Bush Appointment of Henry Kissinger to 9/11 Commission Provokes Backlash and Charges of Damage Control

Interview with Peter Kornbluh, senior analyst with the National Security Archive, conducted by Scott Harris

The appointment by President Bush of Henry Kissinger to lead an investigation into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has provoked criticism by many in the U.S. and around the world. Those who have followed Kissinger's career as national security advisor to President Nixon, and later serving as Gerald Ford's secretary of state, are skeptical that this tainted Washington insider is capable of conducting an objective inquiry.

Kissinger's involvement in the overthrow of democratic governments such as Chile, the Indonesian invasion of East Timor, his role in the secret bombing of Cambodia, as well as his well-documented record of misleading Congress and the American people have contributed to efforts across the globe to prosecute the Noble Prize-winning diplomat for his complicity in crimes against humanity. The threat of an indictment is so real that Kissinger now consults a lawyer before leaving the U.S.

Other questions about possible conflicts of interest stemming from his list of powerful corporate clients working with his business consulting firm Kissinger and Associates have surfaced. Kissinger maintains that his client list is secret and he alone will be the judge of any potential ethical conflicts. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Peter Kornbluh, senior analyst with the National Security Archive, who has closely studied Kissinger's career and explains why he believes the former diplomat is not the right person to lead the 9-11 commission.

Peter Kornbluh's forthcoming book, " The Pinochet File" will soon be published by the New Press. To contact the National Security Achive Web site, visit www.nsarchive.org

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