AFPHenry Kissinger
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 03:15
Henry Kissinger, former American minister, top diplomat and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, has died at the age of 100. This was announced by his company Kissinger Associates Inc.
Kissinger played a major role in American politics in the 1970s, but he continued to have great influence afterward. He served as Secretary of State under President Nixon at the beginning of that decade.
Kissinger was a master at global chess with the Russians. Although he continued to see them as an archenemy that had to be defeated, he also developed a detente that made the Cold War a little less cold. For example, he negotiated the SALT agreement, in which the superpowers both reduced nuclear weapons.
He also sought rapprochement with Maoist China, a country that had not even been recognized by the US. By entering into dialogue with Beijing, Kissinger and Nixon hoped to drive a wedge between the Soviet Union and China.
Cambodia
The approaches initially took place in complete secrecy. The dialogue with China was striking, because that country supported North Vietnam, where American troops were still fighting a war of attrition against communist fighters. Nixon wanted to enforce an “honorable peace” for the US and Kissinger became skilled in shuttle diplomacy, the long journeys he undertook to speak to all parties.
To have a stronger negotiating position, Nixon and Kissinger decided to increase the bombing. Flights were also carried out to neighboring country Cambodia, because the Viet Cong had shelters there. Congress eventually forced the government to halt those illegal flights.
At the negotiating table, Kissinger managed to broker a ceasefire so that American troops could leave Vietnam. In 1973, Kissinger shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the North Vietnamese diplomat Le Duc Tho. The latter refused the prize, because his country had not yet experienced lasting peace.
Allende
The awarding of the Nobel Prize was controversial because of the heavy bombing of North Vietnam and Cambodia, and there was also criticism of the way in which he plotted with the CIA to overthrow socialist President Allende in Chile. In 1973, Allende was ousted and murdered with American support, to be succeeded by dictator Pinochet. He also supported the military coup in Argentina three years later.
In addition, Kissinger supported the government of Indonesia in the bloody suppression of the independence struggle in East Timor, the brutal actions of the Pakistani army in East Pakistan and an uprising that led to an independent Bangladesh at the cost of hundreds of thousands of victims, possibly millions.
Even after the fall of Nixon, following the Watergate scandal, Kissinger continued to play an important diplomatic role. Through his consultancy firm, he continued to advise governments and companies until his death. Even after his 100th birthday, he still attended meetings at the White House. In July 2023, he made another surprise visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Kissinger died Wednesday at his home in Connecticut, his company said.
2023-11-30 02:15:56
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