John Bolton got upset

An old item that never got published:

Headlines in kat month's newspapers about a speech made by Mark Malloch Brown, the second-highest officer of the United Nations. (You can read it here). Apparently John Bolton, the US ambassador to the UN, did not like it and condemned it as anti-US propaganda. I also read somewhere that he called upon Kofi Annan to distance himself and the organisation from this speech and that he is lobbying to have Malloch Brown fired.

There are two astonishing aspects to this row. First, the speech is *quite* polite and acknowledges the important role the US are playing within the UN and its activities. All it Malloch Brown calls for is some new elan in the US for the cause of the United Nations and that the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Fox News will be answered. It also chastises other countries for a irrational full distrust against the US ("The US is backing it, so it must be an evil plan to establish hegemony!"). I would say that this is moderate and perfectly acceptable criticism and Bolton is over the top in his reaction.

Which brings me to my second point. Bolton claims that it is "illegal" for an international civil servant to criticize the American people. This is even more bewildering. Why is that "illegal"? Where does it say it is "illegal" to criticize the American people? Perhaps it is not wise or prudent for such an official to criticize the American people, butillegal?

In short: Bolton's touchy response makes me think that Malloch Brown is absolutely right. He hit an open nerve...