John Bolton on the UN: mend it, don't end it.

In an interview with Human Events, a national conservative weekly published in Washington, U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton "said he believes a properly functioning United Nations can be an effective instrument for advancing U.S. interests in world politics."

"The basic issue for the United States is to make the United Nations more effective, so it can better serve American foreign policy interests," stated Bolton. "I think we have had examples in the past when use of the Security Council or other United Nations organs has been very beneficial to us." This was demonstrated by the role the UN played in the first Gulf War: "You'll recall the Security Council authorized the use of force there before the U.S. Congress." Bolton also commended "a lot of other UN agencies that do important work and humanitarian relief in other areas such as the AIDS crisis and so on. There's no doubt that a properly functioning United Nations can serve American foreign policy interests."

John Bolton, it will be remembered, was denounced by his critics and hailed by his supporters as a bane enemy of the United Nations and the internationalist vision it embodies. In an item posted on this magazine's website last April 13, THE NEW AMERICAN predicted that once confirmed as our UN ambassador, Bolton, "like the Bush administration in general ... will cash in his anti-UN [reputation] and spend his political capital on pro-UN initiatives."