John Bolton: Mideast in 'Descent Into Chaos'

The current crisis in Yemen, where the U.S.-friendly president resigned Thursday after a Shiite rebel takeover, is the fruit of years of withdrawal of American influence in the region, says former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton.

"When the United States walks away from the Middle East, it's a further invitation to chaos, and that's exactly what we're getting," Bolton said Thursday on Fox News Channel's "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren."

Combined with the death of Saudi King Abdullah and the rise of the Islamic State, Bolton said the Middle East is facing a "descent into chaos."

Reports that Iran has built a missile that can reach "beyond Europe" adds to the concerns, Bolton said.

"This is an absolute disaster. It's a policy of appeasement that president Obama has pursued vis-a-vis the Iranians and the nuclear weapons program," he said. "And you will see the fruit of appeasement in short order if we sign this deal."

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