NCJ Number
94832
Editor(s)
J Z Rubin
Date Published
1981
Length
316 pages
Annotation
Experts from several disciplines analyze one case history of a third-party intervention in an international conflict which had dramatic and far-reaching consequences: Dr. Henry Kissinger's step-by-step diplomacy in the Middle East from the outset of the October War in 1973 to the final round of Arab-Israeli disengagement negotiations in August 1975.
Abstract
Two introductory papers provide an overview of third-party intervention issues and background on Kissinger's involvement in the disengagement settlements between 1973 and 1975. A group of four papers considers Kissinger's diplomacy in relation to the particular set of intervention tactics he chose to adopt. One author concludes that Kissinger used deliberate ambiguity, deception, and outright lies that were not appropriate for diplomatic negotiations. Other presentations examine Kissinger's intervention from the perspective of the labor mediation process and highlight features which made Kissinger different from industrial mediators, notably his ability to wield considerable power over the two parties. The next four papers focus on the environment of Kissinger's intervention. The first describes Kissinger as a biased intermediary in the context of great power foreign policy, while another addresses his mediation tactics and manipulation of the balance of power to conclude that the settlement achieved is not a long-term strategic solution. Other papers in this section explain Kissinger's performance as an unsuccessful effort to cope with enormous social and informational complexity. A commentary on the papers concludes the book. References and an index are supplied.