THE JOHN F. K ENNEDY LIBRARY AND FOUNDATION WINTER 2002 NEWSLETTER TERROR is not a new weapon. Throughout history it has been used by those who could not prevail, either by persuasion or example. But inevitably they fail, either because men are not afraid to die for a life worth living, or because the terrorists themselves came to realize that free men cannot be frightened by threats, and that aggression would meet its own response. And it is in the light of that history that every nation today should know, be he friend or foe, that the United States has both the will and the weapons to join free men in standing up to their responsibilities. President John F. Kennedy Address to the United Nations September 25, 1961 T HE J OHN F. K ENNEDY L IBRARY AND F OUNDATION N EWSLETTER Kennedy Library Presents Special Series on Terrorism n response to the attacks ipate in “town meeting” discussions of September 11, 2001, on such topics as religious tolerance, the John F. Kennedy Library presidential decision-making, military I and Foundation have organ- options, the role of the media, security ized and are presenting an ongoing and civil liberties, international crimi- series of special programs to foster nal justice and humanitarian relief. public discussion and debate concerning The Kennedy Library and the nation’s response to terrorism. Foundation developed the series “I am often asked what is the most serious form of human rights violation in the world today and my reply is consistent: extreme poverty.” Mary Robinson UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights The forums have been organized “We are heading into the most uncertain in the spirit of President Kennedy’s period of our lives… The greatest variable observation that a free people cannot be frightened by threats. is whether or not we will unintentionally “The ‘Responding to Terrorism’ series trigger the thing that we most want to seeks to address the burning questions avoid, which is a religious conflict of our time, the issues that are on people's between Islam and the West.” minds as our country and the world Richard C. Holbrooke struggle with the challenges to democracy, Former U.S. Ambassador to basic stability and work to try to over- to the United Nations come the dangers of terrorism,” said John Shattuck, CEO of the Kennedy Library and were joined by the Carnegie series by airing promotional spots, Foundation, in introducing the series. Corporation of New York, The Boston rebroadcasting some of the forums and “We are particularly grateful to our Globe, WBUR 90.9 FM, boston.com, by making the audio tapes of the cosponsors who have allowed us to and the Lowell Institute in bringing forums available on its web page. project this program far beyond the the “Responding to Terrorism” series Boston.com promoted the entire series walls of the John F. Kennedy Library, to the public. on its web page, making the transcripts to people all over New England and all The Boston Globe stepped forward and tapes of the forums available to a over the nation.” by contributing full-page advertise- national audience. Public response to the Kennedy ments promoting the series, including For more information on the public Library Forums has been extraordinary excerpts from transcripts of the forums, to view transcripts and news with record crowds attending to partic- forums. WBUR FM promoted the articles on the forums, to participate in on-line discussions, or to hear rebroadcasts, members of the public “I think the worst mistake that we can make are encouraged to listen to WBUR 90.9 is to dismiss terrorists as lunatic, as irrational. FM or visit the Kennedy Library’s web page at www.jfklibrary.org, WBUR’s Because mine were highly rational.” web page at www.wbur.org, and Moorhead Kennedy The Boston Globe’s web page Former U.S. Embassy Hostage, Iran 2 at www.boston.com/jfk. T HE J OHN F. K ENNEDY L IBRARY AND F OUNDATION N EWSLETTER R ESPONDING TO T ERRORISM S ERIES S PEAKERS Leila Ahmed, author of Women Richard C. Holbrooke, former Tom Oliphant, syndicated columnist and Gender in Islam United States Ambassador for The Boston Globe Tom Ashbrook, Host, WBUR to the United Nations Kenneth Oye, MIT Professor Special Coverage, WBUR FM Michael Horowitz, Chief of Staff Mary Robinson, UN High Peter Bell, President of CARE to the Assistant Attorney Commissioner for Human General of the U.S. Department Sissela Bok, author and ethicist Rights, and former President of Justice’s Criminal Division of Ireland Gail Buckley, author, American Michael Ignatieff, Director of the Patriots: The Story of Blacks John Shattuck, former Assistant Carr Center on Human Rights Secretary of State for Human in the Military from the Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy Revolution to Desert Storm Rights and Executive Director School of Government of the American Civil Liberties General Wesley K. Clark, former Moorhead Kennedy, former U.S. Union