John Bolton: sabotaging peace for three decades

North Korea, and many in the international community, have placed the blame for failure of the recent US, North Korea summit directly on National Security Adviser John Bolton. Negotiations up to the summit pointed to substantive agreements, possibly including formal end to 69 year old Korea War. But nothing was accomplished largely due to Bolton's demand North Korea give up its entire nuclear program and "everything associated with it" before any sanctions can be removed. Bolton even warned about adding more sanctions. North Korea's response was 'You're nuts' and walked away, not even scheduling new talks.

That's how John 'Bonkers' Bolton got his nickname, going off the rails to upend peace agreements and negotiations going on three decades. In 1998, he signed the Project For A New American Century, urging President Clinton to oust Iraq President Saddam Hussein. In 2001, Bolton led the effort to encourage President George W Bush to withdraw from the 1971 Anti Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty. A year later he urged the President to withdraw from the 1994 Agreed Framework with North Korea, paving the way for their building their first nuclear weapons, which now number sixty. After 911, Bolton became a vociferous proponent of immoral, illegal and criminal war in Iraq that killed hundreds of thousands. He deserved being shunned by Obama as the moral monster he is. Alas, a clueless Trump installed him as National Security Adviser where he worked to ditch the 5 + 1 Nuclear Agreement with Iran, setting the stage for eventual regime change, possibly even war there. Then Trump gave him top billing at the North Korea summit in Hanoi where he, along with fellow hard liner, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, ensured a summit failure.

Of all the horrendous actions taken by an unfit president, bringing John 'Bonkers' Bolton back from foreign policy purgatory stands tall as the worst of all.