Kissinger Praises Nixon, Criticizes Clinton

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger spoke to about 300 people at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace on Wednesday, paying tribute to former President Richard Nixon and criticizing the Clinton Administration for its “wishy-washy” foreign policy.

Kissinger praised the late President’s skill and foresight in conducting U.S. foreign policy, even in the face of unprecedented “concentrated hostility” at home.

Unlike the Clinton Administration, the Nixon presidency was marked by clearly defined foreign policy objectives, said Kissinger, who served as national security adviser and secretary of state under Nixon. Clinton’s use of military force in Somalia was a mistake, especially in view of a U.S. withdrawal from the African nation after 18 casualties, Kissinger said.

“Before we commit U.S. forces, we have to know the outcome we want and we have to be able to define the national interest,” he said.

Likewise, Kissinger said, dispatching U.S. soldiers to Haiti, as Clinton has threatened to do, would be equally unwise. “I do not favor a military invasion, because I can’t describe the threat Haiti presents to the United States,” he said.