66 Former Officials Line Up Behind Bolton

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON Apr 3, 2005 — Former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, ex-CIA Director James Woolsey and 64 other retired arms control specialists and diplomats are lined up in support of John R. Bolton, whose nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has stirred controversy.

In a letter being delivered Monday to Sen. Richard G. Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, other committee members and congressional leaders, they said the attack on Bolton is really an attack on President Bush's policies.

Last week, 62 critics of Bolton signed a letter calling for his rejection by the Senate, especially because of his opposition to the United States signing a number of arms control treaties.
....
Lugar, an Indiana Republican, has scheduled a hearing on the nomination for Thursday.

Some of the Bolton's foes have scheduled a news conference Monday to publicize their views.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=637961&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

[SerpentX]

1. Woolsey gives me the creeps every time I see him on TV.

He was great in "Nosferatu" tho.

[applegrove]

2. All of them with boardships or ties to the military. n/t

[leftchick]

3. look who organized this counter offensive...

~snip~

The counterattack, organized by Frank Gaffney, a Pentagon official in the Reagan administration said Bolton "has distinguished himself throughout a long and multifaceted career."

It suggested critics of Bolton positions on various arms control treaties are "misdirected" because his views "are identical" to those of Bush and that "their differences seem to be with a man twice elected by the American people to design and execute security policies, rather than with one of his most effective and articulate officials in advancing those policies."

Who is c-span regular Frank Gaffney a new DUer may ask???.....

~snip~

An influential foreign-policy neoconservative with long-standing ties to top hawks in the administration of President George W. Bush has laid out what he calls "a checklist of the work the world will demand of this president and his subordinates in a second term."

The list, which begins with the destruction of Fallujah in Iraq and ends with the development of "appropriate strategies" for dealing with threats posed by China, Russia and "the emergence of a number of aggressively anti-American regimes in Latin America," also calls for "regime change" in Iran and North Korea.

The list's author, Frank Gaffney, the founder and president of the Center for Security Policy (CSP), also warns that Bush should resist any pressure arising from the anticipated demise of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to resume peace talks that could result in Israel's giving up "defensible boundaries."

While all seven steps listed by Gaffney in an article published Friday morning in the National Review Online have long been favored by prominent neocons, the article itself, "Worldwide Value," is the first comprehensive compilation to emerge since Bush's reelection Tuesday.

http://www.antiwar.com/lobe/?articleid=3932

[spooked911]

4. Gaffney is an ass. So is Woolsey and Bolton, IMO.

They are all a bunch of sick war-mongerers.


The only "good" thing about them is how blatant they are about it-- there's nothing subtle about these guys.

[Zorra]

6. Yep, one of the bad guys - signer of the PNAC Statement of Principles. n/t

[0007]

5. ....all the Iran/Contra and Carlyle folks here reporting to say

what a wonderful guy Bolton is.

[daleo]

7. Like the gang getting together to praise Al Capone. n/t

[tofubo]

8. how much ya wanna bet

how much ya wanna bet that the 64 other people are hard right wing chicken hawks that are either members of the pnac; trilat comm; council on national policy; the alfalfa club; a heritage foundation wonk; yale grad and/or cia; or s&b (or some combination of said same)

[Frederik]

19. And each summer

they all run around nekkid at the Bohemian Grove and worship a giant wooden owl.

[AlCzervik]

9. Frank Gaffney-----please!!!!

[leesa]

10. Thugs one and all...figures.

[Robbien]

11. Every time the left acts, BushCo counteracts

Yes, these guys are the elite scum of the earth, but now the Bolton's foes have been countered.

[Moderator]

12. kick to combine

[kskiska]

13. WP: Former U.S. Officials Show Support for U.N. Nominee

Former defense secretary Caspar W. Weinberger, ex-CIA director R. James Woolsey and 64 other retired arms control specialists and diplomats are lined up in support of John R. Bolton, whose nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has stirred controversy.

In a letter being delivered today to Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, other committee members and congressional leaders, they said the attack on Bolton is really an attack on President Bush's policies.

A hearing on the nomination is set for Thursday.

Last week, 62 critics of Bolton signed a letter calling for his rejection by the Senate, especially because of his opposition to several U.S. arms control treaties.

Bolton supporters said his stance "reflects a clear-eyed necessity of the real limits" of accords with other nations that demand one-sided terms from the United States. They included Max M. Kampelman and Edward Rowny, arms control negotiators in the Reagan administration.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23543-2005Apr3.html

[whistle]

14. Caspar W. Weinberger is an impeached felon under Reagan

...but pardoned by Bush I, we must never forget these bastards are crooks!

<snip>

Executive Summary

In October and November 1986, two secret U.S. Government operations were publicly exposed, potentially implicating Reagan Administration officials in illegal activities. These operations were the provision of assistance to the military activities of the Nicaraguan contra rebels during an October 1984 to October 1986 prohibition on such aid, and the sale of U.S. arms to Iran in contravention of stated U.S. policy and in possible violation of arms-export controls. In late November 1986, Reagan Administration officials announced that some of the proceeds from the sale of U.S. arms to Iran had been diverted to the contras.

As a result of the exposure of these operations, Attorney General Edwin Meese III sought the appointment of an independent counsel to investigate and, if necessary, prosecute possible crimes arising from them.

The Special Division of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit appointed Lawrence E. Walsh as Independent Counsel on December 19, 1986, and charged him with investigating:

(1) the direct or indirect sale, shipment, or transfer since in or about 1984 down to the present, of military arms, materiel, or funds to the government of Iran, officials of that government, persons, organizations or entities connected with or purporting to represent that government, or persons located in Iran;

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT
<more>
<link> http://www.webcom.com/pinknoiz/covert/icsummary.html

[Moderator]

18. whistle

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source.


Thank you.


DU Moderator

[Frederik]

20. Crooks and criminals and nothing more n/t

[Purveyor]

15. R. James Woolsey, Frank J. Gaffney Jr...

The counterattack, organized by Frank J. Gaffney Jr., a Pentagon official in the Reagan administration, said Bolton "has distinguished himself throughout a long and multifaceted career."

"Neocon's on Parade"!

[biscotti]

16. 2 sleaze balls

They make my skin crawl just like Bolton does. Means the three of them can continue the plot with the pot sweetened by Wolfowitz at the World Bank. How much lower can we go????

[alcuno]

17. The usual cast of characters.

I'm assuming Henry Kissinger is on the list.

[Massachusetts]

22. Makes me ponder

Why do We The People STILL tolerate cheats, thugs and scoundrels like this working in OUR GOVERNMENT!

[wicket]

21. Caspar Weinberger????

What a ringing endorsement from an Iran Contra convict! :eyes: