2023-05-27 21:17:07
Former diplomat and presidential adviser Henry Kissinger turns 100 this Saturday, having outlived many of his political contemporaries who ruled the United States during such tumultuous periods as the Richard Nixon presidency and the Vietnam War.
Born in Germany on May 27, 1923, Kissinger is known today for his pivotal role in American foreign policy of the 1960s and 1970s, including attempts to withdraw US troops from Vietnam, though not before becoming inextricably linked to some of the most contentious moments of the conflict.
His son David Kissinger wrote in the diary Washington Post on Thursday that his father’s centenary “could have an air of inevitability to one who knows his strong character and fondness for historical symbolism. He has not only outlived most of his eminent colleagues, detractors, and students, but he has remained tirelessly active throughout his ninety-odd years.”
Influence on the masters of power
As a prestigious statesman, Kissinger continues to exert influence over the masters of power in Washington. He has been an adviser to Republican and Democratic presidents, including Donald Trump, and maintains a consultancy in which he delivers speeches in English with that German accent he has retained since he fled the Nazi regime with his family as a teenager.
Earlier this month, he opined that the war in Ukraine had reached a turning point as China entered the negotiations. He told CBS News that he expects the negotiations to come to a head “by the end of the year.” He has urged the parties to negotiate to achieve peace.
Kissinger co-authored a book on Artificial Intelligence published in 2021 under the title of The Age of AI: And Our Human Future (“The age of AI and our future as human beings”). He has warned governments to prepare for the potential risks associated with such technology.
protagonist of the story
During eight years as national security adviser and secretary of state, Kissinger participated in major events in American foreign policy, including the first example of the “shuttle diplomacy” (shuttle diplomacy), seeking peace in the Middle East, secret negotiations with China to unfreeze relations between the superpowers, and instigating peace talks in Paris to end the Vietnam War and the presence United States military there.
Kissinger and Nixon bore the brunt of criticism from Washington’s allies when North Vietnamese communist forces seized Saigon while the rest of the US personnel fled what is now called Ho Chi Minh City.
He was also accused of organizing the spread of the conflict to Laos and Cambodia, which allowed the rise of the Khmer Rouge regime, which killed an estimated 2 million Cambodians.
always close to power
Kissinger is recognized as a major promoter of the detenteor détente, a diplomatic demarche between the United States and the then-Soviet Union from 1967 to 1979 to reduce Cold War tensions, which led to the nuclear arms limitation treaties.
Kissinger was one of Nixon’s most trusted advisers during his administration from 1969 to 1974, and his power increased after the Watergate scandal, which toppled the 37th president.
Gerald Ford, who as vice president took over the White House helm after Nixon’s resignation, awarded Kissinger the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977.
Kissinger has been accused of being interested in power rather than harmony, applying measures of political realism in favor of US interests and aiding or emboldening repressive regimes in Chile, Pakistan and Indonesia.
Tribute
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid tribute to him as a compatriot on Friday, noting him for having mastered “difficult political challenges and has many admirers around the world for his achievements as well as his remarkable career in international diplomacy”.
“Germany’s readmission into the international community and the joint growth of Europe, which we also owe to their work, also made German unity possible, the greatest moment of happiness in our history,” the German president stressed.
1685222507
#years #Henry #Kissinger #key #diplomat #20th #century