Biden says he ‘often strongly’ disagreed with Kissinger after diplomat’s death

Henry Kissinger, a Holocaust survivor who became the US’s most influential – and divisive – diplomat, has died at the age of 100.

Kissinger leaves behind a complex legacy, remembered as a master of global politics by some and an alleged war criminal by others.

Born in Bavaria, his family fled to New York City to escape the Holocaust – an experience that would go on to shape his future foreign policy work.

As President Richard Nixon’s National Security Advisor, Kissinger was responsible for negotiating the US’s exit from the unpopular Vietnam War. He won a Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomatic work – but his legacy was then tainted when it emerged he had authorised the secret carpet-bombing of neutral Cambodia, which killed at least 150,000 civilians.

Beyond his diplomacy work, Kissinger briefly enjoyed a reputation as an unlikely ladies’ man and social butterfly in Washington DC, dating several stars of the time before marrying his second wife Nancy – who survives him.

Reactions from political and diplomatic allies and foes poured in after his death on Wednesday, with former president George W Bush remembering “his wisdom, his charm, and his humour”.

Joe Biden on Thursday said that he had “often strongly” disagreed with Kissinger but praised his “fierce intellect.”

Key points

• Influential US diplomat Henry Kissinger dies aged 100

• Obituary: The polarising architect of Cold War era American foreign policy

• Revisiting Anthony Bourdain’s long-time hatred of Henry Kissinger

• Biden says he ‘often strongly’ disagreed with Kissinger

• Chinese state media pays tribute to ‘old friend’ Kissinger

Henry Kissinger dead at 100

Thursday 30 November 2023 02:11 , Graeme Massie

This is a live blog covering the death of Henry Kissinger at the age of 100 on Wednesday.

Henry Kissinger death: Influential US diplomat, dead at 100

Thursday 30 November 2023 02:13 , Graeme Massie

Former diplomat left a major impact on US policy around the world, writes Josh Marcus.

Henry Kissinger death: Influential US diplomat, dead at 100

Henry Kissinger’s life in images

Thursday 30 November 2023 02:22 , Graeme Massie

Anthony Bourdain’s savaging of Kissinger lights up X

Thursday 30 November 2023 02:42 , Graeme Massie

“Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands,” wrote the late chef and TV travel personality.

Henry Kissinger: Polarising architect of Cold War era American foreign policy

Thursday 30 November 2023 03:13 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Influential US secretary of state to Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as arch practitioner of ‘realpolitik’ who was revered and reviled in equal measure, write Ariana Baio and Joe Sommerlad:

Henry Kissinger: Polarising architect of Cold War era American foreign policy

Henry Kissinger death: Influential US diplomat, dead at 100

Thursday 30 November 2023 03:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

George W Bush pays tribute to Kissinger

Thursday 30 November 2023 04:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Former president George W Bush remembered Henry Kissinger for “his wisdom, his charm, and his humour”.

In a statement, he said: “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. When he later became Secretary of State, his appointment as a former refugee said as much about his greatness as it did America’s greatness.

“He worked in the Administrations of two Presidents and counselled many more. I am grateful for that service and advice, but I am most grateful for his friendship.”

'World has lost a tireless advocate for peace’, Winston Lord says

Thursday 30 November 2023 04:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Winston Lord, a former US ambassador to China, said “the world has lost a tireless advocate for peace”.

Kissinger’s former special assistant at the White House national security council, Mr Lord said in a statement that “America has lost a towering champion for national interest”.

“During more than seven decades, he transformed America’s role in the world, held the nation together during a constitutional crisis, crafted visionary volumes, counselled world leaders, and enriched the national and international discourse,” Mr Lord added.

Chinese state media pays tribute to Kissinger: ‘The old friend of the Chinese people’

Thursday 30 November 2023 05:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

“Today, this ‘old friend of the Chinese people,’ who had a sharp vision and a thorough understanding of world affairs, has completed his legendary life,” China News said in an obituary.

On Weibo, the hashtag “Kissinger just came to China this year” went viral. Henry Kissinger visited China more than 100 times in his lifetime and more recently in July this year.

