A senior White House aide says Kissinger’s stature made him a “no-brainer.” Because Kissinger has been out of government for years, says another official, he has the “distance” to dispassionately review 9-11 without having to pass judgment on policies he played any role in.
But the reaction among the 9-11 family groups was mixed. Some raised questions about possible conflicts with his consulting firm Kissinger Associates, whose corporate clients–including foreign firms–have never been publicly disclosed. (Kissinger also serves on the European advisory board of Hicks, Muse, a Dallas-based private equity firm headed by Tom Hicks, a top Bush fund-raiser and business associate.) Others say Kissinger’s background as a master negotiator with a penchant for secret diplomacy is not what they were looking for. “This is not a peace accord. It’s an investigation,” says Kristen Breitweiser, a spokesperson for one family group. “The idea of a scrappy guy who’s going to plug along to get the facts doesn’t come to mind.” Breitweiser says she shares some of the same concerns about former Sen. George Mitchell, selected by congressional Democrats to be vice chair. Kissinger, for his part, plans to meet with family members soon–and vows a “full and complete” probe. (He also says he has no Mideast clients that could pose a conflict.) “We’ll go where the facts lead us,” he told NEWSWEEK. “There will be no restraints.” But Kissinger also doesn’t expect the probe to get adversarial with the White House, either. “I look at this as a cooperative enterprise.”
