30-11-2023 (WASHINGTON) Henry Kissinger, a prominent figure in US politics and international affairs, has died at the age of 100. The news of his passing was announced by his consulting firm, Kissinger Associates, in a statement released on Wednesday evening. The cause of his death was not disclosed.
Kissinger, who served as national security adviser and later as secretary of state under President Richard Nixon, remained a highly influential figure throughout his life. In 1982, he founded Kissinger Associates, a geopolitical consulting firm based in New York City. Additionally, he authored several books on global affairs, further establishing his expertise in the field.
Even in recent years, Kissinger’s influence was evident. He made an appearance in Michael Wolff’s 2019 book “Siege,” an exposé on Donald Trump’s presidency. According to the book, Kissinger provided regular advice to Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior White House adviser. At one point, Kushner even suggested that Kissinger, despite being in his 90s, should return as secretary of state. Kissinger was also quoted in the book criticizing Trump’s foreign policy approach, which he believed relied too heavily on personal reactions rather than strategic considerations.
Kissinger began his career as an academic at Harvard before entering politics. When Nixon won the presidency in 1968, Kissinger became national security adviser and played a crucial role in significant decisions related to the Vietnam War. This included the secret bombing of Cambodia in 1969 and 1970, which was part of Nixon’s “madman theory” aimed at pressuring North Vietnam to negotiate an end to the conflict. As secretary of state, Kissinger eventually achieved peace in Vietnam, although not before authorizing a heavy bombing campaign during Christmas 1972.
Despite his involvement in the Watergate scandal that led to Nixon’s resignation, Kissinger continued to serve under President Gerald Ford until Jimmy Carter’s election victory in 1976. However, his policy towards the Soviet Union was deemed insufficiently confrontational by the Reagan administration, ruling out any prospects of a comeback in the 1980s.
Kissinger’s legacy is the subject of debate, with differing views from the political and intellectual spectrums. On the right, he is hailed as a brilliant statesman and adept diplomat who employed power politics to benefit America, the country his family sought refuge in after fleeing Germany in 1938. On the left, however, there is strong criticism of his actions, particularly regarding Chile, where the CIA was involved in the overthrow of Salvador Allende, as well as his approach to Pakistan, the Middle East, Cyprus, East Timor, and other regions.
In the early 2000s, Kissinger supported the George W. Bush administration’s decision to invade Iraq. This stance, along with his controversial record, led journalist Christopher Hitchens to famously argue that Kissinger should be tried for war crimes.
Kissinger and his North Vietnamese counterpart, Le Duc Tho, were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their role in negotiating the Paris Peace Accords, which marked the end of the Vietnam War. However, Le Duc Tho declined the honor. The occasion prompted satirical singer Tom Lehrer to quip, “Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”