CCTV, the state broadcaster, called Kissinger a “legendary diplomat” and a “living fossil” who had been a witness to the development of China-US relationship.

Henry Kissinger ‘left an indelible mark on America’s history’

Thursday 30 November 2023 05:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Mike Pompeo, former secretary of state, said Henry Kissinger “was a model of service and a great American” and “left an indelible mark on America’s history”.

In his tribute, Mr Pompeo added: “From the day he came to the United States as a teenager fleeing Nazi Germany, Dr Kissinger dedicated his life to serving this great country and keeping America safe. He left an indelible mark on America’s history and the world.

“I will always be grateful for his gracious advice and help during my own time as Secretary. Always supportive and always informed, his wisdom made me better and more prepared after every one of our conversations,” he wrote on X.

Chinese state media pays tribute to Kissinger: ‘The old friend of the Chinese people’

Thursday 30 November 2023 06:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

“Today, this ‘old friend of the Chinese people,’ who had a sharp vision and a thorough understanding of world affairs, has completed his legendary life,” China News said in an obituary.

On Weibo, the hashtag “Kissinger just came to China this year” went viral. Henry Kissinger visited China more than 100 times in his lifetime and more recently in July this year.

CCTV, the state broadcaster, called Kissinger a “legendary diplomat” and a “living fossil” who had been a witness to the development of China-US relationship.

ICYMI: Henry Kissinger death: Influential US diplomat, dead at 100

Thursday 30 November 2023 07:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Henry Kissinger, the influential US diplomat who served under presidents Nixon and Ford, died on Wednesday, 29 November, according to his consulting firm.

Kissinger, who lived to be 100, died at home in Connecticut of unspecified causes, the firm said.

The diplomat, who served as Secretary of State in multiple administrations, “was a respected American scholar and statesman,” according to Kissinger Associates, Inc.

Henry Kissinger death: Influential US diplomat, dead at 100

Henry Kissinger: Polarising architect of Cold War era American foreign policy

Thursday 30 November 2023 08:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Influential US secretary of state to Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as arch practitioner of ‘realpolitik’ who was revered and reviled in equal measure, write Ariana Baio and Joe Sommerlad:

Henry Kissinger: Polarising architect of Cold War era American foreign policy

VOICES: The death of Henry Kissinger – and why we will never see his America again

Thursday 30 November 2023 09:48 , Rachel Sharp

It seems highly fitting, almost poetic, that Henry Kissinger, the man who for so long embodied US foreign policy, should have died at the age of 100 in the midst of a conflict that testifies in many ways to the waning of US diplomatic power.

The arc of Henry Kissinger’s life – starting from service in the US army as a refugee from Nazi Germany, through his key role as US Secretary of State in President Nixon’s opening to China, his contribution to the Paris talks that ended the Vietnam War, and his part in negotiating the resolution of the 1973 Yom Kippur war that established the first lasting peace between Israel and the surrounding Arab countries – tracked the rise of the United States as it became the dominant, and then the sole, superpower, against the background of the Cold War.

So dominant a figure did Kissinger become, through his speaking and writing, through the advice that presidents continued to solicit, and his sheer longevity, that it is hard to believe that his formal government career actually began after the Cuban missile crisis and ended in 1977, long before the fall of the Berlin and the Soviet Union’s collapse. If he was not active in frontline diplomacy, however, his voice was still heard and his influence endured.

Mary Dejevsky writes:

Why we will never see Henry Kissinger’s America again | Mary Dejevsky

How Kissinger’s escape from the Holocaust as a child shaped his future foreign policy

Thursday 30 November 2023 10:13 , Rachel Sharp

Heinz Alfred Kissinger was born on 27 May 1923 in Furth, Bavaria to a Jewish school teacher, Louis Kissinger, and his wife, Paula.

Growing up in the Weimar Republic, his childhood was spent living under Nazi rule.

Then, in August 1938 – shortly before Kristallnacht – a teenage Kissinger and his family fled to New York City.

While the escape saved him from the Holocaust, at least 13 of his close relatives were unable to join them and were eventually killed in the Third Reich’s concentration camps.

