etmnlong.gif (2291 bytes) spacer
Dr. K and protestor

San Francisco.

 East Timorese demonstrator in Washington reacts to Henry Kissinger's version of history.

 ETAN members and friends protest a speech
by Henry Kissinger in Dobbs Ferry, NY.

 May 30, 2011, New York City protest at 92nd St. Y November 7, 2011,
in New York.
 
                     About Kissinger: The United States’ most notorious living war criminal

Hold Kissinger Accountable leaflet (PDF) print out and distribute at Henry Kissinger's appearances
Hillary Clinton with Henry Kissinger. ETAN blog:
Henry, Hillary and Bernie
(February 12, 2016)

 

Donate today!

Read Noam Chomsky on ETAN's 20th Anniversary

With your help, we can put ETAN on a firmer footing for the future. Please give generously in this anniversary year.
 In doing so, you can help strengthen ETAN to meet the challenges of the coming years.

Read Noam Chomsky
on 20 years of ETAN

On December 6, 1975, then Secretary of State Kissinger and President Gerald Ford met with Indonesia’s dictator in Jakarta. At their meeting, Ford gave Suharto an explicit go ahead for the invasion of the Portuguese colony of East Timor, which was seeking independence. Indonesia launched its brutal invasion the next day. According to East Timor's Commission on Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) up to 183,000 died as a result of the invasion and illegal occupation, which lasted until 1999. Declassified and leaked documents clearly show that Kissinger understood that Suharto was balking at invading, concerned that the U.S. would cut off its supply of weapons and military training. Kissinger guaranteed continuation of weapons shipments and increased them the following year. For more on Kissinger's role in East Timor.

The Indonesian dictator then raised the Timor issue, saying, “We want your understanding, if we deem it necessary to take rapid or drastic action.” Ford replied: “We will understand and will not press you on the issue. We understand the problem and the intentions you have.” We understand the problem and the intentions you have.” Kissinger said "you appreciate that the use of U.S. weapons could create problems" and added that “It is important that whatever you do succeed quickly.” (Quotes from Embassy Jakarta Telegram 1579 to Secretary State, 6 December 1975)

ETAN Backgrounder on Kissinger and His Crimes (2015)

 

Henry Kissinger, secretary of state to Richard Nixon, dies at 100: The towering diplomat and Nobel prize winner shaped decades of US foreign policy but was seen by critics as a war criminal (The Guardian, November 29, 2023)

Jacobin: Kissinger in East Timor (November 29, 2023)

The Nation: A People’s Obituary of Henry Kissinger - For decades, Kissinger kept the great wheel of American militarism spinning ever forward. (November 29, 2023)

Mary Sanchez: To understand Henry Kissinger’s legacy, talk to a refugee (December 8,  2023)


 Is Henry Kissinger a War Criminal? by Reed Brody focus on East Timor, Cambodia, Bangladesh/Pakistan (Just Security, June 27, 2023)

War Criminal Kissinger guest at opening of MIT’s ‘ethical’ College of Computing (February 2019)

ETAN Blog: Henry, Hillary and Bernie (Feb 12, 2016)

Intercept: I Do Not Care to Finish Reading This Mediocre Kissinger Biography By Niall Ferguson, by Barrett Brown (March 29, 2016)

Obama Pays Tribute, but Doesn't Say "Sorry" to Argentine Victims of Kissinger's Allies, by Sam Knight, The District Sentinel  (March 25, 2016)

Irish Examiner: US foreign policy under Henry Kissinger cost thousands of lives, by Ryle Dwyer (March 16, 2016)

Message from School of Americas Watch in support of April 24, 2014 Kissinger Demonstration (April 16, 2013)

Open Letter to Westmont College on Kissinger and West Papua (October 8, 2013)
Open Letter to Westmont College, published in Santa Barbara Independent (October 3, 2013)

East Timor: Kissinger Killed 180,000 People

Protesters Challenge Kissinger Role in 'Preserving Freedom and Democracy (May 26, 2013)

___________________

Media Advisory: Groups to Protest 'Democracy' Award to Kissinger (May 23)

