Fwd: Bolton Bar Brawl Marks Rocky Start to UN Tenure

[Guest guest]

August 8, 2005

Bolton Bar Brawl Marks Rocky Start to UN Tenure

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http://swiftreport.blogs.com/news/2005/08/bolton_bar_braw.html

 

 

By: Deana Swift

 

Just days after his recess appointment to the United Nations, Ambassador John

Bolton’s involvement in a bar brawl has alarmed some member nations of the

international peace body. The scuffle, which took place in the exclusive

Delegate’s Lounge of the UN and involved representatives of Finland, Tanzania

and Fiji, reportedly broke out over a bowl of mixed nuts, which Ambassador

Bolton alleged were " mostly peanuts. "

 

****

 

NEW YORK—It should have been an occasion for celebration: the new US

Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, dropped by the exclusive

Delegate’s Lounge for his favorite cocktail, a Hand Grenade, a refreshing

mixture of gin, grain alcohol, melon liqueur, rum and vodka. But instead of

glasses being hoisted all around, multinational fisticuffs broke out after

Ambassador Bolton alleged that the bowl of mixed nuts he’d ordered contained

" mostly peanuts. "

 

Insiders note that the menu at the Delegate’s Lounge lists a " Mixed Nut Bowl "

that includes cashews, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts.

 

'He went off like a rocket'

 

The scuffle is said to have erupted just minutes after Ambassador Bolton took a

seat at the bar. The bartender allegedly took Bolton’s order for a Hand

Grenade, prepared the beverage, then served him the drink along with the bowl of

roasted nuts. After that, say observers present in the lounge that afternoon,

the new Ambassador appeared to " go ballistic. "

 

" He threw the nuts in the face of the bartender and accused him of being

disrespectful because he, Bolton, was a recess appointment, " said one

representative of a European country who asked that he and his country remain

anonymous out of fear that the new Ambassador might retaliate against them.

 

 

Fiji, Finland, Tanzania involved

Onlookers say that it wasn’t long before representatives of other countries

found themselves involved in the fracas which quickly became a melee involving

delegates from Finland, Fiji and Tanzania, all of whom were treated by UN

medical staff for injuries ranging from black eyes to rug burn. Delegates from

Venezuela, Bulgaria and Japan were among those who attempted to break up the

clash.

 

 

Code name 'Hair Trigger'

The scuffle was ultimately broken up by Mr. Bolton’s security detail who

rushed to the scene as soon as they were alerted that " Hair Trigger, " their code

name for the new Ambassador, was in some kind of trouble. Observers say that the

armed men worked quickly to subdue Ambassador Bolton and separate him from the

Fin, Fijian and Tanzanian delegates

 

A history of minor altercations

<snip>

 

A tipping point—and a brother comes forward

<snip>

 

Ambassador Bolton did not respond to requests for an interview.

 

 

 

 

 

" When the power of love becomes stronger than the love of power, we will have

peace. "

Jimi Hendrix