John Kerry: From the Fog of War to Foggy Bottom

John Kerry brings a wealth of experience to his new position as Secretary of State. A decorated Vietnam veteran and the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, Kerry had represented Massachusetts in the Senate for 28 years when President Obama nominated him to succeed Hillary Clinton at Foggy Bottom. As a senator, Kerry chaired the Foreign Relations Committee, playing a key role in foreign policy and national security debates. Under his direction, the committee tackled issues ranging from Afghanistan and Pakistan to nuclear proliferation and global climate change. Kerry will need little “on-the-job” training.
The Senate confirmed Kerry as Secretary of State on January 30 by a 94-3 vote. Unlike fellow Obama appointee Chuck Hagel, he met almost no resistance in his confirmation.
Kerry first rose to fame in 1971 when he testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—the very committee he would go on to chair—about the atrocities committed by American soldiers in Vietnam. Kerry testified: “At times [the soldiers] had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off  heads, taped wires from portable telephone to human genitals and turned up the power … razed villages in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan … and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam.”
The words generated a backlash as early as 1971 and resurfaced during the 2004 campaign. Following Kerry’s nomination for President, John O’Neill—one of the first public critics of Kerry’s depiction of the war—created the now-infamous Swift Boat Veterans for Truth to air advertisements disparaging Kerry’s military record. SBVT received over $25 million dollars from Republican donors and fueled attacks that undermined Kerry’s credibility on foreign policy and military issues.
After completing his tour of duty in Vietnam, Kerry immediately went to Boston College Law School. Following his graduation in 1976, he worked as a prosecutor in Massachusetts’ Middlesex County. In 1982, he was elected Lieutenant Governor. Two years later, voters elected him to the Senate seat he held for the next 28 years. In the Senate, Kerry, who ranked tenth in seniority when nominated for State, chaired the Senate Select Committee on Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Affairs. Later, as Foreign Relations Chair, he pursued more diplomatic relations with Vietnam and North Korea and attempted to influence international policy in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Israel.
During his time in the Senate, Kerry was noted for calling for more aggressive involvement with isolated North Korea. Kerry listed objectives such as ending the country’s nuclear weapon development and resuming the donation of humanitarian aid as necessary steps. Writing in June 2011 in the editorial section of the Los Angeles Times, Kerry observed, “[The] current approach of strong sanctions and intense coordination with South Korea and Japan does not provide sufficient leverage to stabilize the situation.”
In dealing with other contemporary problems, Kerry has shown a similar desire to increase America’s diplomatic presence. On Syria, Kerry argued, “If we could advance the peace process with the Middle East … Syria then has a different set of options other than hedging bets or sticking with the status quo.” This highlights his belief in the necessity of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an area to which any Secretary of State must devote attention. Kerry advocates continued promotion of democracy and fundamental liberties, such as freedoms of the press and speech, in the Middle East. However, he stresses that America should exhaust all possible forms of diplomatic engagement before resorting to violence, a philosophy likely influenced by his experience in Vietnam.
In his first press conference, Kerry made no mention of Syria, focusing instead on economic issues. Meanwhile, the Obama Administration has yet to take military action in Syria. This fits with Kerry’s belief that violence is a last resort. Still, as the Syrian conflict rages on, the world will eagerly watch how he addresses conflict in the Arab world. His past statements indicate a strong commitment to resolving these tensions.
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