‘The Trial of Henry Kissinger’ puts forth strong case against the former US secretary of state

Henry Kissinger is one of the best-known American politicians of the 20th century. The inspiration behind the foreign policy of Richard Nixon, he combined theory and practice as few others have. With a brilliant academic career behind him as a specialist in the Holy Alliance that Metternich imposed on Europe in 1815, he turned to politics, linking his name with impressive American overtures to China and the Soviet Union as well as a realistic disentanglement of the United States from Vietnam. However, his «realist» policies and cynicism also linked his name with such murky matters as the Cyprus tragedy, the drama of Bangladesh, the overthrow of Allende, the murder of the democratic Chilean General Schneider and of his compatriot, the former foreign minister Orlando Letelier, as well as two attempts to abduct in the US and hand over to the Greek junta Elias P. Demetracopoulos, Kathimerini’s political correspondent in the 1950s, and a fierce opponent in Washington of the Greek dictatorship. Renowned British journalist Christopher Hitchens, who has settled in Washington, has written an exceptionally informative and penetrating book in which he crushes the image of Kissinger, and urges that he be made to stand to trial on serious charges. His book has already been published in many countries, and the BBC has made a program based on it. Despite its warm reception, Kissinger has pronounced the book «contemptible.» In November Hestia Publishers are bringing out the book in a Greek translation by Thanasis Yiannakopoulos, edited by Venetia Kaisari. The following excerpts are from the new prologue written by Hitchens and from the chapter referring to the Greek aspect of the Watergate scandal and the attempts to abduct Demetracopoulos, who revealed it.