This experience stayed with him and he often recalled the antisemitic abuse he and his family faced during their time living in Nazi-occupied Europe.

But, there was another personal experience of the Holocaust that Kissinger rarely spoke about during his decades of public service.

Back in April 1945, while serving in the US Army, the then 22-year-old Army Sergeant was part of the American 84th Infantry Division which helped to liberate a Nazi concentration camp in Ahlem.

In rare comments about that day, Kissinger went on to write: “I see the huts, I observe the empty faces, the dead eyes.

“You are free now. I, with my pressed uniform, I have lived in filth and squalor, I haven’t been beaten and kicked. What kind of freedom can I offer?

“I see my friend enter one of the huts and come out with tears in his eyes. ‘Don’t go in there. We had to kick them to tell the dead from the living.’”

Kissinger described what he saw as an embodiment of “humanity in the 20th century”

Kissinger was acutely aware that – had they not fled a few years earlier – he and his family could have been among the victims.

He would later call that day “one of the most horrifying experiences of my life”.

Richard Nixon’s children pay tribute to his former security adviser

Thursday 30 November 2023 10:30 , Rachel Sharp

Richard Nixon’s children have paid tribute to his former national security adviser after his death on Wednesday.

“Dr. Kissinger played an important role in the historic opening to the People’s Republic of China and in advancing détente with the Soviet Union, bold initiatives which initiated the beginning of the end of the Cold War,” the Nixon daughters said in a statement.

“His ‘shuttle diplomacy’ to the Middle East helped to advance the relaxation of tensions in that troubled region of the world.”

WATCH: Henry Kissinger, America's most famous diplomat, dies aged 100

Thursday 30 November 2023 10:50 , Rachel Sharp

Benjamin Netanyahu says Kissinger’s death 'marks the end of an era’

Thursday 30 November 2023 11:10 , Rachel Sharp

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Henry Kissinger’s death “marks the end of an era”.

“It is with a heavy heart that I mourn the passing of a great statesman, scholar, and friend, Dr. Henry Kissinger, who left us at the age of 100. Dr. Kissinger’s departure marks the end of an era, one in which his formidable intellect and diplomatic prowess shaped not only the course of American foreign policy but also had a profound impact on the global stage. I had the privilege of meeting Dr. 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. Henry Kissinger was not just a diplomat; he was a thinker who believed in the power of ideas and the importance of intellectual capital in public life. His contributions to the field of international relations and his efforts in navigating some of the most challenging diplomatic terrains are a testament to his extraordinary capabilities. As we bid farewell to this giant of a man, I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and admirers around the world. His legacy will continue to inspire and guide future generations of leaders and diplomats. May his memory be a blessing.”

As controversial in death as in life: Tributes pour in for Henry Kissinger

Thursday 30 November 2023 11:30 , Rachel Sharp

Henry Kissinger has proven to be as divisive in death as in life, as the world reacts to his passing.

Tributes and statements have begun pouring in for the influential US diplomat after he died aged 100 at his Connecticut home on Wednesday.

Read more here:

As controversial in death as in life: Tributes pour in for Henry Kissinger

Ex-UK Prime Minister Tony Blair says there is ‘no one like’ Kissinger

Thursday 30 November 2023 11:50 , Rachel Sharp

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has said that there is “no one like” Henry Kissinger following his death on Wednesday.

“There is no one like Henry Kissinger. From the first time I met him as a new Labour Party Opposition Leader in 1994, struggling to form views on foreign policy, to the last occasion when I visited him in New York and, later, when he spoke at my Institute’s annual gathering, I was in awe of him,” he said in a statement.

“The range of his knowledge, the insights which would tumble out of him effortlessly, the lucidity, the mastery of the English language which made him a joy to listen to on any subject, and above all the ability to take all the different elements of the most complex diplomatic challenge and weave from them something astonishing in its coherence and completeness, and, most unusual of all, leading to an answer and not just an analysis: no one could do that like Henry.

“ If it is possible for diplomacy, at its highest level, to be a form of art, Henry was an artist.”

Mr Blair went on to address Kissinger’s controversies, pointing to the fact that he was “criticised at times, even denounced”.

“Of course, like anyone who has confronted the most difficult problems of international politics, he was criticised at times, even denounced. But I believe he was always motivated not from a coarse ‘realpolitik’; but from a genuine love of the free world and the need to protect it. He was a problem solver, whether in respect of the Cold War, the Middle East or China and its rise. And not once did he ever stop thinking about the future, reflecting on it, and proffering wisdom upon it, most recently on the technology revolution.

“I consider it one of the greatest privileges of my political life to have known him. From that first moment of meeting him to the last, he inspired me and taught me and I will forever be grateful to him.”

Revisiting Anthony Bourdain’s long-time hatred of Henry Kissinger

Thursday 30 November 2023 12:10 , Rachel Sharp

Since news broke of the death of former US diplomat Henry Kissinger, political and social commentators have been sharing their passionate reflections on his life and career.

Kissinger died aged 100 on Wednesday (29 November), leaving behind what many are describing as a complicated legacy.

One cultural figure who felt strongly about Kissinger was the chef, food writer and TV host Anthony Bourdain.

Before his death in June 2018, the No Reservations star had expressed disparaging views of President Nixon’s former secretary of state, having spent a significant time in southeast Asia.

Read the full story:

Revisiting Anthony Bourdain’s long-time hatred of Henry Kissinger

Cambodia scholars remember ‘controversial’ figure

Thursday 30 November 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

Cambodian scholars have a different take on the late diplomat to that of many world leaders, instead remembering Kissinger for his controversies.

The head of the independent Documentation Center of Cambodia, Youk Chhang, described Kissinger’s legacy as “controversial.”

“Henry Kissinger’s bombing campaign likely killed hundreds of thousands of Cambodians — and set (a) path for the ravages of the Khmer Rouge,” Sophal Ear, a scholar at Arizona State University who studies Cambodia’s political economy, wrote on The Conversation.

“The cluster bombs dropped on Cambodia under Kissinger’s watch continue to destroy the lives of any man, woman or child who happens across them,” Sophal Ear wrote.

A Rolling Stone magazine headline also referred to Kissinger as a “war criminal”.

“Henry Kissinger, war criminal beloved by America’s ruling class, finally dies,” it reads.

How Kissinger’s influence was felt over 11 administrations

Thursday 30 November 2023 12:50 , Rachel Sharp

It was 1968 when President-elect Richard Nixon tapped Kissinger to be his National Security Advisor – paving the way for him to influence 11 presidential administrations over several decades in and out of foreign policy.

When he and Nixon took office in January 1969, the most immediately pressing problem they faced was the Vietnam War – the failures of which ultimately became synonymous with Kissinger.

After Nixon secured a second term in 1972, he took the unprecedented step of making Kissinger his secretary of state (the first foreign-born American to hold that office) while retaining him as national security adviser.

During his tenure, Kissinger made a series of controversial decisions. He supported a failed covert operation to kidnap Chilean General René Schneider in the hopes of preventing President Salvador Allende’s inauguration.

During the 1973 Arab-Israeli War (also known as the Yom Kippur War) Kissinger acted quickly to secure American aid to Israel – a pivotal intervention in the conflict but one that inspired the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries to boycott trade with the US in retaliation, creating an economic crisis at home.

Though the Watergate scandal forced Nixon’s resignation in 1974, Kissinger remained secretary of state under Gerald Ford.

The duo continued to pursue a detente with the USSR and China and the period brought the Helsinki Accord of August 1975.

When Kissinger left the White House in November 1976, he found himself surplus to requirements at the young age of 54, albeit with a Presidential Medal of Freedom around his neck. But he continued to make himself available to every succeeding president.

Under the Reagan administration, he was appointed to the head a national commission on Central America in 1983 and served on the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and the Commission on Integrated Long-Term Strategy.

During George W Bush’s presidency, Kissinger advised him on the aftermath of 9/11 and the Iraq War, supporting the 2003 invasion.

He offered advice to Donald Trump and George W Bush and helped maintain a relationship between China and the Biden administration.

