Just as he now works to undermine our resistance to Islamic Jihad, Teddy Kennedy arrogated to himself the role of secret negotiator with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. If it wasn’t treason, it was very close to being so. His actions clearly were intended to thwart the foreign policy of our elected government and thereby to give aid and comfort to our enemies.
A Washington Times article reports:
In his new book, “The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism,” Grove City College professor Paul Kengor sheds light on a letter written by KGB head Viktor Chebrikov to Soviet leader Yuri Andropov. The letter is dated May 14, 1983, right as the debate was heating up over Mr. Reagan’s proposed deployment of intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe to counter the Soviets’ medium-range rockets in Eastern Europe.
Most Democrats and much of the left were universally opposed to Mr. Reagan’s plan, which they argued would lead to nuclear war. Heading the list of critics was Mr. Kennedy, who had, according to the Soviet letter, sent former Sen. John V. Tunney to meet with Kremlin leaders. Chebrikov writes that Mr. Kennedy “charged Tunney to convey the following message, through confidential contacts, to… Andropov.”
.....The letter goes on to say how Mr. Kennedy felt that the Soviets’ peaceful intentions were being “quoted out of context, silenced or groundlessly and whimsically discounted.” Conversely, Mr. Reagan “has the capabilities to counter any propaganda.” In other words, if the letter is to be believed, Mr. Kennedy felt his own president was the real aggressor.
Mr. Kennedy had two proposals for Andropov, according to Chebrikov. First, he asked for a meeting later that summer in order “to arm Soviet officials with explanations regarding problems of nuclear disarmament so they may be better prepared and more convincing during appearances in the USA.” Second, that “Kennedy believes that in order to influence Americans it would be important to organize ... televised interviews with [Andropov] in the USA.”
Ironically, even Senator Kennedy now acknowledges that President Reagan’s policy was not only correct, but also was responsible for ending the Cold War.
Senator Kennedy’s roguery is reminiscent of a similar, free-lance project early in our history to interfere with the official foreign policy of the United States, one that could have undone our recent victory over the British.
In 1793, four years after ratification of our Constitution, Revolutionary France sent Citizen Genet here as its ambassador. Rather than proceeding to New York to present his credentials to President Washington in accordance with protocol, he landed in Charleston, South Carolina, and began to organize groups opposed to Washington’s policies. Genet supported formation of socialist Jacobin Clubs of the sort that had produced the street mobs of the French Revolution.
The official policy of the United States was neutrality between England and France in their continuing war, but high-handed Genet supplied money to outfit American privateers to prey upon British shipping. Genet also issued French Army commissions to Americans on the western frontier who agreed to serve in the French Army of the Mississippi. Needless to say this could have precipitated war between the United States and England.
Then, as now, public opinion was divided. Many Americans favored France’s cause, erroneously believing the French Revolution to be of the same nature as our own War of 1776.
The parallel, of course, is not exact. But both Citizen Genet and Senator Kennedy risked enormous damage to our national security by promoting the interests of our enemies.
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