“Just as the Security Council was largely irrelevant to the great struggle of the last half of the twentieth century - freedom against Communism - so too it is largely on the sidelines in our contemporary struggles against international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.” LastsHalfStruggleCenturySecurityWeaponsMassDestructionInternationalTerrorismContemporaryCommunismIrrelevantCouncilTwentieth CenturyWeapons Of Mass DestructionMass DestructionProliferationSidelinesSecurity CouncilInternational Terrorism Author:John Bolton
“If I were doing the Security Council today, I'd have one permanent member, the United States, because that's the real reflection of the distribution of power in the world. All international laws are invalid, meaningless attempts to constrict American power.” IfsWorldRealStatesTodayLawUnitedUnited StatesSecurityMembersReflectionInternationalPermanentMeaninglessDistributionCouncilInternational LawSecurity CouncilAmerican PowerDistribution Of Power Author:John Bolton
“Although we refer to the International Criminal Court, the real problem is the prosecutor, because it's the prosecutor who decides who to investigate and what cases to bring. This court fundamentally embodied a potential for abuse of governmental power that I felt was inconsistent with being a free person - and [it was] inconsistent for a free country like the United States to subscribe to it.” PersonsRealCountryStatesProblemFeltUnitedCasesUnited StatesAbuseCourtInternationalCriminalsReal ProblemsInconsistentProsecutorFree CountryMental Power Author:John Bolton
“The International Criminal Court uses a prosecution-only approach. And by putting their fate in the hands of outsiders, countries are really dodging responsibility for actions taken in the name of that country, in the name of the people in that country, by the people of that country themselves. That is, I think, fundamentally the wrong direction to go in.” PeopleThinkingCountryUseHandsActionNamesResponsibilityTakenFateApproachCourtInternationalCriminalsOutsidersProsecutionWrong Direction Author:John Bolton
“I think the International Criminal Court could be a threat to American security interests, because the prosecutor of the court has enormous discretion in going after war crimes.” ThinkingWarInterestSecurityCrimeCourtThreatInternationalCriminalsEnormousDiscretionProsecutorWar Crimes Author:John Bolton
“I'm not saying that you need a State Department that looks like the litigation department of a major law firm. But you need people who are not afraid to make the case for the United States, who are not afraid to stand their ground, not afraid to be isolated in international organizations when that's the correct approach for our diplomacy. This is a cultural change that has to be effected through incentive systems, promotion systems, career training systems. This is not something that you can do with the stroke of a magic wand, it's going to take years to make this change.” PeopleNeedsYearsLooksStatesLawCan DoUnitedCareersCasesUnited StatesMagicApproachMajorsTrainingOrganizationInternationalFirmDepartmentNot AfraidIsolatedStrokesDiplomacyIncentivesPromotionWandsMagic WandsCultural ChangeLaw Firms Author:John Bolton
“I think the International Criminal Court could be a threat to American security interests, because the prosecutor of the court has enormous discretion in going after war crimes. And the way the Statute of Rome is written, responsibility for war crimes can be taken all the way up the chain of command. This is the sort of investigation that some people who live in Fairyland might like to undertake, but which bears no relationship at all to conditions in the real world.” PeopleThinkingWorldWayWarRealMightInterestResponsibilityTakenWrittenConditionsSecurityCrimeBearsCourtThreatInternationalCriminalsEnormousCommandChainsReal WorldRomeInvestigationDiscretionProsecutorStatutesWar CrimesChain Of Command Author:John Bolton
