Beware Bolton
The re-emergence of John Bolton as Donald Trump’s national security adviser, coupled with fundamentalist Christian dominionist Mike Pompeo as secretary of state and Niki Haley as UN ambassador, represents the re-emergence of the neo-conservatives to power in Washington.
Bolton’s political resurrection is a further sign that the Trump regime is assembling a cabinet even more right-wing and militaristic than before the recent reshuffling.
Bolton was one of the main architects of the Iraq War. He is absolutely unrepentant about his role in that debacle. He has called for the United States to declare immediate war on Iran and North Korea. He wants US troops deployed to Syria to fight President Assad. Bolton is an advocate of abandoning the “One-china” policy (which recognises China’s sovereignty over Taiwan) in favour of recognising Taiwanese independence and building up US forces on the island.
He is against a two-state solution to the Israel-palestine issue. Instead, he advocates that Gaza should be given to Egypt and the West Bank split between Israel and Jordan. He wants Georgia and Ukraine fast-tracked into Nato.
He also thinks Hezbollah have established drug-smuggling route in South America.
John Bolton is a madman who should not be inside a White House whose commander-in-chief already has a slim grip on reality.
ALAN HINNRICHS Gillespie Terrace, Dundee Is it my imagination or is President Donald Trump’s signature bigger, thicker and darker each time he signs new legislation?
There was a time when a different pen was used for each letter and then given as a souvenir, although maybe that was only on the inspirational but fictional West Wing political TV series.
There are a number of ways of considering this signature, now getting so large that soon a crayon will need to be used, including it being a reflection of a growing ego or its seismographic appearance being a symbol of the political shakeups that have and will occur.
When the signed documents are shown on television only the signature is really visible, and that is not a comforting image. DENNIS FITZGERALD
Melbourne, Australia