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Bolton: Malloch Brown Matter Not Closed
"The fundamental problem is the illegitimacy of his commenting about the affairs of a member government and the people of that government," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told NewsMax's Stew Stogel in New York on Wednesday. Bolton's latest salvo in the wake of a recent speech by U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown, who accused the Bush administration of quietly using the world body as a "diplomatic tool" but not defending it against criticism at home, shows the issue is not a closed case. Earlier this month, Bolton demanded that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan "repudiate" his deputy's remarks, claiming they could do "grave damage" to the organization. Annan, who has previously called his relationship with Washington "the most important" at the United Nations, rebuffed Bolton, saying it was time for all sides "to move on." At the United Nations on Wednesday, NewsMax asked Bolton about the unresolved issues regarding the Malloch Brown comments.
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The following are excerpts of the interview: NewsMax: Where do we stand on the Mark Malloch Brown comments? Bolton: Well, he [Malloch Brown] has been wrong on a number of issues. For one, he claims we don't support the [U.N.] Capital Master Plan [a renovation of the world body's New York City headquarters], which is inaccurate. But I feel the fundamental problem is the illegitimacy of his commenting on the affairs of a member government [the United States] and commenting on the people of that government. So that issue is clearly going to remain until that practice stops. NewsMax: Is there a standoff between the U.S. and Kofi Annan? Bolton: Our position is not going to change. We are going to have to see whether the secretary-general refrains from further comments.
NewsMax: Kofi Annan has publicly referred to his relationship with the United States as his "most important" at the U.N. Will his support of Malloch Brown damage it? Bolton: That's why I think it was ill-advised for Malloch Brown to criticize the largest contributor [at the United Nations]. Bolton refused to comment on whether Annan's deputy should consider resigning. But he made it clear that unlike Annan, he did not consider the matter closed. Annan plans to address the press in a news conference on Thursday. Malloch Brown was not available for reaction. Earlier, Bolton met officials of the U.N. staff union to discuss issues of reforming the world body's bureaucracy. It was the first time a senior U.S. diplomat has met members of the U.N. staff to explore matters of internal reorganization. According to Bolton, issues such as whistleblower's protection, sexual harassment and the unaccountability of senior management were discussed. He called the meeting "overdue" and added that he expected to have more such encounters in the near future. "I think there is a lot of common ground between the concerns of the [U.N.] staff union and the United States . . . The idea of greater transparency and breaking thought the fiefdoms of the United Nations. It may be that the some member states and the U.N. staff have more in common than with the senior management of the U.N." Ironically, a meeting between Malloch Brown and the U.N. staff last month to discuss prospective reforms reportedly ended in a name calling match between the Annan deputy and senior staff union officials. Editor's note:
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