VOICES: We should look back on Kissinger not just as a ‘war criminal’ – but as a man who sought peace

Thursday 30 November 2023 13:10 , Rachel Sharp

“Henry Kissinger ought to be most remembered for a quip about the long, merciless and futile war between the Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and the ayatollahs running Iran in the 1980s: “It’s a pity both sides can’t lose”.

Kissinger should be celebrated for that remark because it epitomises everything that made Kissinger the force and influence on the world that he was for most of his life. Cynical, direct, sophisticated in thought but plain in presentation, his upsum of the Iran-Iraq war was completely correct – the world would have been better off without either of those nasty regimes.

Yet the sentiment was tinged with realism – the regret that such an ideal state of affairs wasn’t going to transpire. Kissinger was always a man to approach the world as it was, not as we would wish it to be. The remark thus showcased his finest of attributes – a rare gift for analysis and a clarity of thought that is glimpsed rarely in those in power. He was the greatest of strategic thinkers, a man who could understand and reframe “the big picture”, and secure some benefit for his country and for mankind.

We should look back on Kissinger not just as a “war criminal” – a charge with some merit that does need to be confronted – but as a man who sought and secured peace.”

Sean O’Grady writes:

Kissinger was not just as a ‘war criminal’, but a man who sought peace | Sean O’Grady

Who was Henry Kissinger married to?

Thursday 30 November 2023 14:13 , Ariana Baio

Henry Kissinger was married twice during his lifetime.

In 1949, Kissinger married his first wife, Ann Fleischer. The couple had two children, Elizabeth, born in 1959 and David, born in 1961. Kissinger and Ann divorced in 1964.

In 1974, Kissinger married Nancy Maginnes, whom he met while working for former New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. Nancy was a longtime aide to Rockefeller – someone whom Kissinger was close to as both a friend and colleague.

Henry Kissinger advised 12 presidents throughout his lifetime

Thursday 30 November 2023 15:00 , Ariana Baio

Henry Kissinger will be remembered as a divisive, but central, figure in American politics – having remained close to the White House across 12 different presidencies during his lifetime.

In the late 1940s, Kissinger formed relationships with several government agencies and then-president John F Kennedy by advising them on foreign affairs while serving as a professor at Harvard University.

He took on a more official role as National Security Advisor to former president Richard Nixon in 1968 and quickly established himself adjacent to the White House.

Though Kissinger ceased his official secretary of state title after former president Gerald Ford’s presidency ended, his expertise was never far from the presidents that succeeded him.

He assisted Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

GOP Senators remember Henry Kissinger

Thursday 30 November 2023 15:30 , Ariana Baio

Upon hearing the news of former secretary of state Henry Kissinger’s death, various Republican Senators issued statements remembering the divisive political figure and praised him for his role in shaping US foreign policies.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called Kissinger “a titan among America’s most consequential statesman”.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley said he was “sorry to hear of the passing of Henry Kissinger” and complimented Kissinger’s “public service” and “excellent books on world affairs.”

South Carolina Senator, and former presidential candidate, Tim Scott remembered Kissinger’s “consequential impact on American foreign policy” calling Kissinger’s death an “incredible loss” for the US.

Senator Lindsey Graham reflected on his “good friend” Kissinger’s role in advising numerous presidents.

Utah Senator Mitt Romney said America was fortunate for the “diplomacy, wisdom and love of freedom” that Kissinger brought with him.

West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito posted a photo with Kissinger, saying the US had lost “an icon.”

How Henry Kissinger’s Holocaust escape shaped his foreign policy

Thursday 30 November 2023 16:00 , Ariana Baio

Henry Kissinger’s life could have gone very differently.

Born in Germany in 1923 to Orthodox Jewish parents, Heinz Alfred “Henry” Kissinger spent his formative years living under Nazi rule.

At just 15 years old, Kissinger’s family made a crucial decision that spared him from the Holocaust – and paved the way for him to become one of the most powerful diplomatic figures in America.

In August 1938, not long before Kristallnacht, Kissinger and his sought refugee in New York City.

And while the escape saved him and his immediate family from the Holocaust, at least 13 of his close relatives stayed behind and were killed in Nazi concentration camps.

