Henry Kissinger’s bombing campaign likely killed hundreds of thousands of Cambodians − and set path for the ravages of the Khmer Rouge
The ConversationNov 27, 2023
The Facts
Dr. Henry Kissinger, the renowned but divisive diplomat at the heart of US foreign policy for decades, died at the age of 100 at his Connecticut home on Wednesday, a statement from his consultancy firm confirmed.
Born in Germany in 1923, Kissinger arrived in America with his family in 1938. Once in the US, he enlisted in the Army as part of the country's World War II effort in 1943, the same year he became a naturalized citizen. Due to his German language skills, he climbed the ranks of military intelligence.
The Spin
Narrative A
Kissinger can be criticized for many things after decades of establishing the US' post-WWII foreign policy, but no one can question that everything he did was done with the best interests of the US in mind. He will be greatly remembered for his many achievements, including the US troop withdrawal from Vietnam and the détente with Communist China and the Soviet Union. American public life will miss his wisdom and "realpolitik."
Narrative B
Given the carpet bombing of Cambodia, the US’ role in problems in Pakistan, and the green-lighting of Indonesia's bloody invasion of East Timor, no other official in modern US history deserves the title of war criminal more than Kissinger. Mainstream voices will pay tribute to him as a statesman and a diplomat, but decency commands we remember the many civilians who suffered at his hands.