Almost unreal . . . Kissinger leads team to Moscow

[bigtree]

March 21, 2009


(AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)

Kissinger meets with Russians, echoes Obama's line
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sounds optimistic about improved relations after Nixon's secretary of State and other former high-ranking officials pay an informal visit.

Reporting from Moscow -- The octogenarian Republican is an improbable go- between to push the diplomatic line of a young Democratic president. But here he was in Moscow on Friday: Henry Kissinger, the architect of Cold War detente with the Soviet Union, meeting informally with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to try to smooth over a new generation of animosities between their two countries.

Kissinger led a team of prominent former U.S. officials in meetings in Moscow this week who were acting on their own but echoing the message of cooperation from an Obama administration that has pledged to "reset" relations that have become tense in recent years. And the young Russian president, still regarded by many observers as an apprentice to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, spoke encouragingly of efforts to end the acrimony.

Kissinger, who also met with Putin, assured reporters that he'd found ample ground for cooperation. "I'm happy to report that the differences were not so remarkable and the agreements were considerable," he said.

The Nixon-era secretary of State was joined on the trip by other prominent officials from previous administrations, including former Secretary of State George Shultz, former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, former Defense Secretary William Perry and former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin.

The White House said the group had not been sent by President Obama. "They're private citizens and not there at the behest of the White House," said an official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "But they did inform the White House beforehand."

report: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-russia-kissinger21-2009mar21,0,2585905.story?track=rss



Henry Kissinger, left, talks with former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov at a Moscow news conference.

[spanone]

1. The White House said the group had not been sent by President Obama.

[burythehatchet]

2. That's looks like our own Sammy Nunn over there on the right.

[spanone]

6. he's no longer 'ours'

Currently the co-chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a charitable organization working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons,

[burythehatchet]

10. I'm in GA, sadly

[spanone]

11. oohhh sorry, he's 'yours' well i have corker and alexander here in tn....ugh!

[bigtree]

7. yep. Says so right there at the end of the snip I took from the article

[rosesaylavee]

3. WTH

Why wasn't SOS Clinton part of this? If Obama didn't approve this, we need to know what this was all about. This will certainly undermine what Clinton has been trying to do there.

What the hell?

[spanone]

4. The White House said the group had not been sent by President Obama.

[rosesaylavee]

9. I know - wonder what Clinton is going to do or say about this...

This is just wrong.

[karynnj]

19. In 2005 or 2006, John edwards and Jack Kemp went to Russia and met with the leaders

They issued a report when they returned and spoke on MTP and other Sunday shows. Neither had strong connections to the Bush administration - and I am sure that Bush would have been as likely to send Edwards than Obama would be to send these guys.

[rosesaylavee]

20. However, they weren't former Secys of State.

This has a whole other smell to me. This wasn't a fact finding mission or 'I'm-running-for-office' kind of trip. This seems like a whole dif game being played.

[karynnj]

21. The point is that Obama says they do not represent him

If even John Kerry has to point out in EVERY middle eastern interview that he represents only himself and the SFRC - not Obama, they have to do the same. Obama may chose to get their opinions on conversations - or not.

Madeline Albright continued to visit countries and attend conferences.

[rosesaylavee]

22. Really. I get that Obama didn't send him. I did read that in the OP.

I just don't trust Kissinger. Or think he's at the same level of trust as Kerry and Edwards or Albright. I don't think Kissinger would do this lightly or on a whim. I would do better if I understood what was in it for him.

[karynnj]

17. Because they are not Obama's emmisaries

It is legal for private citizens to meet with foreign leaders, but they can not negotiate for the US and need to make sure they are not seen as official. (Even Democratic Senators and Congressmen have these constraints. Senator Kerry, who did speak to both HRC and Obama, before his trip to the Middle East repeatedly made that distinction - though he is known to be respected by Obama.)

I doubt HRC would want to give them any claim to being insiders or advisers to her.

[Deja Q]

5. Who are the two that appear to be looking at each others' trouser junk?

And is Kissenger in there or a mere body double?

[acmavm]

8. This sentence smacks of equivocation and disingenuosity:

<snip>Kissinger led a team of prominent former U.S. officials in meetings in Moscow this week who were acting on their own but echoing the message of cooperation from an Obama administration that has pledged to "reset" relations that have become tense in recent years.
<snip>

Isn't this always how Kissenger keeps his fingers in the pie but the current admin can always disallow having anything to do with him?

[spanone]

12. after kissinger dies, his corpse will be flown around the world to fuck with diplomacy

[Thrill]

13. Kissinger senses Obama is going to improve relations with Russia. He wants to take credit for it

He's an arrogant prick

[Deja Q]

14. A logical assessment.

:thumbsup:

[leftchick]

15. gee, they forgot to mention he is a war criminal

http://www.zpub.com/un/wanted-hkiss.html






Aliases: Henry Alfred Kissinger, Heinz Alfred Kissinger, Butcher of Cambodia


In the minutes of a secret 1975 meeting of the National Security Council attended by President Ford reveal Henry Kissinger grumbling, "It is an act of insanity and national humiliation to have a law prohibiting the President from ordering assassination." - LOST CRUSADER: The Secret Wars of CIA Director William Colby, by John Prados, Oxford University Press, 2003

The February and March 2001 issues of Harper's Magazine feature a series by Christopher Hitchens on the case for charging Kissinger with War Crimes. Part I: The making of a war criminal Part 2 will feature an extensive section on East Timor.

[ensho]

16. why he is not in prison is beyond me - murderer that he is

nt

[L0oniX]

18. Who put that Dr Strangelove asshole in service?