Rachel Sharp reports:

How Henry Kissinger’s Holocaust escape shaped his powerful, polarising foreign policy

Henry Kissinger’s Nobel Peace Prize stirred controversy

Thursday 30 November 2023 16:30 , Ariana Baio

In 1973, Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in negotiating the Paris Peace Accords to end the Vietnam War – but in the years after it was awarded the award began to lose its initial meaning.

The purpose of awarding Kissinger with the prestigious award was for the negotiations he engaged in with South Vietnam and North Vietnam to end the war. However, just two years later, when the fall of Saigon happened, Kissinger attempted to return the award citing the failure in the negotiations.

From then until as recently as this year, it has been revealed that the Nobel Peace Prize committee members were fully aware Kissinger’s negotiations likely would not bring an end to the Vietnam War and yet still awarded him the prize.

Read more here.

Kissinger’s Israel warning just before his death revealed

Thursday 30 November 2023 17:00 , Graig Graziosi

Former top US diplomat Henry Kissinger warned that the war in Israel and Gaza could engulf the rest of the Arab world and throw the international status quo into chaos, during his final interview.

Kissinger died on Wednesday aged 100.

He sat for an interview on German television just days after the Hamas terror attack on 7 October, during which he said he believed there had to be “some penalty” for the bloodshed, and rejected calls for peace in the region, according to Insider.

“Of course, the first instinct is to bring back peace but you can’t make concessions to people who have declared and demonstrated by their actions that they cannot make peace,” Kissinger said.

Israel’s response to Hamas’s 7 October attack — which left 1,400 Israelis dead — has been an unrelenting bombing campaign. More than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed since the 7 October attack, and millions more have been displaced.

When asked how he would deal with the hostages taken by Hamas, Kissinger said he couldn’t provide a full answer because he was not the one making the final decision, but he did offer some speculation.

“Theoretically and conceptually, I would say that we cannot yield to that,” he said.

Antony Blinken describes Kissinger’s impact on US secretary role

Thursday 30 November 2023 17:30 , Ariana Baio

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Henry Kissinger, who served in the role from 1973 to 1977, “set the standard” for all future secretaries.

While speaking with Israeli President Issac Herzog on Thursday, Mr Blinken briefly addressed Kissinger’s death, which was announced on Wednesday evening.

“Secretary Kissinger really set the standard for everyone who followed in this job.  I was very privileged to get his counsel many times, including as recently as about a month ago,” Mr Blinken said.

Kissinger is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American foreign policy. While serving as secretary of state he played a large role in helping decide how the US approached the Vietnam War, the Bangladesh Liberation War, the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and more.

Mr Blinken said Kissinger was “was extraordinarily generous with his wisdom” and cited him as a major figure in shaping history.

Henry Kissinger: A life in pictures

Thursday 30 November 2023 18:19 , Ariana Baio

Kissinger leaves behind a complicated legacy, seen at times as a master of global politics and criticised for his orchestration of the secret carpet-bombing of neutral Cambodia during the Vietnam War in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Andrea Blanco reports:

Henry Kissinger: A life in pictures

Watch: Henry Kissinger, America’s most famous diplomat, dies aged 100

Thursday 30 November 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

John Kirby calls Kissinger’s death “huge loss"

Thursday 30 November 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio

During the White House briefing on Thursday, National Security Council John Kirby called the death of Henry Kissinger a “huge loss.”

Mr Kirby offered his condolences to Kissinger’s family, including his wife Nancy, and reflected on his impact on American foreign politics.

“This was a man who, whether you agree with him or not, whether you hold the same views or not, he served in World War II in his country, bravely in uniform and for decades after which I think we can all be grateful for and appreciate,” Mr Kirby said.

He noted that Kissinger “shaped foreign policy decisions for decades.”

From Cambodia to Bangladesh: a brief history of Henry Kissinger’s alleged war crimes

Thursday 30 November 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio

In his eight years at the helm of US foreign policy, Henry Kissinger’s unique brand of realpolitik diplomacy was blamed for genocides, massacres, rape and torture on an industrial scale.

