Asia society henry kissinger biography

In the following years, Kissinger criticized the actions of the United States in Yugoslavia, advised the government on the Iraq War, and more recently, commented on the situation in Ukraine. Date of Birth: Contact About Privacy. Ruslan Bodelan. Miroslav Lajcak. Scott McClellan. George Brown. Rebecca Harms. Article Talk. Read Edit View history.

Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikidata item. American diplomat. Bette Bao. Mary Pillsbury mother. Early life and education [ edit ]. Career [ edit ]. Personal life [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. Archived PDF from the original on 27 June Retrieved 25 July The New York Times.

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Asia society henry kissinger biography

Want to comment on Asia Times stories? Sign in with Google Or. Sign up. Sign in to an existing account. Thank you for registering! During the turbulent s, Kissinger also achieved a kind of cult status. Criticism and condemnation Criticism of Kissinger was and is harsh. Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger leaves behind a controversial legacy.

Rambouillet is not a document that any Serb could have accepted. It was a terrible diplomatic document that should never have been presented in that form. However, as the Serbs did not accept the Rambouillet text and NATO bombings startedhe opted to support a continuation of the bombing as NATO's credibility was now at stake, but dismissed the use of ground forces in claiming that it was not worth it.

Paul Bremer was "a control freak". In an interview on the BBC 's Sunday AM on November 19,Kissinger was asked whether there was any hope left for a clear military victory in Iraq and responded, "If you mean by 'military victory' an Iraqi government that can be established and whose writ runs across the whole country, that gets the civil war under control and sectarian violence under control in a time period that the political processes of the democracies will support, I don't believe that is possible.

I think we have to redefine the course. But I don't believe that the alternative is between military victory as it had been defined previously, or total withdrawal. In an interview with Peter Robinson of the Hoover Institution on April 3,Kissinger reiterated that even though he supported the invasion of Iraq[ ] he thought that the George W. Bush administration rested too much of its case for war on Saddam's supposed weapons of mass destruction.

Robinson noted that Kissinger had criticized the administration for invading with too few troops, for disbanding the Iraqi Army as part of de-Baathificationand for mishandling relations with certain allies. Kissinger said in April that "India has parallel objectives to the United States", and he called the nation an ally of the U. Kissinger attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics.

I expect that the games will proceed in the spirit for which they were designed, which is friendship among nations, and that other issues are discussed in other forums. Bushformer president George H. InKissinger published On Chinachronicling the evolution of Sino-American relations and laying out the challenges to a partnership of "genuine strategic trust" between the U.

He called for Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the incoming U. Kissinger's position on this issue of U. He further wrote in August that if the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran and its Shiite allies were allowed to fill the territorial vacuum left by a militarily defeated Islamic State of Iraq and the Levantthe region would be left with a land corridor extending from Iran to the Levant "which could mark the emergence of an Iranian radical empire".

On March 5,The Washington Post published an op-ed piece by Kissinger, 11 days before the Crimean referendum on whether Autonomous Republic of Crimea should officially rejoin Ukraine or join neighboring Russia. He made four main points:. Kissinger also wrote: "The west speaks Ukrainian; the east speaks mostly Russian. Any attempt by one wing of Ukraine to dominate the other—as has been the pattern—would lead eventually to civil war or break up.

Following the publication of his book titled World OrderKissinger participated in an interview with Charlie Rose and updated his position on Ukraine, which he saw as a possible geographical mediator between Russia and the West. That will never be accepted by Russia. On the other hand, if the Russian western line is at the border of PolandEurope will be permanently disquieted.

The Strategic objective should have been to see whether one can build Ukraine as a bridge between East and West, and whether one can do it as a kind of a joint effort. In DecemberKissinger advised President-elect Donald Trump to accept "Crimea as a part of Russia" in an attempt to secure a rapprochement between the United States and Russia, whose relations soured as a result of the Crimean crisis.

InKissinger wrote about the increasing tendency to give control of nuclear weapons to computers operating with artificial intelligence AI that: "Adversaries' ignorance of AI-developed configurations will become a strategic advantage". Kissinger also noted there was always the danger that a computer could make a decision to start a nuclear war before diplomacy had been exhausted, or for a reason that would not be understandable to the operators.

