Monday, Sep. 21, 1992

Heading for A Grilling

By Janice Castro

Get out the flak jackets. Former Secretary of State HENRY KISSINGER will face tough questions when he testifies next week before the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. Investigators for the committee claim they have constructed a "damning case" against Kissinger for ineptness and insensitivity regarding pows and mias during the Paris peace talks in 1973. The committee has heard from a score of witnesses, including several Pentagon officials, who maintain that many Americans were left behind when the Nixon Administration brought servicemen home at the conclusion of the talks. Insiders say the hearing will be "tough on Dr. K." Kissinger will be followed by other heavyweight witnesses, including Al Haig and Acting Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger. Even Kissinger's old boss, Richard Nixon, has sought legal advice in preparation for a deposition on the matter that has been requested by the committee.