Late Henry Kissinger Blamed for Deaths of Thousands

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Depending on who you ask, Henry Kissinger will be remembered as a Nobel Peace Prize winner and peace maker. Others consider him a war criminal responsible for the deaths of countless Cambodians.

The former Secretary of State and National Security Adviser under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford died Nov. 29 at the age of 100.

The Committee of 100 credits Kissinger with inspiring the group of 100 prominent Chinese Americans to form to encourage better U.S. China relations. He urged famed architect I.M. Pei to organize C100 to address issues of mutual concern to both countries.

Blood on His Hands

“In addition to his work as a pioneer in US-China relations at large, Dr. Kissinger served as an instrumental figure in shaping the history of our organization,” said Gary Locke, Committee of 100 Chair, former U.S. Ambassador to China, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and former Governor for the State of Washington.

“Today, we here at Committee of 100 reap the benefits of this storied friendship with one of the great statesmen of our time. We will continue to honor his legacy, and his presence in our lives will be truly missed.”

Others say the decisions Kissinger made led to the deaths of as many as 3 million people throughout Southeast Asia as well as Southern Africa and Latin America, said his biographer Greg Grandin, according to The Intercept. Hundreds of thousands of those deaths occurred in Cambodia, The Conversation reported.

Kissinger is blamed for authorizing the secret four-year bombing of Cambodia even though the country considered itself neutral and not at war with the U.S, reports the HuffPost.

Few people have had a hand in as much death, destruction, and human suffering in so many places around the world as Henry Kissinger,” said veteran war crimes prosecutor Reed Brody.