But if more and more intelligence becomes opaque, how will policy makers understand the views and abilities of their adversaries and perhaps even allies? Will many different internets emerge or, in the end, only one? What will be the implications for cooperation? For confrontation? As AI becomes ubiquitous, new concepts for its security need to emerge.

Kissinger added that the virus does not know borders although global leaders are trying to address the crisis on a mainly national basis. He stressed that the key is not a purely national effort but greater international cooperation. In Mayspeaking to the World Economic Forum on the Russian invasion of UkraineKissinger advocated for a diplomatic settlement that would restore the status quo ante bellumeffectively ceding Crimea and parts of Donbas to Russian control.

On a book tour to sell Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy in July he spoke to Judy Woodruff of PBS and he was still of the opinion that "a negotiation is desirable" and clarified his earlier statements, saying that he supported a ceasefire line on the borders of February 24 and that "Russia should not gain anything from the war Ukraine above all cannot give up territory that it had when the war started because this would be symbolically dangerous.

Kissinger felt that Russia needs to be given an opportunity to rejoin the comity of nations while the sanctions are maintained until final settlement is reached. He expressed his admiration for President Zelenskyy and lauded the heroic conduct of the Ukrainian people. Kissinger felt that the invasion has ipso facto its logical outcome pointed to NATO membership for Ukraine at the end of the peace process.

In a statement made a month before his death, Kissinger responded to the Hamas-led attack on Israel and outbreak of the Israel—Hamas war by saying that the goals of Hamas "can only be to mobilize the Arab world against Israel and to get off the track of peaceful negotiations". In response to celebrations of the attack by some Arabs in Germany, he issued a statement denouncing Muslim immigration into Germany: "It was a grave mistake to let in so many people of totally different culture and religion and concepts, because it creates a pressure group inside each country that does that.

He was so often seen escorting Hollywood starlets that the Village Voice charged he was "a secret square posing asia society henry kissinger biography a swinger". Takeyh writes that while rapprochement with China was a worthy goal, the Nixon administration failed to achieve any meaningful concessions from Chinese officials in return, as China continued to support North Vietnam and various "revolutionary forces throughout the Third World", "nor does there appear to be even a remote, indirect connection between Nixon and Kissinger's diplomacy and the communist leadership's decision, after Mao 's bloody rule, to move away from a communist economy towards state capitalism.

Historian Jeffrey Kimball developed the theory that Kissinger and the Nixon administration accepted a South Vietnamese collapse provided a face-saving decent interval passed between U. Kissinger's record was brought up during the Democratic Party presidential primaries. Hillary Clinton had cultivated a close relationship with Kissinger, describing him as a "friend" and a source of "counsel".

I will not take advice from Henry Kissinger. Kissinger was an immensely beloved figure within China, with China News Service describing him in his obituary as someone "who had a sharp vision and a thorough understanding of world affairs". Kissinger has generally received a polarizing reception; some have portrayed him as a strategic genius who was willing to act in a utilitarian manner, others have portrayed his foreign policy decisions as immoral and profoundly damaging in the long run.

Historian Niall Ferguson has argued that Kissinger is one of the most effective secretaries of state in American history. The article noted that he was often criticized by American conservatives for overlooking human rights in Chinawhile saying "he had no illusions about the Communist Party or its nationalist ambitions. His view was that the U.

They were often Communists who would have aligned themselves with the Soviets The U. Kissinger wasn't responsible for Augusto Pinochet 's coup or its bloody excesses. Chile eventually became a democracy Cuba remains a dictatorship. A number of journalists, activists, and human rights lawyers accused Kissinger of being responsible for war crimes during his tenure in government.

One of his most prominent critics was American-British journalist and author Christopher Hitchens. Hitchens authored The Trial of Henry Kissingerin which he called for the prosecution of Kissinger "for war crimes, for crimes against humanityand for offenses against common or customary or international lawincluding conspiracy to commit murder, kidnap, and torture".

Witness what [he] did Author Robert D. Kaplan and historian Niall Ferguson have disputed these notions and argued that there is a double standard in how Kissinger is judged in comparison to others. They have defended Kissinger by arguing that American power to advocate for human rights in other nations is often counterproductive and limited, that taking into consideration geopolitical realities is an inevitable part of any effective foreign policy, and that there are utilitarian reasons to defend most of the decisions of his tenure.

Several historians have rejected asia society henry kissinger biography prominent reputations of Kissinger. David Greenberg argued that each are exaggerated caricatures that overstate both his genius and immorality:. In fact, if there's a single word I'd apply to Kissinger, it's 'overrated. He was overrated as a strategist he often gave bad advice, as he did in urging George W.

Bush not to withdraw troops from Iraq. He was even overrated as a villain — the 'Christopher Hitchenses' of the world loved to call him a 'war criminal,' but this was a fundamentally unserious charge. Similarly, Mario Del Pero argued:. He was not particularly original or bold, once we scratch away from his writings the deliberately opaque and convoluted prose he often used, possibly to try to render more original thoughts and reflections that were in reality fairly conventional.

They had two children, Elizabeth and David, and divorced in Inhe met Austrian poet Ingeborg Bachmann during a symposium at Harvard; the two had a romantic relationship that lasted several years. On May 27,he turned Daryl Grove characterized Kissinger as one of the most influential people in the growth of soccer in the United States. Even during his time in office, the German Embassy informed him about the team's results every Monday morning.

He was an honorary member [ ] with lifetime season tickets. Kissinger died from heart failure at his home in Kent, Connecticut, on November 29,at the age of Cabinet member who served in the Richard Nixon administration. Kissinger was widely admired within China and praised by the Chinese Communist Party. Chinese social media expressed widespread sorrow after news of his death was released, and hashtags idolizing Kissinger became the most searched trend in China.

China Central Televisionthe state broadcaster, called Kissinger a "legendary diplomat" and a "living fossil" who had witnessed the development of China-U. Former British prime ministers mourned Kissinger. From the first time I met him as a new Labour Party opposition leader instruggling to form views on foreign policy, to the last occasion when I visited him in New York and, later, he spoke at my institute's annual gathering, I was in awe of him If it is possible for diplomacy, at its highest level, to be a form of art, Henry was an artist.

Even athis wisdom and thoughtfulness shone through". Boris Johnson said: "The world needs him now. If ever there was an author of peace and lover of asia society henry kissinger biography, that man was Henry Kissinger". European Council president Charles Michel called Kissinger a "strategist with attention to the smallest detail" and "a kind human and a brilliant mind who, over years, shaped the [destinies] of some of the most important events of the century.

Kissinger on numerous occasions, the most recent being just two months ago in New York. Each meeting with him was not just a lesson in diplomacy but also a masterclass in statesmanship. His understanding of the complexities of international relations and his unique insights into the challenges facing our world were unparalleled. This statement was reposted by President Gabriel Boric.

The announcement of Kissinger's death saw a widespread mix of tribute and criticism on American social media. Joe Biden praised Kissinger's "fierce intellect" while noting that they often "disagreed strongly". Bush stated: "America has lost one of the most dependable and distinctive voices on foreign affairs with the passing of Henry Kissinger.

I have long admired the man who fled the Nazis as a young boy from a Jewish family, then fought them in the United States Army". While John was a prisoner of war, and in the later years, as a senator and statesman. The McCain family will miss his wit, charm, and intelligence terribly". Many negative reactions to Kissinger's death argued his decisions in government violated American values.

Kissinger was defended by conservative commentator David Harsanyi in an op-ed on the New York Postwhere he stated that "the left disgustingly dances on Kissinger's grave because it hates America". Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read View source View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. American diplomat and scholar — For other uses, see Kissinger disambiguation.

Official portrait, c. Richard Nixon Gerald Ford. Germany until Stateless — United States from Ann Fleischer. Nancy Maginnes. See also: On China. Main article: Henry Kissinger and the Vietnam War. Interview with Oriana Fallaci. Bangladesh Liberation War. Israeli policy and Soviet Jewry. Arab—Israeli conflict. Main article: Yom Kippur War. Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

See also: Turkish invasion of Cyprus. See also: Latin America—United States relations. See also: Cuban intervention in Angola. See also: Dirty War. Brazil's nuclear weapons program. Main article: Indonesian occupation of East Timor. Views on U. Computers and nuclear weapons. Russian invasion of Ukraine. Nixon's and Kissinger's conversation on October 6, Problems playing this file?

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