Disarmament Diplomacy

Issue No. 56, April 2001

Rough Ride for Bush Arms Control Nominee

On March 29, John Bolton, President Bush's nominee for Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Affairs, faced tough questioning from minority members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Bolton, who served in the State Department under Presidents Reagan and Bush, was an outspoken critic of the Clinton administration's arms control policy, particularly its advocacy of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, in his capacity as Senior Vice President of the American Enterprise Institute.

On the key issue of missile defence, when asked by Democratic Senator Joseph Biden whether the US was still bound by the ABM Treaty following the demise of the Soviet Union, Bolton replied: "I don't have a final opinion on that subject." In the view of Committee Chair, Republican Senator Jesse Helms, the Treaty is no longer in effect. During the hearing, Helms described Bolton as "the kind of man with whom I would want to stand at Armageddon, for what the Bible describes as the final battle between good and evil in this world."

Bolton's strenuous cross-examination followed a temperate statement described by Democratic Senator John Kerry as "what I would politely call a confirmation conversion". The statement identified five major arms control and non-proliferation challenges: reducing US nuclear weapons "in ways consistent with our national security", while continuing to "urge Russia to reduce its nuclear forces"; persuading other states of the acceptability of US missile defence plans, and Russia of the need to "move beyond the ABM Treaty"; reaching workable and verifiable agreements with North Korea; working to ensure that China and Russia honour their commitments not to support or encourage the proliferation of missile and nuclear technology; and ironing out the "series of financial and management difficulties" currently threatening the "very integrity of the Chemical Weapons Convention".

Note: on April 26, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee narrowly elected, by 10 votes to 8, to forward Mr. Bolton's nomination to the full Senate.

Reports: Text - Under Secretary of State-designate John Bolton on arms control, US State Department (Washington File), March 29; Bolton echoes Bush, Powell arms control views at hearing, US State Department (Washington File), March 29; Senators grill Bush's pick for arms control post, Boston Globe, March 30; Senate Oks three to State jobs, Associated Press, April 26.