The toxic cult of America's national interest Only a misguided cult would exalt Henry Kissinger..., The Week (January 23,2014)

Wikileaks has put online the searchable Public Library of US Diplomacy: Kissinger Cables which covers the years1973-1976 (April 2013)

Alternet: America Keeps Honoring One of Its Worst Mass Murderers: Henry Kissinger by Fred Branfman (Apr 16, 2013)

The Top 10 Most Inhuman Henry Kissinger Quotes (Apr 24, 2013)

Trying Kissinger, the Charles Taylor Precedent (May 2012)

If Charles Taylor Can Be Tried for War Crimes, Why Not Kissinger? by Reed Brody (May 2012)

November 7, 2011 Protest Rejects Honoring of Henry Kissinger by New-York Historical Society

Historians urge N-YHS to withdraw Kissinger honor (November 2012)

Interview on Kissinger with ETAN's National Coordinator John M. Miller , November 2, 2011
(05:17)
 
 

OWS vs Kissinger, ASEAN Watch, The Diplomat, November 5, 2011

ETAN interviewed on KBOO Radio, (Portland, OR) November 3, 2011

Kissinger in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, November 4, 2011
 Kissinger Protested in Pittsburgh. October 26, 2011

May 30, July 28 and September 13, 2011 Protests in New York City

Ford, Kissinger and 1975

Kissinger Redux (December 17, 2010)

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Adam Malik thanks Kissinger for U.S. support at United Nations, 1977 January 5  (via Wikileaks)

 

Gerald Ford's Timor Legacy

Joe Nevins: A Single Standard for Gerald Ford and Saddam Hussein (Jan 5, 2007)

Democracy Now!: President Gerald Ford Dies at 93; Supported Indonesian Invasion of East Timor that Killed 1/3 of Population (December 27, 2006)

Ford's forgotten legacy in East Timor
Gerald Ford and Jose Ramos Horta and me
Ford unvarnished

Audio: Noam Chomsky from Cambridge, MA on January 5, 2007 on Gerald Ford and the criminal of the invasion of East Timor, reflections on Moynihan, Kissinger and Watergate [23 minutes]

Audio: ETAN's John M. Miller on East Timor and Ford on the Lizz Brown Show (starts 2/3rds into show)
 

or make a monthly pledge via credit card here

East Timor's Truth Commission Report

ETAN Calls for Broad International Discussion of Timor Truth Commission Report; CAVR Report's Recommendations (January 20, 2006)

U.S. Arms Helped Indonesia Attack East Timor (January 26)
NSA: East Timor truth commission finds U.S. "political and military support were fundamental to the Indonesian invasion and occupation" "Responsibility" chapter published on Web by National Security Archive (January 24)

"A Natural Fit" Ted Koppel, NPR and Henry Kissinger (January 16, 2006)

Kissinger Out – K.O.! has launched an appeal to organizations and institutions to end their collaboration with Henry Kissinger, who has been accused of gross human rights violations, including political assassination, war crimes, and complicity in genocide. Among others K.O.! appeals to the following organizations to end their collaboration with Kissinger and to remove him from his official posts: International Olympic Committee, UNESCO peace award, American Academy Berlin, International Rescue Committee.

November-December 2002 (Kissinger Appointed to 9-11 Commission)

Dec 7, 2002: Timor Commemorates Invasion Anniversary as Indonesian Court Acquits Officials
Slate: The Latest Kissinger Outrage: Why is a proven liar and wanted man in charge of the 9/11 investigation? (Hitchens)*
Newsday: 9/11 Victims Deserve Better Than Kissinger (Les Payne)*

Estafeta: Protesting Kissinger (Winter 2002-2003)

Follow ETAN:
Like ETAN on Facebook Follow ETAN on Twitter ETAN on Google+ ETAN email listservs ETAN blog ETAN on LinkedIn ETAN on Pinterest Donate to ETAN!

