NeoCon Watch

Mr Bolton was the most conspicuous hawk in Colin Powell's State Department during the first Bush term, an unflinching advocate of military action against Iraq, a hardliner on Iran and North Korea and, quite often, a critic of multilateral diplomacy.

News last week that the White House has been considering Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defence secretary and a neo-conservative hawk, as a candidate to head the World Bank further illustrates the spirit of international outreach in Mr Bush's second term.