Letter: Citizens made a difference in Kissinger case

Friday, Dec. 27, 2002 | 4:09 a.m.

On Dec. 13, Henry Kissinger informed the White House of his resignation as head of the independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. According to the Dec. 16 Christian Science Monitor, it was the demand for disclosure by the victims' families, who acted "with the moral clout of Sept. 11 behind them ... that proved to be a deal-ender for former Secretary of State Kissinger." Had Kissinger ignored that demand, it would have been a public relations disaster for both the commission and White House.

Had he complied, a graveyard's worth of skeletons would have tumbled from his closet, including Kissinger Associates' role in facilitating Saddam Hussein's arms buildup. This in turn would have prompted renewed interest in the role played by the first President Bush in keeping financial and material aid flowing to Iraq during the late 1980s -- despite Saddam's gas attacks on Iraq's Kurdish minority, the lethal 1987 Iraqi attack on the USS Stark and plentiful evidence of Saddam's aggressive designs.

When Kissinger was appointed, critics nationwide exclaimed, "The 'fix' is in!" Congressional resistance, coupled with concerted action by a small but devoted group of citizens, resulted in the fix being pried out. Kissinger's unexpected withdrawal illustrates that timely citizen activism can still have a positive impact.

FRANK PELTESON