Hyderabad, May 26 -- One of the previous century's most controversial and polarising personalities in international politics, Henry A. Kissinger, celebrates his 100th birthday on May 27th. As the USA's National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, he shaped US policies in many regions of the world between 1969 and 1977. To those unfamiliar with his commitment to Realpolitik theories, his decisions seemed to carry a bewildering mix of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly (to borrow the name of a popular film).

He was among those who pioneered the policy of detente with the Soviet Union and also orchestrated the improvement of relations between the US and China. In diplomacy and negotiating, he was hard to beat. Among his other successes wer...