UNCA Breifing Advisory: Announcing A Book Launch by: Former US Ambassador John Bolton - Friday, November 9, 2007 @ 1 PM UNCA Club

In SURRENDER IS NOT AN OPTION: Defending America At The United Nations and Abroad (Threshold Editions; November 6, 2007), former US Ambassador John Bolton draws lessons from a lifetime of public service, demonstrating why America loses on the international stage when it fails to exercise its immense power, and instead chooses to submit to UN decision-making processes that are inherently stacked against America.

Bolton contends that America should unashamedly use the UN as an "instrument" of its foreign policy like the other 192 nations in the international body. As the world's preeminent power, Bolton argues that America must take a proactive leadership role, especially in reforming a UN marked by corruption, ineptitude, and a lack of accountability. "Only one UN reform is worth the effort, and without it nothing else will succeed: Voluntary contributions must replace assessed contributions. If America insisted it would pay only for what works, and that we get what we pay for, we would revolutionize life throughout the UN system," argues Bolton.

Ironically, it is America's own State Department that poses an even greater threat to America's international interests. As former Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Bolton insists that the State Department is in desperate need of a "cultural revolution." Taking senior administration officials, especially Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, to task for their incompetence and unwillingness to reform a broken system, Bolton contends that the "permanent bureaucracy" consistently frustrates and undermines presidential policy. "At least when it comes to Republican presidents, many at State are determined to formulate their own policies, regardless of what the elected president might want to pursue," notes Bolton. This pernicious "bureaucratic inertia," a penchant for "moral equivalency" among the High Minded internationalists, and the reality that most "State careerists are schooled in accommodation and compromise with foreigners, rather than aggressive advocacy of U.S. interests," have combined to create a culture that undercuts State's vital role in promoting America's interests abroad.

In SURRENDER IS NOT AN OPTION, John Bolton recounts his appointment in 2005 as Ambassador to the United Nations, his headline-making Senate confirmation battle, which resulted in his recess appointment, and his sixteen-month tenure at the United Nations. Bolton offers keen insight into such international crises as North Korea's nuclear test, Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons, the genocide in Darfur, the month-long negotiation that produced the controversial end of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, and more. Detailing both his successes and frustrations in taking a hard line against weapons of mass destruction proliferators, terrorists, and rogue states such as North Korea and Iran, he also exposes the operational inadequacies that hinder the UN's effectiveness in international diplomacy and its bias against Israel and the United States.

John Bolton was appointed by President George W. Bush as United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations in 2005, and served until his appointment expired in December 2006. He was nominated for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for playing a major role in exposing Iran's secret plans to develop nuclear weapons. He previously served as Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. An attorney who has spent several years in public service and held high-level positions in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Bolton is currently a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., and a commentator for FOX News Channel.

To arrange an interview with Ambassador John Bolton, contact Stephen Manfredi at Shirley & Banister Public Affairs at 703-739-5920 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .