Former UN Ambassador Bolton: Power Should Have Been at Meeting

Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton was critical of the current holder of the seat for missing a critical Security Council meeting on Syria's possible use of chemical weapons against civilians.

Ambassador Samantha Power sent an underling to the meeting on Wednesday, even though Power has long been a critic of the United Nations' inaction against the Syrian government.

Bolton, appearing on Fox News Channel's "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren" said his own recess appointment began on the first day of August, but there was so much work to be done readying for the U.N.'s mid-September session he wouldn't think of taking a vacation.

Power herself only began serving as ambassador earlier this month.

"I think the real work of the U.N. ambassador is the interaction with the other ambassadors in New York," Bolton said. "You can be on the phone, but if you're not in the room it doesn't make an difference."

State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki declined to say where Power was other than on a previously scheduled trip.

Despite missing the meeting, Power tweeted "Reports devastating: 100s dead in streets, including kids killed by chem weapons. UN must get there fast & if true, perps must face justice."

Bolton said Power's absence is far less important than the state of President Barack Obama's policy. Obama last year said the United States would take action if Syria used chemicals weapons, but has yet to take action after U.S. intelligence confirmed the use of weapons earlier this year.

The emergency meeting was called Wednesday after video surfaced purporting to show hundreds of dead Syrians, including children, in a new attack.

"If your policy is in such disarray as the Obama administration's policy is across the board, tweeting is probably the best they can do," Bolton said.