Kissinger: The illegal we do immediately; the unconstitutional takes a little longer

Horhey · Mar 29, 2012

One of the most respected torturers and killers in the establishment.

The National Security Archive

Sunshine Week Document Friday! Kissinger Says, The illegal we do immediately; the unconstitutional takes a little longer. But since the FOIA, Im afraid to say things like that.

Updated for Sunshine Week 2012. An oldie but a goodie. I wonder if President Obama is beginning to feel a bit like Dr. Kissinger. At any rate, a meta-tribute to the power of FOIA.

In 1975 Secretary of State Henry Kissinger told the Turkish Foreign Minister, Before the Freedom of Information Act, I used to say at meetings, The illegal we do immediately; the unconstitutional takes a little longer. [laughter] But since the Freedom of Information Act, Im afraid to say things like that.

He then explained how he would facilitate the illegal circumvention of a Congressional arms embargo.

No wonder he fought so hard against allowing the public to access his papers...

This bombshell of a quote (even for Kissinger) comes midway through his conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Melih Esenbel. The vast majority of the fifty-minute conversation held in Turkey at the Foreign Ministers office focused on the FMs displeasure with the US Congresss decision to pass an arms embargo against Turkeys 1974 invasion of Cyprus.

Esenbel explained that the prevailing mood in Turkey was that one NATO ally should not enact a military embargo upon another. He even stated that the US embargo could endanger his partys government, explaining the he, not Kissinger or the US Congress was being criticized for the lack of aid.

Kissinger quipped, If someone has to be criticized, that is a good solution.

Eventually, Kissinger explained to the Turkish FM that he was against the embargo and proposed three options:

One: Get Congress to change the law.
Two: Use a military waiver. A loophole that allowed spare parts to be provided for one year.
or Three: maintain the status quo or, as Kissinger put it find substantial progress under the existing law.

The illegal action Kissinger referred to was Esenbels suggestion that the United States make a deal with European countries to sneak US goods to Turkey despite the embargo.

The US Ambassador to Turkey observered, That is illegal.

Kissinger, on the other hand, delivered his FOIA solique and promised:

Well make a major effort.
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Kissinger: The illegal we do immediately; the unconstitutional takes a little longer

Horhey Well-Known Member

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Kissinger: The illegal we do immediately; the unconstitutional takes a little longer

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