Lawrence Eagleburger and Kenneth W. Thompson

Event Details

Ken Thompson interviews former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger. During the interview Eagleburger discusses the importance of foreign policy for presidential elections, Eisenhower's management of foreign affairs, difficulties in changing foreign policy direction, bureaucratic management, Nixon's bombing of Cambodia, Kennedy's management of foreign affairs, Wilson's shortcomings in foreign affairs, Dean Acheson in comparison with Henry Kissinger, Dean Rusk, Johnson's mismanagement of international affairs, Vietnam, Détente, Reagan's impact on foreign affairs, and the Guam Doctrine. In the second portion of the interview Eagleburger addresses topics including anecdotes from his experiences with Kissinger, his assessment of Kissinger as Secretary of State, the necessity of secrecy in foreign policy, Clinton's use of force in foreign policy, mission creep, Bush Sr.'s strategy in Iraq, the breakup of Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Haiti, North Korea becoming a nuclear power, lesson's learned form the Cold War, the priority of domestic responsibilities over international ones, and the failures of Democrats in international affairs.