REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMISSIONER IN CHANCERY
The undersigned, ROGER L. AMOLE, JR., a Special Commissioner in Chancery, to whom this cause was referred on the 4th day of December, 1984, respectfully reports as follows:...............
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Quote:
http://rawstory.com/exclusives/byrne...ynt_bolton_511
The controversial Hustler Magazine publisher Larry Flynt has waded into the conflict surrounding the nomination of Bush hawk John Bolton to a UN post by revealing Bolton's divorce records and unanswered questions about his sexual past, RAW STORY has learned.
The following release was issued early this afternoon. RAW STORY will provide more details as they become available.
The records show that Bolton's wife left him during a trip to Vienna in two weeks in 1982 and never returned. The records further show that she took most of the couple’s furniture.
The records do not disclose details about Flynt's claims. Bolton's ex-wife was not present at the time of the testimony.
RAW STORY has an outstanding call to the State Department but does not anticipate any response.
###
From Mr. Flynt's release:
Corroborated allegations that Mr. Bolton’s first wife, Christina Bolton, was forced to engage in group sex have not been refuted by the State Department despite inquires posed by Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt concerning the allegations. Mr. Flynt has obtained information from numerous sources that Mr. Bolton participated in paid visits to Plato’s Retreat, the popular swingers club that operated in New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
“The first Mrs. Bolton’s conduct raises the presumption that she fled out of fear for her safety or, at a minimum, it demonstrates that Mr. Bolton’s established inability to communicate or work respectfully with others extended to his intimate family relations,” said Mr. Flynt. “The court records alone provide sufficient basis for further investigation of nominee Bolton by the Senate.” These court records are enclosed here as an attachment. Mr. Flynt continued, “The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations must be free of any potential source of disrepute or blackmail.”
Mr. Flynt has contacted the State Department asking that they confirm or deny the allegations of Mr. Bolton’s prior conduct concerning his wife and the alleged paid visits to Plato’s Retreat. He has also called upon the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to conduct an inquiry into the very serious evidence concerning his first wife’s fear of him.
Neither the State Department nor the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has yet responded to Mr. Flynt’s inquiries.
The Hustler magazine publisher demanded an immediate response from Mr. Bolton. Mr. Flynt has personal knowledge about sources corroborating the allegations of nominee Bolton’s misconduct, and he has called upon these persons to publicly come forward with their information.
“First wife Christina Bolton has understandably remained silent on what led her to flee her husband of 10 years and to take the family belonging with hers. A full inquiry would necessarily involve meetings with Mrs. Bolton to uncover the circumstances of her flight and the Committee should subpoena her in private session,” Mr. Flynt said.
Mr. Flynt has no further comment at this time, except to ask that the press examine the attached court document pertaining to Mrs. Bolton flight from her home.
Mr. Flynt is awaiting further leads regarding Mr. Bolton’s private behavior, at which point he will have more information to convey.
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If it is true that Bolton intimidated his wife and peruaded her to engage in public group sex, a similar substantiated charge cost the Rebuplicans a serious contender in the Illinois senate race last fall. Obama, the Dem. won instead. If this charge emerged against a Democrat, would the religious right insist on using it to publicly condemn their political opponent? Will the mainstream press succeed in burying this information until after today's scheduled senate committee vote? Is Bolton less susceptible to the risk of blackmail, now that Flynt has released this "news". Will Dobson remain silent and risk the safety and sanctity of the "family", while Bolton the "group sex" fiend squeaks by and ends up representing the U.S. and it's Christian values in front of the entire world? Bush and the Republicans sure know how to pick 'em, don't they?
Before you reactively dismiss all this, note that before Flynt released info last fall that powerful House rules committee charirman David Dreier (R) Cal. was a closet gay who quietly lived with his male chief of staff who was paid the highest salary of any of the 435 people who hold that job in congressional staff offices, at a time when Dreier was observed as becoming the most prominent TV spokesperson for the Republican congressional delegation, as Delay was receiving less TV exposure because of his 3 censures for ethics violations, Dreier neither admitted or denied that he was gay, and he retreated back into the shadows, his media exposure greatly reduced:
Quote:
http://larryflynt.com/notebook.php?id=88
Dreier never has been “there” to talk about it, even as homosexuals have been fired, smeared and even murdered for simply being gay.
And that’s the shame of it all.
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Last edited by host; 05-12-2005 at 03:05 AM..
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