What the rest of the world thinks
Hassan Nafaa
03/28/05 “Al-Ahram” – – President Bush took two decisions over the past two weeks that to me sum up his administration’s new approach to international organisations and the UN in particular. The first was his appointment of John Bolton, under secretary of state for arms control and international security, as the US’s permanent envoy to the UN, freeing John Negroponte to become the new director of national intelligence. The second was his nomination of First Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank after James Wolfensohn.
In addition to being confirmed hawks in an administration dominated by neoconservatives, Bolton and Wolfowitz share a number of characteristics. Both have nothing but contempt for international organisations. Those that are not firmly under Washington’s thumb, in particular, they regard with suspicion as though these organisations are inherently bent on undermining American policy. Both are staunch, unreserved supporters of Israel. Bolton was a member of the advisory board of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs and some of Wolfowitz’s family members, including his sister, live in Israel. Both are firm believers in uncontested American global supremacy, which they maintain is a prerequisite for universal peace and security. Finally, both contributed to the formulation of “The New American Century”, that landmark report issued in 1997 that is the political and ideological handbook of the current administration.</i>
Hassan Nafaa is professor of political science at Cairo University. Interesting to see what the rest of the world- you know, the people who actually LIVE where we’re mucking about- think about us.
