John Bolton in Politico.com

On Homeland Security: Punish Russia & China for helping Snowden leak NSA documents

Russia's recent actions surrounding NSA leaker Edward Snowden are doing "real damage," Bolton said, so it's time to return the favor. "I think in order to focus Putin's thinking, we need to do things that cause him pain as well." Bolton said canceling the meeting between Putin and Obama during the G-20 summit is not a real move. "Canceling this meeting has all the impact on Putin of Obama fluttering his eyelids. It's purely symbolic," he said.

The Russians have "consistently outmaneuvered us over the last 4 years. They've embarrassed the president on his reset button," Bolton said.

Bolton said China should feel some pain too for its part: "I don't think we should forget we should make China feel pain here for giving Snowden asylum for a couple of days and then allowing him to escape to Moscow. I think the lesson Putin learned watching what we did not do to China is Putin could get away with it, too. So far, they are both right," Bolton said.

Source: Hadas Gold on Politico.com Aug 8, 2013

On War & Peace: Military force in Syria is counterproductive

Bolton said that while the civil war in Syria does involve American national security interests, action at this stage--more than two years into the bloody conflict--would be counterproductive. "It is a mess largely of the president's own creation," Bolton charged. "I think our credibility has been damaged, I think the president's credibility has been. But feckless use of military force would damage the country's credibility more."

Bolton said the Syrian opposition contains factions that are deeply hostile to the U.S., and there's no indication that propping them up would be any better for American interests. The U.S. would be better off focusing on threats emanating from Iran, he said. "If you use massive military force against Assad, then that will tip the balance, which I think would be a mistake," Bolton said, acknowledging that the situation is complicated. "If you use minimal force, you won't make the point about deterrence."

Source: Politico.com "Bush vets split" Aug 31, 2013

The above quotations are from Columns and news articles on Politico.com. Click here for other excerpts from Columns and news articles on Politico.com. Click here for other excerpts by John Bolton. Click here for a profile of John Bolton.
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