Kissinger speaks

Henry Kissinger speaks and the world is most likely listening


I’m taking a break from finishing my book on Javier Solana to update my blogspot readers on what I see as an interesting new development. An article bylined by none other than Henry Kissinger appears in Saturday's Daily Aspen News. You may find it on line here: http://www.aspendailynews.com/article_16917

It was Henry Kissinger who made the famous statement that he wished he had a single number to call to reach Europe. It was the Clinton administration who announced gleefully that this had been achieved – under Javier Solana. It was the Bush administration that handed its proxy on Iran to Javier Solana – to exercise on June 6, 2006, no less.

Henry Kissinger has now spoken again. He notes that Condoleezza Rice may be taking back the USA’s proxy given Europe and its Javier Solana under certain conditions. Those conditions are that Iran stop nuclear enrichment while direct negotiations with the USA are taking place.

Kissinger is skeptical that such will happen –or even work. He believes the USA is in no position to challenge Iran. Moreover, he apparently believes that the conflict is also Mideast regional – Moslem Shi’ite “ideology” (religion) vs. Sunni religious forces.

Henry Kissinger says that as long as Iran considers what it is doing a “crusade” vs. geopolitical realities, probably nothing will work. He notes that Europe will not insist on tough sanctions against Iran. He also notes that nobody has probably more to lose than Russia if Iran gains nuclear strength – Iran would then become a dangerous underbelly to Russia’s already self-evident problems with what Kissinger calls Shiite ideological extremists.

Kissinger says that because of the delicacy of that situation both Europe and Russia are hesitant to use direct confrontation. He says that Russia now doubts the USA’s staying power in the region.

Kissinger also expresses the opinion that the situation is too dangerous to ignore and will not go away.

So what does Henry Kissinger believe will work? What healing balm will calm that region and unify the now competing Shiite and Sunni forces? It looks to me as if Kissinger may be suggesting that Israel is the key. It is renewed Palestinian peace efforts.

Kissinger says Iran’s Ahmadinejad is empowered by knowledge that Shiite forces in Iraq alongside with Iranian sponsored Hezbollah ones in Lebanon are causing panic in Sunni nations. He suggests that the solution is two-fold: A Palestinian solution inside Israel and encouraging Iran to act “as a nation, not a cause.”

Kissinger further says that there must now obviously be a USA repositioning, but if it must not be currently perceived as a prelude to inspired USA withdrawal from the region. Such could cause Iran to perceive it as opportunity. It would see the collapse of existing structures, take advantage of a perceived opportunity to fill the power vaccuum. Ergo, there would be even more chaos in the region. Iran probably would not move aggressively, per Kissinger, unless it believes this would happen. Consequently, any strategic redeployment must take this type of Shiite (Ahmadinejad) thinking into account.

To me, Kissinger’s proposed solutions seem to lead us full circle to where Javier Solana came in when I first discovered him in 1995. Solana has been the only constant figure in all the “peace moves” in the Middle East, at least from 1991 onwards. Kissinger now defines religious fervency as “an ideology, "a crusade”, “a cause” and exceedingly dangerous, at least as it applies to Shiite Moslems. If Kissinger reflects and/or is shaping NATO, G-8, UN consensus, and he may well be, it may be inevitable that the “Alliance of Civilizations” with Solana’s concomitant “battle religious fundamentalism, worldwide” will come into accelerated play. After all, wouldn’t it, per that Alliance of Civilizations cum “New World Religion” combined with other equally “no religion” forces, be unfair to apply anti-fundamentalism to only Islamics?

As I currently read it, this may likely be a win-win for Javier Solana and/or any successor for the processes Solana began. It looks as if very sophisticated minds are calling for a consensus that will control both the Israeli region and world monotheistic, non-compromising religious expression.

When Henry Kissinger speaks, people usually listen. A very dangerous world is currently in play. As Herb Peters expresses it: stay tuned!