Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

Location: The Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium

In Surrender Is Not an Option, former U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations John Bolton, describes a U.S. Department of States mired in bureaucratic inertia and a UN concerned less with weapons proliferation and human tragedy than with the protection of personal perks and political sacred cows.  He recounts his appointment in 2005 and lessons learned from his Senate confirmation battle.  He offers insight into international crises such as North Korea’s nuclear test, Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, the genocide in Darfur, the month-long negotiation that produced the controversial end of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, and more.

Additionally, Ambassador Bolton reflects on the vital choices ahead in the 2008 elections and warns of the European Union’s inclination for endless diplomacy instead of confrontation and resolution of problems. He also prescribes reforms for the State Department and the United Nations and calls for an urgent reprioritization of U.S. foreign policy objectives to confront the new challenges of the 21^st Century.

Ambassador John R. Bolton is a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.  He was the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations (August 2005 to December 2006) and Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security (2001 to 2005).  He also served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, and Assistant Administrator for Program and Policy Coordination as well as General Counsel for the U.S. Agency for International Development.