Washington Office Supreme Allied Commander Embassy Hostage, Tehran, Iran in Europe Jessica Stern, former member 1979-1981 of the National Security Kevin Cullen, former European Robert Leikind, Director of the Council and author of Bureau Chief, The Boston Globe New England office of the The Ultimate Terrorist David Gergen, advisor to Presidents Anti-Defamation League Reverend Charles Stith, former Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton Anthony Lewis, Pulitzer Prize- U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania Nancy Gertner, U.S. District Judge winning reporter and former at the time the U.S. Embassy for the District of Massachusetts columnist for The New York Times was bombed Richard Goldstone, former Chief Andrew Mack, former Director Nina Totenberg, National Public Prosecutor for the International of Strategic Planning in the Radio’s chief legal correspondent Tribunals for Rwanda and the Executive Office of the Secretary former Yugoslavia General of the United Nations Dick Gordon, Host, The Connection, Michele L. Malvesti, former FEATURED SPEAKERS IN 2002 WILL INCLUDE, AMONG OTHERS: WBUR FM intelligence analyst with the David Greenway, former Editorial Defense Intelligence Agency Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief Page Editor of The Boston Globe from 1994-1998 international correspondent Father Bryan Hehir, Chair of the Congressman Robert T. Matsui, Crown Prince Hassan of Jordan Executive Faculty Committee Japanese-American interned Senator Edward M. Kennedy of the Harvard Divinity School in camp after the bombing Senator George McGovern of Pearl Harbor Philip Heymann, former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, chief Assistant Attorney General, Elizabeth Neuffer, former European negotiator in Northern Ireland U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau Chief, The Boston Globe and the Middle East Criminal Division, and Deputy Joseph Nye, Dean of the Kennedy Bob Schieffer, CBS News Attorney General in the Clinton School of Government and Administration former U.S. Assistant Secretary Theodore Sorensen, of Defense for International Special Counsel to President Security Affairs John F. Kennedy “It is crucial that we make a distinction between religion in its truest sense and fundamentalism. Every religion has its fundamentalists. And therefore it is important not to identify fundamentalism as one religious tradition, because every religious tradition can support its own.” Father Bryan Hehir Chair of the Executive Faculty Committee of the Harvard Divinity School 3 T HE J OHN F. K ENNEDY L IBRARY AND F OUNDATION N EWSLETTER Archives Hold Rich History of Afghan-American Ties he deposed king of Afghanistan independence, to live in freedom, and JOEL BENJAMIN who took a leadership role to look to the future with hope,” said in the UN-sponsored talks President Kennedy in welcoming the T to determine the future King to the White House on September government of Afghanistan was once 5, 1963. “You have committed your celebrated by President Kennedy and country, as it has been throughout its the American people as a champion history, to the maintenance of that of Afghanistan independence, according national independence and sovereignty, to state documents and photographs and it is a source of pride to us that it found in the archives of the John F. has been possible for the United States Kennedy Library and Museum. The in some small ways to join you in deposed king has recently played a that great effort.” central role in the establishment of a At a White House State dinner post-Taliban government in Afghanistan. that evening, King Zahir observed In September 1963, then King that the social and political aspirations Mohammad Zahir Shah paid a state of the Afghan people were akin to visit to the United States where he was those which had inspired hosts of 5th century Afghan Ghandaran head welcomed by President John F. Kennedy. immigrants to the United States. of Buddha presented to President “Even though Afghanistan and the “Our people, nevertheless have and Mrs. Kennedy by King Zahir. United States are separated by a good a long struggle ahead in order to many thousands of miles, by history, overcome the problems presented of the fact that these factors can under- by culture, by religion, I do think, by illiteracy and certain material mine and present a threat to the very Your Majesty, that we share one great, handicaps,” said King Zahir. “For us, foundation of our liberty.” overriding, overarching conviction, the struggle is essentially a campaign Later, the King presented President and that is the strong desire of both waged for consolidation of the bases and Mrs. Kennedy with a 5th century of our peoples to maintain their of our freedom, for we are fully aware Afghan Ghandaran head of Buddha. The priceless state gift was displayed to the public for the first time in 1999 as part of the John F.