Kennan versus Kissinger:

Hardly Diplomatic | Hardly Diplomatic

George Kennan, in a September 2002 interview, cautioned against the U.S. intervention in Iraq, emphasizing war's unpredictable momentum and criticizing the Bush administration's rationale. Kennan, a steadfast realist, urged against U.S. overreach, disputing claims of Iraqi WMD proliferation to terrorists as "pathetically unsupportive," and noting Israel's nuclear capability as a deterrent.

He opposed pre-emptive action due to a perceived lack of direct threat to U.S. national security and fear of strategic entrapment, advocating for foreign policy flexibility over rigid doctrines. Henry Kissinger, in an August 2002 column, supported intervention, citing the threat of a "ruthless autocrat" supplying terrorists with WMDs and the need to demonstrate U.S. resolve post-9/11. While acknowledging pre-emptive action's conflict with modern international law, Kissinger argued the terrorist threat transcended the nation-state. He expressed skepticism about "nation-building" and the democratic vision for Iraq, believing it would only address the "psychological framework of the Arab world." Kissinger later admired President Bush's efforts to salvage U.S. credibility during the protracted conflict.

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