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John Bolton and the United States' Retreat from International Law

Brussels School of International Studies, Belgium, and University of Kent, UK

Emily Haslam

Brussels School of International Studies, Belgium, and University of Kent, UK

This article focuses upon the writings of John R. Bolton who was for four years US Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. He is currently the US Ambassador to the United Nations. His position with regard to international law is, at least for non-Americans, extraordinary, but also extraordinarily important since it resonates with the views of many in the current Bush administration. In essence, he is sceptical of the entire category of international law and argues that it cannot ever be accepted as superior to US domestic law. He doubts that it can be distinguished from international relations. These views need to be taken seriously if the implications for the world of diplomacy and international relations, and indeed domestic law, are to be understood. This the article attempts to do.

Key Words: John Bolton • exceptionalism • international law • neo-conservatives • United States Constitution

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