Reflections
Ich Bin Ein Berliner
President Kennedy was travelling in an open limousine when he got shot.
Ich Bin Ein Berliner or “I am a Berliner” is an assertion of historical significance. It was the inspiring call of President John F Kennedy to the besieged citizens of the walled city of West Berlin during his visit to the city on June 26, 1963. It was the time of the cold war marked by the frosty relationship between the two superpowers United States of America and Soviet Russia. The world was under the spectre of mutually assured destruction (MAD) dominated by stockpiles of nuclear missiles. Kennedy stood there expressing his solidarity with the people of West Berlin committed to free society
He was candid about the realities of free society. Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but a free society does not wall its people, nor does it prevent them to leave. In order to boost their morale he recalled the history of two thousand years ago when the proudest boast was "civis Romanus sum" (I am a Roman citizen) and observed that “today's proudest boast is Ich bin ein Berliner.” In his word freedom is indivisible, when one man is enslaved, all are not free.
John F Kennedy was a leader endowed with conviction, courage, regard for humanity and a gifted mind. In his inaugural address he held out the contrasting realities of the new world that not only offers hopes of ending all forms of poverty but also possesses the dreadful power of ending all humanity. While welcoming the new nations to the ranks of the free he advised them to tread carefully lest colonial control is replaced by tyranny! Views may differ, but the rational view will be to find them defending their own freedom - and most of all he expected them to remember that in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.
His plan of action was built on profound knowledge of the past, he resolutely stood in the present but his vision stretched far into the future. His inaugural address showed that a leader has come for his people, for people and countries of the world and also for America's friends and foes. America is a country based on pioneering spirit and free enterprise. The prodigious enlightenment of his mind crafted a message so emblematic of American history and heritage for his people and for America's friends and foes; that leadership has passed on to a generation born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a bitter peace and most of all unwilling to be a witness to the undoing of the human rights to which the Nation continues to remain committed at home and abroad.
What he asked of his people can be a prescription for any nation that holds their future with importance. He exhorted them, 'ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country'.
John F Kennedy was a leader endowed with conviction, courage, regard for humanity and a gifted mind.
In a time of cold war dominated by relentless bipolar rivalry he judged America's adversary with sound logic that offers no untenable pledge but makes a request to begin anew a quest for peace before the weapons of destruction unleashed engulf mankind with planned or accidental self-destruction. He also reminded that he was not tempting them out of weakness.
It did not however take much time before the Cuban Missile Crisis drove the two superpowers to the brink. Only 90 miles away from American coast Cuba's alliance with Soviet Russia was viewed as a threatening security concern for America. The failed Bay of Pigs invasion (President Eisenhower's plan) 17 April 1961 of a ragtag band of 1400 Para militia consisting of Cuban mafias and Cuban counter-revolutionaries was a major security setback for the American Government.
It planted the belief in Nikita Khrushchevs government that Cuba needed to be defended against American invasion. In addition to that Khrushchev's government also resented the installation of Jupiter intermediate range missiles in Turkey and Italy. Russia was behind America as regards strategic strength of Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles ICBMs. So Russia started installing Medium Range Ballistic Missiles (MRBM) and Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBM) in Cuba.
On October 14, 1962, a U-2 flight piloted by Major Richard Heysér took 928 pictures capturing images of what turned out to be SS-4 construction site at San Cristobal, Pinar del Rio Province. The photographs were found to be of medium range ballistic missiles. Subsequently, President John F Kennedy was informed of the findings. The President formed an Executive Committee of National Security Council (EXCOMM). The committee considered a number of options and ultimately decided on naval 'quarantine' around Cuba which will not allow any offensive weapons to be delivered to it and at the same time demanding that Soviet Russia dismantle all offensive weapons on Cuba and send them back to Russia.
For a few days the situation grew tense but later a stalemate developed. On October 28 President Kennedy and UN Secretary General U Thant reached an agreementwith Nikita Khrushchev -that Soviet Russia would dismantle all offensive weapons on Cuba and send them back to its country subject to UN verification in exchange for a US public declaration and agreement never to invade Cuba. The US on its part will withdraw the missiles from Turkey and Italy. The crisis finally came to an end on November 20 1962. Furthermore a 'hotline' or a direct telephone link was established between the leaders of the two counties to avert a crisis of such nature in the future. It transpired that the Soviet leader considered President Kennedy more an intellectual lacking the firmness of a leader in a war-like situation.
President Kennedy lived a few more months after his landmark visit to West Berlin. He fell to an assassin's bullets fired from Texas SchoolBook Depository building at Dealey Plaza in Dallas on November 22, 1963. He was travelling in an open limousine accompanied by his wife Jacqueline Kennedy, Governor of Texas John Connally and his wife Nellie. It so happened, a Dallas resident Abraham Zapruder was out with his 8 mm camera. He captured 26 seconds of President Kennedy's last few moments.The rest is history. Lee Harvey Oswald the assassin who fired the shots was killed from a close range by Jack Ruby.
John F Kennedy is regarded as one of the four great Presidents of United States. The year 2013 marks his fiftieth death anniversary. He was born on 29 May 1917 to Joseph Patrick 'Joe' Kennedy Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments