ARNOLD & PORTER

William D. Rogers

William_Rogers@aporter.com

202.942.5915
202.942.5999 Fax

555 Twelfth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004-1206

September 4, 2001

Mr. James Lehrer
3620 S. 27th Street
Arlington, VA 22206

Dear Mr. Lehrer:

During the August 30 program, in the segment relating to war crimes, Ray Suarez referred to Milosevic, and the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal, the detention of Pinochet, and then said:

"Events in the aftermath of the 1972 coup that brought Pinochet to power, have also prompted magistrates in Chile and France to issue warrants for testimony from Henry Kissinger."

All this, coupled with seriatim images of Pinochet, Milosevic and Kissinger on the screen.

Allow me to suggest that it was unfortunate and not slightly misleading that the program linked Henry Kissinger with the likes of Pinochet and Milosevic in this fashion. The cases are utterly distinct.

Pinochet and Milosevic are accused of criminal responsibility for heinous atrocities perpetrated by troops under their direct command. Dr. Kissinger was asked by the French court to answer interrogatories about the evident killing of a French citizen by the Chilean military and that, on the risible basis that Kissinger must presently possess personal knowledge and recollection of the facts of the case -- which occurred decades ago -- solely because his name was affixed to cables touching on those cases -- as was the case with every other cable which emanated from the Department of State during that period. The State Department has informed the French court that the information the French court seeks -- what did the United States know about the case -- is government information and that such inquiries should be directed to the Government of the United States. The Department will follow the same procedure when and if formal questions from the Chilean court come to hand.

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