[JURIST] The nomination of John Bolton [official profile] as US ambassador to the UN is expected to be approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee [official website] as early as Thursday, despite intense criticism by a former State Department official during a hearing Tuesday. The key senator on the committee, RI Sen. Lincoln Chafee [official website], said he remained inclined to vote for Bolton following the hearing, meaning the nomination will likely pass in the committee. During the hearing, Carl Ford, Jr. [official profile], a former intelligence and research bureau chief at the State Department, said Bolton had a history of harassing lower-level officials who did not agree with his views. Ford said Bolton tried to have one analyst fired after she disagreed with his assessment over whether Cuba was developing biological and chemical weapons. A committee vote on the nomination could come as early as Thursday or by early next week, depending on whether committee members request more time to review documents. AP has more.