During his years as secretary of state, Kissinger had encouraged Argentina’s military junta to stamp out “terrorism”. The newly released documents show that at one stage the Carter administration considered asking Pope John Paul II to intervene with Argentina’s military rulers. The documents, which were released on Monday night, show how Kissinger’s close relationship to Argentina’s military rulers hindered Jimmy Carter’s carrot-and-stick attempts to influence the regime during his 1977-81 presidency. The newly declassifed cables show how Kissinger lauded Videla and other officials for their methods during his 1978 visit. Former secretary of state Henry Kissinger jeopardized US efforts to stop mass killings by Argentina’s 1976-83 military dictatorship by congratulating the country’s military leaders for “wiping out” terrorism, according to a large trove of newly declassified state department files.

Source: The Guardian August 09, 2016 18:06 UTC