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Henry Kissinger

Secretary of State during the Vietnam War under Richard M. Nixon. Who else but Kissinger could win a Nobel Peace Prize for the secret (and illegal) bombing of Cambodia?

Helped Augusto Pinochet orchestrate the overthrow of Chile's democratically elected President Allende. He personally assured Pinochet that his human rights violations were not a problem for the United States. He did this knowing that Pinochet had set up an international network to assassinate his enemies.

Cyprus, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Middle East, Angola, China, and the SALT negotiations. Alexander Haig.

After Nixon was brought down by Watergate, Kissinger remained as Secretary of State under Gerald Ford.

George W Bush tried to post Kissinger as the lead for the World Trade Center investigation. The appointment did not even last a week before it became necessary for him to step down because of conflicts of interest. Kissinger is now useless as a statesman or envoy for even the most benign tasks of State, thanks to his now all-too-apparent monied interests.

SUHARTO: We want your understanding if we deem it necessary to take rapid or drastic action.
FORD: We will understand and will not press you on the issue. We understand the problem you have and the intentions you have.
KISSINGER: You appreciate that the use of U.S.-made arms could create problems.
FORD: We could have technical and legal problems. You are familiar, Mr. President, with the problems we had on Cyprus, although this situation is different.
KISSINGER: It depends on how we construe it—whether it is in self-defense or is a foreign operation. It is important that whatever you do succeeds quickly. We would be able to influence the reaction in America if whatever happens happens after we return. This way there would be less chance of people talking in an unauthorized way. The President will be back on Monday at 2:00 PM Jakarta time. We understand your problem and the need to move quickly, but I am only saying that it would be better if it were done after we returned.
FORD: It would be more authoritative if we can do it in person.
KISSINGER: Whatever you do, however, we will try to handle in the best way possible.
FORD: We recognize that you have a time factor. We have merely expressed our view from our particular point of view.
KISSINGER: If you have made plans, we will do our best to keep everyone quiet until the President returns home.


timeline

27 May 1923 Heinz Alfred Kissinger born, Fuerth, Germany.
1938 Family moves to New York.
19 Jun 1943 Naturalized as a U.S. citizen.
1943 Served in U.S. Army Counter-Intelligence Core, until 1946.
1949 Marries Ann Fleischer.
1952 Director, Psychological Strategy Board.
1964 Divorces Ann Fleischer.
15 Sep 1970 President Richard M. Nixon and Henry Kissinger instruct CIA Director Richard Helms to spend up to $10 million "to prevent Allende from coming to power or to unseat him."
10 Dec 1973 Henry Kissinger accepts the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the Vietnam peace accord.
30 Mar 1974 Marries Nancy Maginnes.
5 Jul 1975 President Gerald Ford flies to Indonesia with Henry Kissinger and meet with Suharto.
6 Dec 1975 During a state visit to Indonesia, President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger reassure dictator Suharto that his impending invasion of East Timor will not be opposed by the United States.
10 Feb 1981 Undergoes heart bypass operation.
27 Nov 2002 President George W Bush appoints Henry Kissinger to head the national commission investigating the World Trade Center attacks of 9-11. Kissinger is later forced to withdraw once it is realized exactly how much conflict of interest he has accumulated in the last several years of consultation work.
13 Dec 2002 Refusing to sever ties with or reveal the client list of his consulting firm Kissinger Associates, Henry Kissinger abruptly resigns from the World Trade Center commission.
20 Oct 2003 Henry Kissinger appears on The Daily Show to shill his latest book.

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