|
Highlights
& Quotes
It
is hard to believe, but many liberals and progressives in the United
States are beginning to feel a bit wistful about Henry Kissinger,
a man they accuse of being behind some of the greatest atrocities
and human rights abuses committed during the cold war--in Chile,
Vietnam, Cambodia, East Timor, ... .
Despite
his support for the war on terror and the unilateral use of U.S.
military power, Kissinger’s brand of realpolitik is now seen
as a potential antidote to the neoconservative-driven imperial thrust
of the Bush administration (witness, too, the huge sigh of relief
that emanated from such outlets as the New York Times when James
Baker made it back into the Bush fold in December 2003 as the president’s
personal global envoy).
Wrote John Feffer, author of North Korea, South Korea: U.S. Policy at a Time of Crisis, in Tompaine.com (November 24, 2003):
“I have a shameful confession to make. I'm beginning to get nostalgic for Henry Kissinger. ... I yearn for a dose of Kissinger's brand of pragmatism to be administered to the current group in power in Washington. ... Am I romanticizing Henry Kissinger? He unconditionally backs the war on terrorism and the maintenance of unilateral U.S. power. He supports more pragmatic alternatives sometimes for the worst reasons, such as his own personal gain. And yet--and this reflects the sorry state of diplomatic affairs in the United States--Kissinger's voice remains comparatively sensible. If the 2004 elections bring pragmatists back to Washington, I'll give two cheers for realpolitik. Hip, hip... and then I'll immediately return to my critical ways. I'll dust off my copy of The Price of Power. I'll rant and rave about how pragmatists in the Clinton mold are putting power over principles. In the meantime, though, I'll pine for Henry.”
******
A sampling of Kissinger quotes, compiled by Christopher Hitchens for his book The Trial of Henry Kissinger (8):
"I don't see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its people. The issues are much too important for the Chilean voters to be left to decide for themselves."
"Why should we flagellate ourselves for what the Cambodians did to each other?"
"Covert action should not be confused with missionary work." (Kissinger commenting on the U.S. sellout of the Kurds in Iraq in 1975)
"The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer."
*******
When the Bush administration chose Kissinger to head the commission investigating the 9/11 attacks, observers charged that he had insurmountable conflicts of interest deriving from the work of his firm Kissinger Associates. The criticism eventually drove Kissinger to resign from the commission.
The Washington Post reported that in his resignation letter to the president, Kissinger wrote that the decision to quit was "a moment of disappointment for me. For over half a century, I have never refused to respond to the call from a president. Nor have I ever put my personal interests ahead of the country's interests."
Reported the Post, “[Kissinger] said that ‘in the end’ he would have abided by whatever financial disclosure rules were applied to other members of the commission. But he feared that ‘the controversy would quickly move to the consulting firm I have built and own. To liquidate Kissinger Associates cannot be accomplished without significantly delaying [the work of the commission]. I have, therefore, concluded that I cannot accept the responsibility you proposed.’” (9)
The
libertarian blog Lewrockwell.com humorously framed the conflict
of interest story with its piece “Kissinger Associates Client
List,” a fictional letter from Lawrence Eagleburger to Kissinger
that outlined the various reasons why “public service is not
in the cards at this time.” Here are some of the Kissinger
Associates "clients" listed in the “letter (7):
• Osama bin Laden - Investment opportunities in Israel.
• The Carlyle Group - How to use the CIA by providing it with cover globally.
• The Government of North Korea - Nuclear power as the road to energy independence.
• The CIA - How to employ Kissinger Associates as a cover for covert operations globally.
• Saddam Hussein - Opportunities for residential concealment of defense operations against Iranian attack.
• The Government of Iran - The use of oil revenues to create a deterrent against an Iraqi attack.
• George Steinbrenner - Recruitment of Kosovar outfielders capable of doubling as assassins of Serbian outfielders recruited by the Boston Red Sox.
• Rashid Dasdun - Methods of obtaining information from suspected Taliban and Al Queda not permitted in the United States. Courses to be taught at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Bangkok (Teaching materials provided by Kissinger Associates).
• Bernard Lewis - Worldwide promoting of "What Went Wrong" in Moslem countries, so they can learn how to be slavish, sycophantic admirers of Bernard Lewis.
• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Investment opportunities in Cuba.
• Fidel Castro - How to get Cuban cigars past Customs into America (Customs officials learn to smoke them and enjoy them).
• The Rockettes - Appropriate methods of performing in Moslem countries, excluding belly dancing.
• The Israeli National Soccer Team - How to beat Brazil (Personally taught by Henry Kissinger) | 