May 2002

Estafeta: Documents Detailing Role of Kissinger and Ford in 1975 Invasion Released
US Media Servile to the Last in Reporting Timor Struggle (Jeff Winters)
U.S. Must Examine Its Role in New Nation's Bloody Past (Ben Terrall, PNS)
The price of independence (Ben Terrall, Baltimore Sun)
IHT- How U.S. Averted Gaze When Indonesia Took E. Timor (Michael Richardson)
Time for a U.S. Truth Commission on East Timor (Joseph Nevins)
Dramatic U-turn for US and Australia (Ben Kiernan, Yale University)

*opens in new window

ETAN was a sponsor of Kissinger Watch (opens in new window)

Christopher Hitchens' Case Against Henry Kissinger

March 2001- THE CASE AGAINST HENRY KISSINGER. Part 2 includes a substantial section on East Timor (Harper's Magazine)
February 2001- THE CASE AGAINST HENRY KISSINGER. Part 1 (Harper's Magazine)

June 25, 2001 - The Fugitive by Hitchens (The Nation)
March 8-15 - Kissinger accused (Boston Phoenix)
March 1 - Feed: re: Christopher Hitchens (interview) 
February 27 - A Belated Skewering of Henry Kissinger (L.A. Times)
February 24 - Why has he got away with it? book extract by Hitchens (Guardian)
January 25 - Christopher Hitchens on Henry Kissinger (Democracy Now!, audio)
January 23 -The Case Against Henry Kissinger (The Connection, audio)

see also The Christopher Hitchens Web

The Documents

L-R Kissinger, Suharto, unknown, Ford, Dec 6, 1975
Kissinger, Suharto and Ford meet.

NSA: Declassified U.S. documents reveal support for Indonesian invasion and occupation of East Timor from 1975 until U.N. sponsored vote in 1999 Also British documents (November 28, 2005)

‘Illegally and Beautifully’: The United States, the Indonesian Invasion of East Timor and the International Community, 1974–76 by Brad Simpson (Cold War History, Vol. 5, No. 3, August 2005)

Dec 6, 2001 - National Security Archive: Ford and Kissinger Gave Green Light to Indonesia's Invasion of East Timor, 1975; New Documents Detail Conversations with Suharto. See also links to news coverage.

Documents Detailing Role of Kissinger and Ford in 1975 Invasion Released (Spring 2002, Estafeta)
Kissinger's Green Light to Suharto (Feb 18, 2002)
 Documents Show Ford, Kissinger Approved Timor Invasion (Jan 24, 2002)
Days of Infamy and Memory (Jan 21, 2002)
Documents Show US Supported 1975 Invasion of E. Timor (VOA with Audio) (December 8, 2001)

The Secret Life of Henry Kissinger Minutes of a key 1975 State Department meeting

Confronting Kissinger

Estafeta: Protesting Kissinger (Winter 2002-2003)

Ask Kissinger ETAN/NY organized challenge to Kissinger at New York's Park Central Hotel where he was questioned by Constancio Pinto, Allan Nairn, Amy Goodman, and Tom Mahedy (July 11, 1995)

Kissinger Goes to London (Special issue of Kissinger Watch)

Not My Chancellor College of William and Mary community protests Kissinger as their Chancellor

ETAN to Kissinger (Winter 2001-02, Estafeta)
 U. Maryland students 'arrest' Kissinger (May 5, 2002) 
Kissinger Confronted in Cork (Feb 28, 2002)
FAIR: Why Wasn't Kissinger Asked About War Crimes Charges? (June 29, 2001)

Henry Kissinger and University of Texas canceled his Feb. 1 lecture, making the ludicrous claim that protesters wanted to restrict Kissinger's speech. See protesters response. Read the news stories from the Austin American-Statesman. (January 2000) 
Remembering Henry - Robert Sherrill (Texas Observer, January 21, 2000)
Good Riddance to Henry Kissinger - Editorial by Michael King (Texas Observer, Feb 18, 2000)

Radio Interview with Henry Kissinger (WNYC-AM, March 19, 1999)
The former U.S. Secretary of State, out selling his new memoir on his service during the Ford administration, is confronted by demonstrators who believe it was no coincidence that he and Ford were in Jakarta just hours before the invasion of East Timor by Indonesia (March 1999)

Kissinger Takes On ASU In Arizona he discussed Vietnam, Cambodia... even East Timor (April 22, 1998)
Hold on a Minute...: St. Rupert's New Halo Doesn't Quite Fit - Nick Cohen (The Observer, March 30, 1997) Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger bestows the United Jewish Appeal Federation's Humanitarian of the Year Award on Rupert Murdoch. (What more can one say?)

