Rudy Giuliani, John Bolton both floated as secretary of state under Trump admin

Amb. John Bolton previews Donald Trump"s foreign policy

Republican President-elect Donald Trump"s transition team floated two candidates for the post of secretary of state in a futureTrump administration on Monday: former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and diplomat John Bolton.

While some media reports named Bolton as the favored candidate earlier in the day, by the evening, others named Giuliani as the presumptive favorite.

Bolton is best known as a consistent hawkwho despises the United Nations and former government officials told the New York Timesis known for bullying subordinates. He opposed the Barack Obamaadministration"s nuclear armament prevention deal with Iran, writing an op-ed in the Timestitled "To Stop Iran"s Bomb, Bomb Iran," and is an advocate of regime change in Syria.

Former President George W. Bush issued a recess appointment of Bolton in 2004 as ambassador to the U.N., despite Bolton"s opposition to that body. But the diplomat withdrew from Senate consideration for a formal appointment in 2006 under heavy criticism.

Bolton"s appointment as a senior member of the Trump administration would suggest the real estatemogul is embracing the Republican Party"s neoconservative bent, despite Trump campaigning on a platform of having opposed the Iraq War (which he did not) andmilitary restraint relative to prior administrations, undermined somewhat by his calls to bomb terrorists" families.

It"s less clear what a Giuliani appointment would mean, although like Bolton, the former mayor was an aggressive promoter of the war in Iraq, even when public sentiment was turning against it.

Giuliani has no international diplomatic experience, outside of welcoming foreign dignitaries to the city of New York, and has primarily distinguished himself this campaign season by launching ill-founded attacks on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton"s health, intelligenceand status as the "founder of ISIS."

At a campaign rally in August, Giuliani trolled Trump"s opponents by wearing a hat labeled "Make Mexico Great Again Also," a nod to the campaign"s signature slogan and a jab at Mexicans opposed to the candidate"s rhetoric about their country.

Giuliani"s primary experience aside from the mayoralty has been as a prosecutor, both as an associate U.S. attorney general and district attorney in New York. As mayor, he was associated with tough-on-crime policies (most famously "stop and frisk," which a federal court ruled unconstitutional in 2013) and according to the Washington Post"s Radley Balko, "prosecutorial excess" and a vindictive campaign of intimidation against local political opponents.

According to the Wall Street Journal, transition team insiders say President-elect Trump"s final decision could take weeks.

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Secy State John Bolton? | UN Dispatch

Amb. Bolton on potentially joining Trump’s cabinet

The choice is apparently between a true radical or more traditional neocon with no diplomatic experience. Aides to President-elect Donald Trump are focusing on former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton as the leading candidates to be the next secretary of state, two people familiar with the process said. The choice between the two would force Mr. Trump to choose between Mr. Giuliani, a longtime friend and ally in New York, and Mr. Bolton, a hawkish conservative diplomat who called last year for the U.S. to bomb Iran. A final decision could be several weeks away, these people said. (WSJ http://on.wsj.com/2g9a5fl)

From COP 22 in MarrakechChina and other countries will stay committed to the Paris Agreement on climate change, irrespective of what the next U.S. administration decides to do, the outgoing U.S. climate envoy said Monday. Jonathan Pershing told reporters at U.N. climate talks in Morocco he doesnt know what President-elect Donald Trumps outlook on climate policy will be. But Pershing said his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, told him that China intends to move ahead regardless. Of course they are going to move forward, he said. Im hearing the same from the Europeans. Im hearing the same from the Brazilians. Im hearing the same from Mexico, and from Canada, and from smaller nations like Costa Rica and from Colombia. (ABC http://abcn.ws/2g98DK5)

ICC Sets Sight on US Torture in AfghanistanThe prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday that she had a reasonable basis to believe that American soldiers committed war crimes in Afghanistan, including torture. The international prosecutor has been considering whether to begin a full-fledged investigation into potential war crimes in Afghanistan for years. In Mondays announcement, the prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, signaled that a full investigation was likely. Still, the prosecutor did not announce a final decision on an investigation, which would have to be approved by judges, and it is unlikely that the United States will cooperate. (NYT http://nyti.ms/2g9beDL)

Smoggy shutdown...Iran shut schools and apologised to tourists Monday as its cities were hit by choking levels of air pollution. (AFP https://yhoo.it/2fS7jcX)

Fact of the day: The U.N. weather agency says 2016 is set to break the record for the hottest year since measurements began in the 19th century. (AP https://yhoo.it/2f9VCLc)

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Source: http://www.undispatch.com/secy-state-john-bolton/

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