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.
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