ABSTRACT
Richard Nixon’s legacy would ultimately be determined by events at the Democratic National Headquarters in Washington, but the way that he wished to be remembered, as reflected in his chosen epitaph, was as a peacemaker. One element of Nixon strategy was to differentiate between areas of the world that were of vital or peripheral interest; rather than attempting to apply containment everywhere. He contended that only areas of vital interest must be held, and that losses in areas of peripheral interest could be offset by exhibiting strength or making gains in areas of vital interest. Having designated the Horn as an area of vital interest, Nixon followed the example of his predecessors in the Oval Office and prioritised the US-Ethiopian relationship. National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger explained to Nixon, when briefing the president on the forthcoming state visit of Haile Selassie that "US-Ethiopian relations have been unusually close for years".
