Bolton: Obama’s Syria Policy is Good for Iran, Bad for the US

“I think Rouhani, I think the Russians, I think Assad and Syria are seeing in Obama what I call the P.T. Barnum doctrine of foreign policy, which is ‘there’s a sucker born every minute.’ He’s sitting in the White House right now, and they’re going to take advantage of it,” said former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton, less than a week before President Barack Obama and Iranian president Hassan Rouhani are expected to meet at the UN General Assembly meeting in New York City.

In particular, Bolton told host Frank Gaffney on Friday’s Secure Freedom Radio, Obama’s inaction in Syria are more likely than not providing encouragement to the already dangerous Iranian nuclear weapons program.

“Obama has long believed he can negotiate some kind of satisfactory resolution of Iran’s nuclear weapons program. I think that’s delusional. I don’t think the regime will ever give up its nuclear weapons,” said Bolton. “But what they can get from Obama is an agreement that in effect legitimizes their nuclear program, frees them from the risk of an American strike—not that I think there’s much of one under this administration—and allows Obama to put considerable pressure on Israel not to strike Iran. I’m very afraid we’re in a vulnerable position and the Iranians are poised to take full advantage of it.”

Bolton also expressed his skepticism towards the Russian-backed proposal for the Syrian government to willingly surrender its nuclear weapons. “I think the agreement Secretary of State Kerry reached with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, buys time for the Assad regime. They will destroy some chemical weapons to be sure, but the rest are hidden or already transferred to Lebanon, or possibly even back to Iraq.”

Because of Bolton’s concern that America’s national security policy is no longer being “based on American interests, and our interests around the world,” he has set up The John Bolton PAC and The John Bolton Super PAC to help House and Senate candidates in the 2014 elections who understand the importance of national security.