A newly unearthed memo from the US State Department more deeply links former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to atrocities committed by Argentina’s fascist military junta during the 1970s.  It strongly reinforces that view that Kissinger gave the go ahead for the junta to conduct a state terrorism campaign that would see the murders of as many as 30,000 Leftists and opposition figures.

The memo documents a 1977 conversation between Patt Derian, the Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights in the Carter Administration, and the US ambassador in Buenos Aires Robert Hill.  The Ambassador recounted a conversation with Kissinger, which in turn debriefed his talks with Argentine Foreign Minister Cesar Augusto Guzzetti the previous year, while Kissinger was still Secretary. 

The newly revealed memo says:

“The Argentines were very worried that Kissinger would lecture to them on human rights.  Guzzetti and Kissinger had a very long breakfast but the Secretary did not raise the subject.  Finally Guzzetti did.  Kissinger asked how long will it take you (the Argentines) to clean up the problem.  Guzzetti replied that it would be done by the end of the year.  Kissinger approved.”

In other words, Ambassador Hill explained, Kissinger gave the Argentines the green light.”

In 2004, another document was released from the US National Security Archive that showed how Guzzetti told Kissinger, “our main problem in Argentina is terrorism,” which was how the Junta referred to its opponents, regardless of if they were militants or peaceful.

Kissinger replied, “If there are things that have to be done, you should do them quickly.”

Ambassador Robert C. Hill served Republican Presidents in several posts in Latin America, but after working with Kissinger, Argentina would be his last.  The memo says he told Derian that if Congress were to ask him to testify about Kissinger’s conduct in Latin America, “I'm not going to lie, the Ambassador declared.”

Hill died in 1978 without testifying that Kissinger had urged on the Argentine generals.  The Carter administration reversed US policy and made Human Rights a priority in its relations with Argentina and other nations.  Democracy would not return to Argentina until 1983, not until after thousands will killed by the fascists.

Patt Derian returned to Buenos Aires in 1985 to testify in the historic Trial of the Juntas.

Kissinger is still around.  But the 90-year old has never been held accountable for dirty deeds in Argentina, Chile, Bangladesh, East Timor, Cambodia, and elsewhere.