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Ambassador John Bolton joins Freedom Watch for a first-hand perspective and a behind-the-scenes look at the State Department debate over whether genoc...
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Welcome back held Liz MacDonald filling in for judge entered a Pollack -- and now for the freedom files.
Newly released documents show that for almost a decade.
The United States -- an internal battle as to whether the hundreds of thousands of deaths in the west it and region.
Noticed are more.
Should be considered get this genocide.
But it wasn't the death toll that -- US lawmakers pause it was the aid the US might be legally compelled to send.
It'd it'd dean this civil war there quote a genocide.
Here to discuss his former US ambassador the United Nations John Bolton.
Who served as undersecretary.
Of state for arms control and Internet through the security when all this happens assert.
What is going on here and by the way I'm so glad to be with you tonight because you're gonna provide a window that the American people of the folks that there are gonna -- -- It was an unprecedented and disclosure I think of a national security archive that -- the internal debate.
Of whether or not to labeled a genocide a genocide what was going on behind the scenes.
Well that this had actually been going on for about ten years going back to rewind and the issue was whether if an official like the secretary of state secretary Powell here.
Port of call what was happening in -- for a genocide would that.
Obligates the United States to do something to stop that under the genocide convention and that the statute that we passed implementing it.
And that conclusion of the State Department legal advisor was that.
Even if we called it a genocide it would not legally obligate us to do anything so secretary Powell based on his.
Understanding of the facts and are four I did go ahead and call what the government in Khartoum was doing to the population there genocide.
Which is based on the agenda -- -- the islamists.
You know regime there we're basically murdering people.
At The Who either Hutus in the tootsie.
-- -- her wand about what we saw happening in Sudan.
Was just genocide us like do we need to legal directive directive to call them on the -- and so ambassador here's a question you know.
What we saw -- -- we saw the same date debate.
Happen in 1994.
Over -- one day is that correct where the Clinton administration so wait a second week and called what's going on.
With the massacre of the Hutus and Tutsis a genocide what was the reasoning behind that.
Well at their conclusion was if they called it a genocide they might be required to do something and they basically didn't have any intention or or really capability of doing -- so they were afraid.
To use the word at all and there's that there there is an issue about whether.
You could discern a specific intent to commit genocide which they finally concluded based just on the scale of this.
The killing you could infer art but this does have important.
Ramifications for the United States whether we are obligated to do something.
Other countries aren't I'm sorry difference before we get -- and down go down that road.
-- British you come down on this side of the argument did you say let's call it genocide let's call it what it is.
Both federal -- and -- for.
Well I thought certainly in the case of dart for when I was in the government that it did amount to -- genocide and I'll also agreed with that conclusion of the legal advisors office.
That the genocide convention itself leave the side.
Moral or political implications that the genocide convention itself.
Did not obligate the United States to act nor by the way did any other country particularly our friends in Western Europe.
Who were quicker to make that decision that they have any intention already know what either in white what the American what the folks -- -- need to understand is.
What is the problem what it's a problem and who is gonna put pressure in the United States here whether or not we call something what it is a genocide these were genocide.
Right now it no doubt about it at that that they're concerned by those looking at it.
Was whether somehow this would obligate the United States to act in the defense under the pressure as long now but under the private under the pressure of whom obligated to act the United Nations other countries -- -- -- Well rhetorical pressure by other countries who course themselves had no.
Intention or capability of acting but I think.
Ultimately secretary Powell made the right decision clearly it was genocide doesn't seem to me to be any.
Doubt about that and it was important for him to say what it was good her -- a moment which we are now learning about.
From the national security archive and you were bowed back behind the scenes -- mr.
Bolten standing up for what is right so good to be with you tonight sir thank you so much for your time.
