Kerry Consults Kissinger on Getting to Yes With Russians

[ProSense]

Kerry Consults Kissinger on Getting to Yes With Russians

By Indira A.R. Lakshmanan

Secretary of State John Kerry is consulting Henry Kissinger, the 90-year-old embodiment of Cold War foreign policy, before heading off to negotiate with his Russian counterpart over Syria’s chemical weapons.

After meeting today with former Secretary Kissinger at the State Department, Kerry will bring other U.S.-Russia specialists on his plane when he flies to Geneva for two days of meetings starting tomorrow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to a U.S. official who asked not to be identified because he wasn’t authorized to comment.

<...>

Though the meeting with Kissinger was planned before the latest developments in Syria, Kerry was eager to draw on the older man’s experience in communicating effectively with Russian diplomats, the U.S. official said. Kissinger pioneered the policy of détente with the Soviet Union and served as secretary of State and national security adviser to Republican President Richard Nixon. The U.S. official described Kerry as a fan of Kissinger’s 1994 book, “Diplomacy.”

<...>

Early last year, Kissinger met in Moscow to discuss world affairs with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, whose press secretary described the men as “old friends” and said that they had previously met eight to 10 times, including over dinner at Kissinger’s home in New York...In Putin’s book “First Person,” he recounted a conversation with Kissinger in the early 1990s when Putin, then an aide to the mayor of St. Petersburg, picked up the German-born American diplomat at the airport.

Kissinger impressed Putin by saying that he too got his start as an intelligence specialist, and that former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev withdrew his nation’s forces from Eastern Europe too quickly.

“I told him what I thought and I will repeat it now: Kissinger was right,” Putin wrote.

- more -

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-09-11/kerry-consults-kissinger-on-getting-to-yes-with-old-foe-russians

Putin says he, Obama discussed control over Syrian chemical arms
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023640131

[Gravitycollapse]

1. Henry Kissinger is a notorious war criminal who should be in a jail cell.

He helped facilitate assassinations on US soil and destroyed peace talks in the Vietnam conflict, among many other things.

That Kerry would seek advice from such a disgraceful human being is telling.

[ProSense]

2. He knows Putin well. Putin is a huge fan.

Such is diplomacy.

[Gravitycollapse]

4. I would never trust Kissinger for any sort of useful advice on maintaining peace.

He has a track record of using "diplomacy" as a cover for further violence and death.

[ProSense]

5. "He has a track record of using 'diplomacy' as a cover for further violence and death. "

Maybe that's why Putin likes him.

I'm fairly certain that diplomacy means talking to people, even some bad ones. He knows Russia and has the confidence of Putin so there maybe some insight to be gained.

[Gravitycollapse]

6. It's not simply that he's a bad person. He's also a habitual liar.

His entire life image is constructed upon a foundation of falsehoods. I would never trust anything he says and that is why I do not think using him is a remotely good idea. Who knows what kind of tricks he has up his sleeves. Who knows what despots he truly answers to. We may just end up losing out on a peace deal precisely because he answers to individuals who want conflict.

Would you go to the devil to seek advice on how to avoid going to hell? Probably not.

[ProSense]

8. He still has the confidence of Putin so there maybe some insight to be gained.

Putin likes him, and the reality is that Putin is the other key player in reaching a diplomatic solution.

[rhett o rick]

25. So if Putin was a "huge fan" of the devil, Kerry would consult the devil? Somehow I think you

would rationalize the whatever Pres Obama does is good, therefore you lose all credibility. Kissinger is a war criminal. There is no acceptable rationalization to involve him.

[NuclearDem]

3. ...

That is all.

[Bjorn Against]

9. No that is not all, I have more coming

[DURHAM D]

7. Kissinger will probably advise Kerry to offer Assad sanctuary in the US.

Maybe it will work out better than the last time a Democratic President took Henry's advice on such matters.

