Screening of Documentary Film 'The Trials of Henry Kissinger'

In "The Trials of Henry Kissinger," we have a film about an individual regarded by many as a perpetrator of international war crimes. The 2002 film, by Alex Gibney and Eugene Jarecki, touches on an attempted citizen's arrest of this "suspect" by noted author and activist Christopher Hitchens in London, where Kissinger was speaking at an official function. While only implied in the film, the incident is a symbol for the case the movie makes for Kissinger's role in war crimes and the notion of actually bringing him to trial.

On Tuesday, June 24, Peace Action of San Mateo County will hold a free screening of "The Trials of Henry Kissinger." We will gather at 7 PM in Beck Hall of the Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo, 300 E. Santa Inez Avenue in San Mateo. Beck Hall is wheelchair accessible. The film is 79 minutes long.

"The Trials of Henry Kissinger" goes on to document the various wars and interventions on the part of the Nixon administration, including the sabotage of the 1968 Paris Peace Talks regarding the war in Vietnam; the subsequent lying to America concerning the bombing of Cambodia; the arranging for the murder of General Rene Schneider of Chile and the subsequent overthrow of that country's elected President, Salvador Allende. This was all followed by the "green light" given to the Indonesian dictators to enable the invasion of East Timor. These events were for the perceived enhancement of American diplomatic advantage and demonstration of our political power.

The film's outlook seems to have direct relation with what many in this country feel could happen to many in the Bush Administration for similar wrongdoing, regarding the selling and conduct of the Iraq War. It is a striking parallel with today's war and its perpetrators. Just as an aside, Mr. Hitchens supported our involvement in our Iraq adventure, yet many others want to take his place in the effort to bring international criminals to justice.