[ad_1]
Henry Kissinger, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate known for his diplomatic achievements and contentious policies, died on Wednesday, aged 100.
“Dr. Henry Kissinger, a respected American scholar and statesman, died today at his home in Connecticut,” Kissinger Associates announced in a statement late on Wednesday.
Fled Nazi Germany
Kissinger was born in Germany in 1923. His family moved to the United States in 1938 to flee the Nazi regime. He gained US citizenship in 1943 and served in the US Army during World War II in Europe. He went on to pursue higher education at Harvard University on a scholarship, obtaining a master’s degree in 1952 and a doctorate in 1954.
He then joined Harvard’s faculty, where he taught for 17 years.
A contentious legacy
Known for his significant influence on US foreign policy as Secretary of State under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, Kissinger’s legacy is marked by his decisive role in ending the Vietnam War, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Kissinger had a major role in opening US diplomatic relations with the Chinese Communist Party during the Nixon administration, and remained a popular figure in China. He also negotiated a landmark arms control agreement between the US and Soviet Union in the 1970s.
In 1973, Kissinger’s intense “shuttle diplomacy” that eased tensions between Israel and Arab countries following the 1973 Yom Kippur earned him diplomatic plaudits across the US political spectrum.
However, Kissinger’s role in authorizing the US bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam War left a mark on his legacy. The, which was intended to target troop movements supporting North Vietnam, killed thousands of civilians and helped spawn the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.
Kissinger was also criticized for his backing for anti-communist regimes in Latin America. His approach to foreign policy faced criticism for prioritizing national interest over democratic ideals.
In 2022, when asked in an interview if he regretted any of his decisions, the former diplomat said: “I’ve been thinking about these problems all my life. It’s my hobby as well as my occupation. And so, the recommendations I made were the best of which I was then capable.”
Kissinger was involved in global politics until his final months. In July, he met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in a surprise visit, amid tumultuous bilateral relations between the United States and China.
Bush and Bloomberg pay respects
Tributes poured in for Kissinger.
Former President George W. Bush said the US had “lost one of the most dependable and distinctive voices on foreign affairs” while former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Kissinger was “endlessly generous with the wisdom gained over the course of an extraordinary life.”
China’s ambassador to the US said he was “deeply” saddened to hear of Kissinger’s passing.
“It is a tremendous loss for both our countries and the world,” Ambassador Xie Feng said in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, adding “history will remember what the centenarian had contributed to China-US relations.”
ss/jsi (Reuters, AFP, AP)
[ad_2]
Source link