False Alarm

Kissinger was a guest, talking about another war criminal. Via FAIR

Background and Analysis

ETAN Backgrounder: Breaking the Silence: The U.S. and Indonesia's Mass Violence (September 2014)

2001
Aug 21 -How You Can Do What the Government Won’t: Arrest Henry Kissinger Manhattan’s Milosevic
July 15 - Letters to Editor on Henry Kissinger
June 14 - East Timor's New Ally: Dr. Death
May 18 - Gusmão, Ramos Horta Meet Kissinger in New York

Anthony Lewis: Kissinger's ghost haunts East Timor (September 12, 1999)
Daniel Schorr: Kissinger and the loss of E. Timor (October 1, 1999)

Norman Solomon: Media Beat - When We Forget, Anguish Is Often Buried Alive (December 3, 1998)

Henry Kissinger, Indonesia and Freeport-McMoRan
Freeport-McMoRan is the largest US investor in Indonesia and has very close connections with the regime. Henry Kissinger is on their board and is also paid as a consultant.

Kissinger Appointed Advisor to Indonesia (not a satire) (April 17, 2000)
Spinning Gold - Robert Bryce (Mother Jones, 1996) "By keeping journalists away from its Indonesian mine -- which contains gold, silver, and copper valued at $50 billion -- New Orleans-based Freeport-McMoRan has managed to put its spin on environmental and human rights abuses near the mine."
The Mining Menace of Freeport-McMoRan - Pratap Chatterjee (The Multinational Monitor, 1996)
More on Freeport and Indonesia

And elsewhere...

Salon: The Ivy League’s favorite war criminal: Why the atrocities of Henry Kissinger should be mandatory reading (April 17, 2015)

National Security Archive: Nixon, Kissinger, and the Madman Strategy during Vietnam War (May 29, 2015)

National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 487: Kissinger Considered Attack on Cuba Following Angola Incursion (October 1, 2014)

FAIR: And Now, a Word From Henry Kissinger… (September 24, 2014)

The Takeaway Transcript: Kissinger Talks ISIS, Confronts His History in Chile, Cambodia (September 10, 2014)

FAIR: Asking What Kissinger Thinks–but Not What He Did (September 24, 2013)

Bangladesh:
New Yorker: Looking Away From Genocide by Gary Bass (November 20, 2013)
New Republic: In 1971, a Genocide Took Place. Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger Did Nothing. Intentionally. Bangladesh. by Sunil Khilnani (November 9, 2013)

Chile
National Security Archive: Kissinger and Chile: The Declassified Record  (November 2, 2011)
 Chile: Pursuing the Past Kissinger is questioned about recently declassified documents about covert U.S. involvement in Chilean politics. (PBS NewsHour, February 20, 2001) see also: National Security Archives online Chile Documentation Project.
Kissinger covered up Chile torture - Lucy Kosimar (The Sunday Observer, February 28, 1999) A newly declassified cable obtained by The Observer reveals the lengths to which Henry Kissinger went to cover up atrocities in Chile and give comfort to the regime of General Pinochet.
Kissinger’s obsession with Chile enabled a murderous dictatorship that still haunts the country (The Conversation, December 6, 2023)

Argentina

Guardian: Kissinger hindered US effort to end mass killings in Argentina, according to files (August 10, 2016)
Mother Jones: New Memo: Kissinger Gave the "Green Light" for Argentina's Dirty War January 2014
 Kissinger Had a Hand in Argentina 'Dirty War' (Insight Magazine, Jan 7, 2002)
Kissinger and the 'Dirty War' by Martin Edward Andersen (Nation magazine, October 31. 1987)

Fairness and Accuracy in Media Henry Kissinger articles