WHY THEY CHOSE KISSINGER
by former Congressman John LeBoutillier (R-NY)
November 28, 2002
THE TRUTH AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE GET SCREWED
President Bush¡¯s decision to name Henry A. Kissinger (HAK to his friends) as Chairman of the 9/11 Investigating Commission, is a dirty deal for all concerned. This appointment smacks of all that is wrong ¡®inside the DC beltway.¡¯ Let us examine it from all sides...
1) HAK has never been close to the Bushes. Former President Bush had a long and difficult relationship with Kissinger dating back to the Nixon and Ford years. In those days, Bush was Ambassador to the United Nations, US Representative to China and then Director of Central Intelligence. In all three posts he was subservient to the all-powerful Kissinger. The two men each saw themselves as Mr. Foreign Policy Guru; and there is only one such guru needed in an administration.
By 1980 when Bush was running for president against Ronald Reagan, Kissinger was beside himself in agony that he would be ¡°cut out¡± of a new Republican administration. He knew he would get nowhere with Bush because of their long-soured relationship and the Reaganites actually ran ¡®against¡¯ Kissinger¡¯s detentist foreign policy.
In the spring of 1980 HAK confided to me that he had ¡°no relationship whatsoever¡± with George Bush. He added, ¡°I can get nowhere with him.¡±
To understand a creature like Kissinger you have to think the way he does. All he cares about is his public perception. His reputation and lucrative consulting business depend on the perception that he is close to the Oval Office. If foreign governments and companies think Henry can open doors for them, they¡¯ll pay him big bucks. But if it¡¯s known he is on the ¡®outs¡¯ with the present White House, then his income and business dry up.
This is the second Bush Administration in 12 years. That means HAK was not an ¡®insider¡¯ for Bush I plus eight years of Clinton followed by the prospect of eight more years of Bush II – all with Kissinger clearly ¡®out of the loop.¡¯ This was too much for the ever-hungry – and now 79 - Dr. Kissinger.
He would do anything to get back into the good graces of an Oval Office occupant.
And this 9/11 Chairmanship is the perfect, high-profile vehicle for Kissinger¡¯s rehabilitation.
All he has to do is do what the Bush Administration wants. Remember, they fought long and hard against this commission, which the families have been pushing hard for. Clearly the Administration has things they do not want brought to light – perhaps about the Saudi Government¡¯s true role in the 9/11 attacks or about our behind-the-scenes deals with the Taliban. Whatever they¡¯re hiding, they want to make sure this commission will keep it hidden.
2) Why would the Bush White House pick someone – Kissinger – they have long despised? Because he is so desperate for publicity and Oval Office access that he will do whatever the White House wants!
Kissinger has no scruples and no morals whatsoever. He is a total conniver and prevaricator. He¡¯d happily sell his soul – if he has one – to get back that previous image of Mr. Foreign Policy Guru and Mr. Insider.
This 9/11 Commission offers Kissinger what he wants – and what he needs. And all he has to do is protect White House secrets – something he has spent decades doing anyway.
3) The families of the 9/11 attack victims are all over the media praising the Kissinger selection. These poor people do now know the perfidy that comes from Kissinger. These families should go find the families of our Vietnam War POW¡¯s and MIA¡¯s – and ask them about the face-to-face lies Kissinger repeatedly told them while their loved ones were missing – and while Kissinger knew and hid the truth from these grieving wives and parents.
So there you have it: the Perfect DC Deal. Kissinger gets back on the front page while standing in the White House; the Bush Administration keeps ¡®control¡¯ of intelligence secrets about the 9/11 attacks; and the families believe a real investigation by a credible personage will take place.
Everyone wins – and only the truth and the American people get screwed.
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John LeBoutillier is a former U.S. Congressman and a nationally recognized political commentator. He has been a frequent guest on many national talk show programs and is author of the book Harvard Hates America. He is a regular columnist for Ether Zone.
Published originally at EtherZone.com; republication permitted with this tagline and hyperlink intact.
