quotes from Henry Kissinger:

"(on LIbya) the true test is what emerges. one cannot deduce the outcome of a revolution form the pronouncements of those who start the revolution. and one has to assess a revolution not only in terms of its initial enthusiasm. as a general principle, the greater the destruction of existing institutions, the greater will be the violence in re-establishing order."

"the Chinese approach to policy is conceptual, while ours in pragmatic. For the Chinese, history is part of current reality. For America, current reality usually begins with the perception of a problem we are trying to solve now... In the West we look to assemble overwhelming force; the Chinese look for a superior psychological balance. The West waits more or less passively for a provocation and then seeks to overwhelm it. the Chinese think that provocations have to be pre-empted, though not necessarily overwhelmed."

"in Afghanistan, i think withdrawal will become a political necessity because of the inability to create a structure which we can turn over. so i would negotiate with surrounding countries who would be threatened by a terrorist Afghanistan if it emerged."

"...i believe in a policy of engagement rather than confrontation. those of us who had access to the Chinese government sought to use our influence to improve human rights through quiet diplomacy rather than showdown."