John Bolton, the recess-appointed affliction that goes under the title of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told Iran today that "their regime can stay in place" if they knock off trying to arm themselves with nuclear weapons.
Citing the recent example of compliant Libya and its recent reinstatement into the graces of the United States, Bolton said, according to Reuters:
"This is a sign to the rulers in Tehran that if they give up their long-standing support for terrorism and they give up their pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, that their regime can stay in place and that they can have a different relationship with the United States and the rest of the world."
How very ... noblesse oblige of him. The US will permit another country's leadership to "stay in place." And of course, there is no factual basis at all in the view that America is arrogant.
Bolton claims that his remark was not in any way, shape or form meant as a threat to Iran - although apparently more than a few took it that way, considering the barrage of reporter questioning that took place after his statement.
"I've probably said a thousand times that the Libya example is there for both North Korea and Iran to see, and that's all I've ever said and this wasn't any different," Bolton said.
His irritated impatience comes across even when questioned by reporters, much less dealing with any nuance with Iran. With this continual tin ear he displays, it's hard to believe that even if the Bush administration wanted to avoid conflict with Iran (which is highly, highly doubtful), they couldn't. Not with this representative of American charm and firmness wielding the diplomatic microphone.
Heaven help us all.