CURRENT UPDATES: April 26, 2001

Dear Friends,

Our complete email update will not be ready until next week, but we wanted to send out information on John Bolton, George W. Bush's choice for Undersecretary of State for Arms Control, Non-Proliferation and International Security (what a title!!!). He is so bad the Boston Globe called him the "the Armageddon Nominee." Hearing on his nomination in the Senate could be held any day now.

We assert here that John Bolton spells disaster for arms control, non-proliferation and arms control. Only if they called the post "Undersecretary for Arms Un-Control, Proliferation and International Insecurity" would Bolton would be perfect.

Stay tuned for our analysis of other Bush picks as well as an update on U.S. weapons sales to Turkey-- coming soon to your inbox.

APPOINTEES AND UPCOMING HEARINGS:
Sen. Kerry (D-MA) observed that ''never before have so many ideological choices been made to execute key elements of what a president argues will be a foreign policy beyond the ideological gridlock of the past.'' Although the majority of Bush's picks raise eyebrows and throw the notion of "compassionate conservatism" overboard, Democrat leaders ready to play hard ball have been conspicuously absent throughout the confirmation hearings.

While Senators Biden (D-DE) and Kerry were noted for their "sharp questioning" of John R. Bolton - Bush's nominee for Undersecretary of State for Arms Control, Non-Proliferation and International Security - John Isaacs of the Council for a Livable World aptly summed up the situation saying, ''Clearly, senators are uncomfortable with Bolton and his positions and his background. The problem is that they're waiting for someone else to take the lead.'' Leaders needed!

If nominated for the number three position in the State Department, Mr. Bolton, who currently serves as Vice President at the American Enterprise Institute -- a conservative think tank home to right-wing luminaries such as Newt Gingrich, Richard Perle, Jeane Kirkpatrick, and Lynne Cheney -- will have a great deal of impact on some of the most pressing security issues facing the U.S. today. These include missile defense, the fate of the ABM Treaty, negotiations with North Korea, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the dismantling of Russian nuclear stockpiles, and much more.

A window into what we can expect . . .

Bolton has been highly critical of the United Nations. In a 1994 panel discussion sponsored by the World Federalist Association, he said that "there's no such thing as the United Nations," and stated ''if the UN Secretary building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference.'' In reference to the ABM Treaty our buddy Helms said, "John, I want you to take that ABM Treaty and dump it in the same place we dumped our ABM co-signer, the Soviet Union - on the ash heap of history." No objections from Bolton. He calls those of us who support the CTBT "misguided individuals following a timid and neo-pacifist line of thought."

Bolton backtracked a little on his previous remarks and positions during his hearing, saying he believed the UN could be an effective ''policy instrument'' of the United States and that ''circumstances may arise'' in which the United States could normalize relations with North Korea, however, these efforts seemed to be steeped more in appeasement than true changes in beliefs.

Senator Helms described Bolton as "the kind of man with whom I would want to stand at Armageddon" with, a strange comment to make, but who knows -- with people like this in control Armageddon may be approaching sooner than we thought!

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
The Campaign for UN Reform has set up a website (www.StopBolton.org) to focus grassroots opposition to this nomination. From the site you can send letters to your Senators opposing Bolton's nomination.

Foreign Policy In Focus - "Republican Rule" Section for commentaries, profiles and links to the Bush nominees - www.foreignpolicy-infocus.org/republicanrule/index.html

Council for a Livable World - for recent news articles on Bolton (www.clw.org/ef/boltonnomination.html) and the Council's Advisory (www.clw.org/ef/opposebolton.html)

And finally, visit the American Enterprise Institute - www.aei.org - or view Bolton's resume directly at www.aei.org/scholars/bolton.htm to get your blood boiling.

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