[ProSense]

12. That would be weird. n/t

[Tveil]

10. Kissinger makes Cheney look like Mr. Rodgers n/t

[msanthrope]

11. I bet he showered right after...but who better to get insight into Putin? nt

[ProSense]

17. Right! n/t

[HooptieWagon]

13. I guess Dick Cheney was unavailable.

[ProSense]

14. Is Putin a big fan of Cheney? n/t

[HooptieWagon]

15. Putin is a big fan of Charlie Manson...

...I guess he's next on Kerry's consultant list.
Hell, lil' Kim is a big fan of Dennis Rodman...should he be a consultant on N Korea? Is that how Obama picks diplomats? By how popular they are with the other countries? Geesh, what is Obama running...a Justin Bieber fan club?

Kissinger is a war criminal...a stake should have been driven through his heart decades ago. Adm has no business seeking advice from Neo-Cons. Sickening....

[ProSense]

16. Is that true?

The fact is that he knows Russia and Putin likes him.

"Hell, lil' Kim is a big fan of Dennis Rodman..."

Kissinger is evil, not stupid. Assad is accused of a war crime. Putin is a major player in the negotiations, and he values Kissinger's opinion.

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. "The U.S. official described Kerry as a fan of Kissinger’s 1994 book, “Diplomacy.” "

This is not a question of Clarice Starling going to interview Hannibal Lecter to get an insight into the mind of a serial killer. Kissinger is evil, and Kerry is a fan of his book.

[JI7]

19. it has really good reviews on Amazon

[Recursion]

24. His book is the best book on diplomacy out there

It's used in IR departments all over the place.

Have you read this book you're complaining about?

[muriel_volestrangler]

30. This is Henry Kissinger, war criminal

It may be great at showing how to get away with supporting coups, and get away with bombing neutral countries, but that doesn't make it something to use for guide on how to conduct an ethical foreign policy.

[Recursion]

31. so, just to be clear, you haven't read it? (nt)

[muriel_volestrangler]

33. No. Does he apologise? (nt)

[Recursion]

34. It covers 1648-1914

So, no.

I also read Guevara's book. He also killed people, and also wrote a very good book. The author's morality doesn't affect a book's usefulness.

[muriel_volestrangler]

35. Strange - Wikipedia says it goes up to the fall of the Soviet Union

The history begins in Europe in the 17th century, but quickly advances up to the World Wars and then the Cold War. Kissinger refers to himself numerous times in the book, especially when recounting the Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford presidencies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplomacy_%28book%29

It lists a maximum of 8 chapters before 1914, and 23 that look like they are concerned with events after 1914. Maybe you should edit Wikipedia to set them straight?

If an American Secretary of State could go to Guevara for advice on foreign relations, and did so, I'd be alarmed. That's what this thread is about - Kerry going to Kissinger for advice.

I'm guessing Kissinger didn't apologise, or it would be better known - like McNamara's reflections.

[Recursion]

22. Does Cheney have multiple decades' experience in US/Russian diplomacy?

An evil genius is still a genius.

[JackRiddler]

23. Why not consult with Assad directly?

He's less of a criminal than Kissinger and he also has decades of experience. He's obviously playing the international game far better than other dictators on the U.S. regime change list. And he's even closer to Putin, I hear. In fact, a deal with him fixes the works. So why not meet Assad face to face? It couldn't be that saving face is any kind of consideration, after meeting Kissinger there is no face to save.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

28. Fuck Hanibel Lector, let him rot in prison with his special knowledge.

No, the parallel doesn't work without Kissinger in prison, but I can dream of the way things should be.

[Luminous Animal]

20. Kissinger is a monster on a massive scale. He should die in a bunker

with a self-inflicted bullet to the head.

But nope. This fascist is supported and celebrated and promoted on Democratic Underground.

[RandiFan1290]

21. Did Kerry have to bow and kiss his ring?

[bobduca]

26. John Kerry (Plutocrat)

[polichick]

27. Kerry consults Henry Kissinger on foreign policy. Obama consults Larry Summers on the economy...

Really? Are these consultants the best our country has to offer?

[bigtree]

29. pig

. . . murderous pig.

Not worth one word out of his mouth is worth listening to. He should be rotting in jail.

Didn't you spend the best part of yesterday and today telling everyone here how horrible Putin is?

" . . . press secretary described the men as “old friends".

Charming.

[B Calm]

32. The story here is that Henry Kissinger is still alive!

[KG]

36. DU's role in rehabilitating kissingers reputation is puke worthy.