UN reform & Shirin Tahir-Kheli

So that latest pro-Bolton mantra from the AEI crowd is "reform the UN, reform the UN." The implication is that not only does the United Nations need reform - no doubt there - but that John Bolton is the only man who can do it, because he's so "tough," so "blunt but effective," so in-your-face while "calling them like he sees them," and so downright passionate about his views, blah blah blah. For one particularly mendacious example, read Jeffrey Gedmin's op-ed in the Washington Times. And another from a former subordinate.

To oppose John Bolton is to oppose UN reform, and they've got guys raping women in the Congo, so how in good conscience can you oppose UN reform when they're raping women in the Congo?

A satisfying red herring, no doubt, but a red herring nonetheless.

Considering that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has named a Special Adviser on UN Reform, who reports "directly to the Secretary of State," there's little weight to the "sky is falling" arguments that the UN is somehow unreformable if John Bolton's nomination fails. Quite the contrary.

Rice named Shirin Tahir-Kheli to this post not only because UN reform is such a priority, but because she knows she can't rely on John Bolton not to screw it up. Tahir-Kheli's already going to work; she's in the thick of Security Council reform and no doubt having a wonderful time.

While this week the talking point from the White House has been the "sky is falling" at the UN and thus John Bolton is a great nominee, Bolton has already been sidelined from the crucial debate of UN reform. Tahir-Kheli's function is to engage directly with the General Secretariat and help develop government policy:

She will engage the UN Secretary General and Secretariat on UN reform efforts, including the High Level Panel Report and the Report of the Secretary General on Reform.

Dr. Tahir-Keli will coordinate within the State Department and interagency community the U.S. government’s positions on UN reform.

No mention of the UN Ambassador. John Bolton doesn't have a direct role in UN reform. In fact, the chain of command has been adjusted to keep him side-lined from the process, and Rice has additionally sent public signals letting everyone know this to be the case. At best he'll hope to muscle in after the fact and will no doubt screw things up in the process.

This mimics Secretary Rice's exclusion of Bolton from policy discussions over Iran. It also joins assurances Rice has made to GOP senators like Lugar that the moment Bolton goes off the reservation he's gone (what are the odds?). In effect, in order to secure his confirmation Rice has had to promise senators that Bolton won't do his Bolton Thing at the UN. Pathetic.

If senators require this kind of placation and the nominee requires this preemptive bureaucratic ostracism - before he even takes the position - what the hell's the point of confirming the guy in the first place?