Stewart Stogel
Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006

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UNITED NATIONS -- U.S. diplomats tell NewsMax that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton canceled a Monday meeting at the White House with President George W. Bush to remain at U.N. headquarters for a critical U.N. General Assembly meeting.

The Assembly is to elect five new non-permanent members of the Security Council for a two-year term.

The Latin American seat is being hotly contested by Venezuela and its fiery president Hugo Chavez. The United States has thrown its support behind Guatemala for that same seat on the Council.

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"The matter is important and the ambassador [Bolton] decided to remain in New York," explained one Bolton staffer.

The U.S. diplomat also explained that Bolton has been meeting with various U.N. representatives both in person and "on the phones" all Monday morning.

Bolton's decision to remain in New York City came on the recommendation of both President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Chavez, sensing a last minute U.S. push to stop him, boasted to the Venezuelan press that Caracas "will win in the U.N." and that he gave his U.N. ambassador "a bayonet" to go into the fight on the General Assembly floor.

So far neither country has received the mandatory two-thirds vote of the 192 member General Assembly.

More than five rounds of voting have taken place and could continue throughout Monday and possibly into Tuesday.

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