CHILE: Pinochet and Kissinger

The debate over the merits of the Pinochet regme continues. Dwight Peterson says: "I have friends who disappeared during the Allende regime, and others who had their businesses seized without compensation. Don't try to tell me that his tenure was benign and progressive! Even ex -domestic workers of mine were thrilled with the Pinochet "coup" as they said they could once again walk the streets alone without fear of molestation and other crimes against single women". However, no one has defended Henry Kissinger, the American protector of the military regimes in the Southern Cone.

A severe judgment of him comes from John Stacks, author of Scotty, a biography of Scotty Reston, the distinguished New York Times reporter and columnist. Those were the days when press people like him served as advisers and mouthpieces for top government officials. Now these officials have little interest in press people. Their aim is to get TV exposure. Given the idiocy of most TV, this is a national, or rather international tragedy. Stacks is especially severe on Kissinger, who seduced the press, including Scotty Reston, viewed as one of the greatest American reporters of all times.. However, Kissinger was deceitful and a liar. Deceitful because he was disloyal to Nixon and tried to blame him for failures. A liar? "He could tell 10 different lies to 10 different people". He lied about the Christmas 1972 carpet bombing of Vietnam. Someone should write a study of "Kissinger and Chile". Kissinger's Memoirs should present his side. So presumably would the reports of Scotty Reston, whom Kissinger used shamelessly, according to Stacks.

Ronald Hilton - 8/3/03