The architect of US efforts to contain the Soviet Union during the Cold War prioritised ideology over morality, and was responsible for the deaths of three to four million people between the years of 1969 and 1976, according to experts including Yale University historian Greg Grandin, the author of Kissinger’s Shadow.

As Secretary of State under the Nixon and Ford administrations, he pursued an interventionist approach to world affairs that shaped the thinking of a generation of neocons who would come after him.

In his 2001 book The Trial of Henry Kissinger, legendary British author Christopher Hitchens methodically laid out the case for the grand old US statesman to be prosecuted for conspiracy to commit murder, kidnap, and torture.

Bevan Hurley reports:

A brief history of Henry Kissinger’s alleged history of war crimes

Vladimir Putin sends condolences to wife of Kissinger

Thursday 30 November 2023 21:34 , Ariana Baio

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Nancy Kissinger, the window of Kissinger, his condolences in a telegram, according to Reuters.

“The name of Henry Kissinger is inextricably linked with a pragmatic foreign policy line, which at one time made it possible to achieve detente in international tensions and reach the most important Soviet-American agreements that contributed to the strengthening of global security,” Mr Putin said.

“I had the opportunity to personally communicate with this deep, extraordinary man many times, and I will undoubtedly retain the fondest memory of him.”

World leaders recognise Kissinger’s diplomacy

Thursday 30 November 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu called Henry Kissinger’s death the “end of an era” and recognised him as a friend and scholar.

“Dr Kissinger’s departure marks the end of an era, one in which his formidable intellect and diplomatic prowess shaped not only the course of American foreign policy but also had a profound impact on the global stage,” Mr Netanyahu said.

Mr Netanyahu praised Kissinger’s intelligence, contributions to international relations and “extraordinary capabilities.”

“As we bid farewell to this giant of a man, I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and admirers around the world. His legacy will continue to inspire and guide future generations of leaders and diplomats. May his memory be a blessing,” he added.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union Commission, recognised Kissinger’s impact on American politics in a statement posted on X.

“His influence and legacy will continue to reverberate well into the 21st century,” Ms von der Leyen said.

Biden says he ‘often strongly’ disagreed with Kissinger in new statement

Thursday 30 November 2023 22:56 , Graeme Massie

Joe Biden said he “often strongly” disagreed with Henry Kissinger, as he issued a statement to mark the polarising diplomat’s death at the age of 100.

“I’ll never forget the first time I met Dr. Kissinger. I was a young Senator, and he was Secretary of State—giving a briefing on the state of the world. Throughout our careers, we often disagreed. And often strongly,” said the president on Thursday.

“But from that first briefing -- his fierce intellect and profound strategic focus was evident. Long after retiring from government, he continued to offer his views and ideas to the most important policy discussion across multiple generations.

“Jill and I send our condolences to his wife Nancy, his children Elizabeth and David, his grandchildren, and all those who loved him.”

Chinese state media pays tribute to Kissinger: ‘The old friend of the Chinese people’

Thursday 30 November 2023 23:31 , Graeme Massie

“Today, this ‘old friend of the Chinese people,’ who had a sharp vision and a thorough understanding of world affairs, has completed his legendary life,” China News said in an obituary.

On Weibo, the hashtag “Kissinger just came to China this year” went viral. Henry Kissinger visited China more than 100 times in his lifetime and more recently in July this year.

CCTV, the state broadcaster, called Kissinger a “legendary diplomat” and a “living fossil” who had been a witness to the development of China-US relationship.

Henry Kissinger warned that Israel’s war could engulf the Arab world

00:00 , Ariana Baio

Former top US diplomat Henry Kissinger warned that the war in Israel and Gaza could engulf the rest of the Arab world and throw the international status quo into chaos, during his final interview.

Kissinger died on Wednesday aged 100.

He sat for an interview on German television just days after the Hamas terror attack on 7 October, during which he said he believed there had to be “some penalty” for the bloodshed, and rejected calls for peace in the region, according to Insider.

Graig Graziosi reports:

Kissinger warned just before his death that Israel’s war could engulf the Arab world