Critics say blunt-spoken weapons expert has exaggerated

[Judi Lynn]

Critics say blunt-spoken weapons expert has exaggerated
By Sonni Efron, Los Angeles Times, 11/10/2003

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration's point man on nonproliferation has exaggerated the threat posed by Syria, Libya, and Cuba in an effort to build the case that strong action is needed to prevent them from developing weapons of mass destruction, former intelligence officials and independent specialists say.

Undersecretary of State John R. Bolton has long been one of the most controversial figures in the Bush administration -- a pugnacious neoconservative with a reputation for blunt talk and tough action. The allegations that he is inflating the evidence against regimes that are at odds with Washington have been made as the administration is defending itself against criticism that it misused intelligence to make the case for invading Iraq. "Very often, the points he makes have some truth to them, but he simply goes beyond where the facts tell intelligent people they should go," said Carl W. Ford Jr., who retired in October as head of the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research.(snip)

(snip) "Undersecretary Bolton repeatedly goes beyond the current public intelligence estimates in his description of the proliferation threats," said Joseph Cirincione, a nonproliferation specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. "He offers definitive judgments where there is, at best, only informed speculation about capabilities. In some cases, notably his claim that Cuba has biological weapons, he goes way beyond known capabilities.

"In others, like the claim that Iran has bioweapons or that Syria is developing nuclear weapons, he `connects the dots' to form a judgment that is not supported by solid evidence, but then presents it as established fact," Cirincione said. The result, he said, is an undermining of US credibility and of the ability of policy makers to craft balanced approaches to serious threats. (snip)

(snip) Bolton, who has close ties to Vice President Cheney, is the reigning "bete noire" of Washington's foreign policy liberals and a hero to neoconservatives. He has been called "highly principled" and "human scum," a "delightful colleague" and "the most hated man in the State Department," an effective public servant and a loose cannon who has "sabotaged" US foreign policy. (snip/...)

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/11/10/critics_say_blunt_spoken_weapons_expert_has_exaggerated/


Bolton

[sweettater]

1. Got Milk?

shame on me. :evilgrin:

[Nlighten1]

2. ROTFLMAO

Perfect. I was sitting here thinking to myself. "What is up with this snow white caterpillar on his lip.

[RC]

4. That rug is so obvious....

Yeah, I know, we sound like "them".
But calling him another bu$h administration liar is just so redundant it's just assumed.

[sistersofmercy]

11. LOL! Welcome to DU!

What a terrific sense of humor! Welcome to the club :hi:

[lumpy]

15. tsk tsk

hehe

[Paschall]

3. Bolton is an attorney

Calling him a "weapons expert" is like calling Julia Childs a chemist. :eyes:

[hang a left]

5. "Mr Really Bad Toupe Weaaaaaaaaerrrrrr"

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm wasn't The State Department's Bureau Of Intelligence and Research the same Department that poor fellow who pushed himself off the top of the State Department on Friday evening worked for.

"And have another one, for that thing on your head"


On Edit: My sentence sounded stupid, had to clean it up.

On Edit again: I still left one too many hes. Having coffee now.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Never trust a man who wears a perpetual milk moustache.

Got agenda?

[R Hickey]

7. Cuba, Syria and Libya...prepare to be invaded

When Hitler invaded Poland, he fabricated a fake border incident. The story made Hitler's policy of 'pre-emption' more palitable to his brain-washed Nazi followers. Apparently the fascism bankrolled by Dubya's grandpa Prescott Bush hasn't changed much since then.

Since the Bush family has successfully brought "freedom and democracy" to the greatful populations of Afganistan and Iraq, Bush's Neo-cons have now hired Bolton to fabricate plausable reasons for invading the next three countries.

The PNAC in their 'Mein Kampf-style' blueprint for world conquest, listed all these countries, and several more, as their targets for Neo-conservative American colonalism. Apparently, according to Bolton, they still plan to go right down through the list.

[Flying_Pig]

8. Bolton's another PNAC founder/principal, and a whacked out

fascist. He'd have this nation fighting dozens of wars, and firing up their nukes, if he had his way. What else can one expects from a cohort of Perle, Wolfowitz, Feith, Abrams, et al. He should be charged with treason, and led from the White House in chains, but then, so should this entire neonazicon regime.

[hang a left]

9. kicking for some action. I really think that there is a connection

here to the deaded state department employee.

[sistersofmercy]

12. Got a link I missed the story? eom

[Snazzy]

14. other thread--Dead INR Guy

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=207591&mesg_id=207591

[xchrom]

10. wolfowitz clone

there are just a ton of these snakes hiding under rocks in the bushco admin.

[UpInArms]

13. there are no active links to this,

but I read it when it came online at Haaertz in February -

here is the text:

2-19-3

TEL AVIV -- U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton has assured Israeli

officials on Monday that America will attack Iraq, and will also deal with Syria, Iran and North Korea after occupying Baghdad.

According to a report publlished by Israelâs leading newspaper Haaretz, Bolton, who is undersecretary for arms control and international security, is in Israel for meetings about preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

In a meeting with Bolton on Monday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that Israel is concerned about the security threat posed by Iran. It's important to deal with Iran even while American attention is turned toward Iraq, Sharon said.

<snipped>

[lumpy]

16. So much for those Sharon apologists

who claim Israel has no part in this farcical drama. Bolton should be outed for his spreading of half truths and out and out lies. He appears to be a major player in Bushco's insane ambitions along with our favorites, Wolfowitz, Perle and other ambitious ham actors.

[UpInArms]

17. here's a link to Bolton's speech

'Beyond the Axis of Evil': Speech by John Bolton, May 6

http://www.acronym.org.uk/docs/0205/doc01.htm

[lumpy]

19. Bolton pretty well lays out the

aggressive agenda planned by the US corporate/administration and that includes power players from many other countries. Supposedly, all in the interest of routing out terrorism, but more importantly, the intent of the continuing protection of their power/monetary/political interests by the use of military and surreptitious means.

[Dr Fate]

18. Will somone please SHOOT that animal attacking that poor man's head??

THE HUMANITY!!!!