As the Occupy Wall Street protests continue in downtown New York, talk has turned to plans to occupy the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in midtown next week. Why? On November 7, the New York Historical Society plans to honor former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger with the 2011 History Makers Award at a dinner and ceremony there.
Ever since he served in the Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford administrations (as National Security Advisor in the former, and Secretary of State in both), Kissinger has been derided by progressive critics who hold him responsible for some of the United States’ most nefarious Cold War policies.
Certainly in Southeast Asia there appears plenty of ammunition for Kissinger’s critics. For a start, between March 1969 and May 1970, the United States engaged in aerial bombing campaigns in both Cambodia and Laos. Codenamed “Operation Menu,” the bombings were originally rationalized as an extension of hostilities against North Vietnamese troops operating along the borders with these two countries. However, the mission included bombing raids that were indiscriminate and which claimed thousands of lives.
An extract from Canadian current events magazine Walrus offers a frank and troubling picture of the decision making process back then:
“Nixon was facing growing congressional opposition to his Indochina policy. A joint U.S.–South Vietnam ground invasion of Cambodia in May and June of 1970 had failed to root out Vietnamese Communists, and Nixon now wanted to covertly escalate the air attacks, which were aimed at destroying the mobile headquarters of the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army (vc/nva) in the Cambodian jungle. After telling Kissinger that the US Air Force was being unimaginative, Nixon demanded more bombing, deeper into the country: ‘They have got to go in there and I mean really go in...I want everything that can fly to go in there and crack the hell out of them. There is no limitation on mileage and there is no limitation on budget. Is that clear?’
“Five minutes after his conversation with Nixon ended, Kissinger called General Alexander Haig to relay the new orders from the president: ‘He wants a massive bombing campaign in Cambodia. He doesn’t want to hear anything. It’s an order, it’s to be done. Anything that flies, on anything that moves. You got that?’ The response from Haig, barely audible on tape, sounds like laughter.”
Meanwhile, U.S. support for Suharto, Indonesia’s long-ruling dictator, has been well-chronicled. After the overthrow of Sukarno, the country’s previous autocrat, Suharto went on a rampage against his political opponents, especially Communists, that resulted in a bloodbath that rivaled Stalin’s endeavors in terms of sheer brutality. In December 1975, Indonesia invaded and occupied Timor-Leste, causing untold misery and close to 100,000 deaths over the course of the following quarter century.
In both instances, the United States, under Kissinger’s supervision, financially backed and armed the Indonesian government and military, which allowed it to undertake heinous action. Humiliated after the war in Vietnam, and still fearful of communism’s encroachment in the developing world, Kissinger justified Washington’s support for Suharto’s crimes by pontificating on the need for U.S. allies in the world, irrespective of their human rights records.
Progressive political action groups such as the East Timor Action Network and CodePink have hounded Kissinger for years, protesting outside of venues where he has given lectures and calling for his arrest for war crimes. At least half a dozen groups are planning to demonstrate outside the venue of his New York appearance.
For years, sections of U.S. civil society have attempted to hold former leaders accountable, even if their actions took place decades ago. Have the Occupy Wall Street protests given such efforts a shot in the arm?
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Frankie Fook-lun Leung
The best review article written on Kissinger’s book On China, in my humble opinion, that of Chris Patten. Kissinger represented the Cold War, realpolitique, Bismarck type of diplomacy. Secretive, egotistical, cult-like, Machiavellian and interpersonal in nature, he defies consultation and open discussion. During his tenure as Secretary of State under Nixon, he served his master well. He won a Nobel Peace Prize too. However, one doubts whether that type of conduct of diplomacy should have perpetual applicability. To his credit, Kissinger was a shrewd player and his political sensibility is still unrivaled although one may detest his way of handling issues.
Grant
Kissinger was awarded it along with Le Duc Tho* (a North Vietnamese leader) for their efforts in a peace agreement about the Vietnam War. Of course the U.S continued bombing as the talks went on and North Vietnam decided to invade two years later so it wasn’t the best decision ever.
To his credit he did help negotiate the end of the Yom Kippur War and helped Panama gain sovereignty over the Panama Canal. Some things he deserves criticism for such as Chile and East Timor, but in others he was a diplomat acting in a poor environment.
nirvana
I think that, when they negotiated in Paris, neither Kissinger nor Le Duc Tho was looking for peace between the US and Vietnam, or a better world in general. They were looking for a compromise that suited the immediate interests of their respective country.
Le Duc Tho, a diplomat from the poorest and war torn country, had the sense of honesty to refuse the Nobel Prize. He was right.
Cam
He is a friend of China, at least the Chinese see him that way. He was a main part of the Nixon administration used China as a tool against the Soviet Union in the cold war. Unfortunately, this was used as a honorable way out of Vietnam war for the US.
nirvana
I wonder why nobody nominates Kissinger for the Confucius Peace Prize?
(http://the-diplomat.com/china-power/2011/09/29/china-drops-confucius-prize/)
Poor Mr Nobel!
Grant
Do they dislike him for advocating normal ties with China too? After all if they’re going to be angry at him for working with one dictator they should be angry at him for every dictator. Also this article doesn’t mention that the Indonesian Communists had just attempted a takeover that included attempting to murder the Indonesian generals, their families and many of the Indonesian leaders. The response was brutal (and probably the majority killed had nothing to do with the takeover) but if we want to understand Indonesia and authoritarianism we have to remember at the time they were earnestly shocked.
nirvana
(Some quotes from Kissinger)
-“The emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union is not an objective of American foreign policy. And if they put Jews into gas chambers in the Soviet Union, it is not an American concern. May be a humanitarian concern.”
(Kissinger, 1973)
-“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.”
(Kissinger, on US intervention in Chile)
-“Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac”
(Kissinger to Chairman Mao)
cam
Consider Kissinger is a Jew himself.
Leonard R.
I actually met & corresponded briefly w/Dr. Kissinger in the late 1980’s.
I don’t agree with his current views on China. But I consider myself very privileged that our paths crossed briefly. The OWS people are displaying ignorance & low class here as usual.
Rajah
We have not forgetten his past misdeeds towards India in colloboration with Chou En-lai.
Johnt
The full comment:
Dressed in a tux, I walked through the protesters last night with my wife into the Waldorf Astoria. People shouting all sorts of things at us with anger-filled eyes, accusations of being the 1%, photos were taken of us, people chanting ’shame on you, shame on you’ as we walked away.
The catch? I was not there for Kissinger. I was attending a fundraiser for low-income kids….as a guest…because of my work with low-income kids. I rented the tux. I don’t make much money. And, I was ‘acceptable collateral damage’ in their mission against Kissinger. You can’t escape the irony there….
nirvana
Thanks to Kissinger, you get some fame if your are on this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf2NOdgkdFQ&feature=related
But I somehow agree. You have to be more sophisticated to protest efficiently against Kissinger.
a_canadian_observer
This is one individual, I despise. He should have decline, like Le Duc Tho, the half Nobel prize, knowing that peace wasn’t achieved.