He's always been interested in politics, but he became more concerned with foreign policy as a result of his experiences in Lebanon, he said.

CNN: Americans adopt new election priorities in Lebanon

By the time of his death on April 22, 1994, he had written numerous books on his experiences in public life and on foreign policy.

WHITEHOUSE: Richard M. Nixon

Needless to say, these horrific experiences had an enduring imprint on Rousseff's foreign policy views.

CNN: Why Iran-Brazil friendship has gone cold

That her questions on foreign policy were multi-dimensional, and backed by front-line experiences in the countries in question.

FORBES: How Martha Raddatz's Abortion Question Won The Vice-Presidential Debate