Another Bolton Analyst-Victim

How many outbursts doth a serial abuser make?

First there was Christian Westermann, a State Department analyst who John Bolton attempted to have "removed from his portfolio" (read "fired") after Westermann "challenged parts of a speech that Mr. Bolton wanted to deliver asserting that Cuba had a secret biological weapons program".

Then there was Ambassador Jack Pritchard, who Bolton may have used NSA intercepts to get fired from his position as diplomat responsible for continuing talks with North Korea over that nation's nuclear program (because Bolton felt Pritchard did not defend him enough to the North Koreans after Bolton made a rather undiplomatic speech).

Next we have Fulton Armstrong (aka "Mr. Smith"), a [formerly] undercover CIA operative who Bolton also sought to have "reassigned" when he refused to go along with Bolton's speech on Cuban WMD programs.

And now let's meet Rexon Ryu, a former State Department analyst and expert on weapons proliferation issues in the Mideast, who "was transferred to another bureau after he failed to produce a document requested by Bolton's chief of staff." According to the Washington Post today, "Bolton ... reportedly accused Ryu of concealing the information and of insubordination. [An unnamed official] recalled Bolton saying that he had a file on Ryu and did not want him to work on issues he was involved in." Ryu, who now works for Senator Chuck Hagel (yes, he of the Foreign Relations Committee), declined to comment on the allegations in the Post article.

Senator Chafee said earlier this week he couldn't see a pattern clear enough to call Bolton a "serial abuser", terms in which Bolton was described by Carl Ford, former head of the INR at State.

Senator, I'll ask again - how many does it take to make a pattern?