Sir Mark Thatcher refused US visa

[MaineDem]

Sir Mark Thatcher has been refused a visa to enter the United States in the wake of his conviction in connection with an African coup plot.

The son of the former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher had hoped to be reunited with his family in Texas.

But he said on Sunday: "I shall make the family home in Europe, not the UK, and my family will be joining me as soon as arrangements are made."

Sir Mark, 51, was given a four-year suspended sentence in January.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4405755.stm

[TaleWgnDg]

1. LOL . . . oh, sheesh, the *poor* guy . . . n/t

[Richard Steele]

2. LIFE is hard, down on the pea-farm, eh, "Sir Mark'?

Meh.

[thebigidea]

3. Yikes! Where's Spitting Image when you need 'em?

[ClintonTyree]

4. Why won't the bush baby.......................

pull some strings for his fellow "Texan". Thatcher is about as much Texan as the bush baby is. You'd think he'd intervene to allow this fine man to be reunited with his family. :sarcasm: It's a "family values" issue, isn't it? :shrug:

[emad]

5. Mark Thatcher refused US visa

Telegraph
(Filed: 03/04/2005)

Sir Mark Thatcher has been refused a visa to be reunited with his family in the United States, his spokesman has confirmed.


Sir Mark Thatcher is still separated from his family
The son of the former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher had hoped to make a new start in the US after he was given a four-year suspended sentence and fined over the botched coup in Equatorial Guinea.

But he still plans to leave Britain despite being unable to visit his Texan-born wife Diane, 44, and their two children in Dallas.

He said in a statement: "It is quite true that my visa application has been rejected.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/04/03/uthatcher.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/04/03/ixportaltop.html

[Deja Q]

6. "Family values" vs anti-family Magpie Thatcher. Nice.

(not nice, really)

[Frederik]

7. Go State Department

The first good news I've read today. :woohoo:

[struggle4progress]

15. Such visa refusals are often intended to prevent certain news ...

... or views from reaching the US public. The refusal of a visa to Thatcher may reflect some knowledge of US involvement in the coup attempt, which the Administration does not want the public to hear ...

[daleo]

20. That could well be.

Otherwise it is hard to understand. Unless it is some distant echo of the Reagan-Bush feud, being played out by proxy through the Thatchers.

[Henny Penny]

8. Clearly....

they fear the great man's coupe organizing abilities!
:nopity:

[omulcol]

21. Ha ha ... yeah ... like his

rally driving when he got lost in the Sahara Desert.... and cried for Mummy to help him get rescued !!! :puke:

[Heidi]

9. Lots of law-abiding Americans have been denied . . .

the right to travel freely within their own / our own country for much less. At least Thatcher knows _why_ he's on the government's sh!t list.

(Edited for clarity)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[emad]

10. Mark Thatcher Says He Was Denied U.S. Visa: Reuters

Mark Thatcher Says He Was Denied U.S. Visa
Sun Apr 3, 2005 09:41 AM ET
Printer Friendly | Email Article | Reprints | RSS

LONDON (Reuters) - Mark Thatcher said Sunday he was refused a visa to enter the United States because of his conviction in South Africa related to a failed coup plot.

The son of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher pleaded guilty in January in a court in Cape Town to a role in a mercenary plot to overthrow the government of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea. He was given a four-year suspended sentence and a $500,000 fine in a plea bargain.

The 51-year-old had been hoping to join his American-born wife Diane, and his two children, who have been living in the United States.

He said in a statement to the BBC: "It is quite true that my visa application has been rejected. It was always a calculated risk when I plea-bargained in South Africa.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=8069732

[BiggJawn]

11. Guess he didn't raise enough $$$$ for the Shrub?

"See? Iffn' Marky-mark had raised some money fer mah campaigns, or help mah poodle sell th' wahr t' th' limeys, Ah cudda pulled some strings fer him. Y'see, Ah got political Capital, an Ah kin spend it on mah friends..."

[emad]

12. Even Unka Jonathan couldn't pull anything this time after Riggs

Bank was fined a total of $41 million for moneylaundering for Saudis as well as General Pinochet/assorted felons connected with the Equatorial Guinea coup plot....

Dept of Homeland Security could hardly allow a convicted felon into the country, could they???

[struggle4progress]

16. They allow plenty of convicted felons into the country.

[DulceDecorum]

19. But did they ever return the cash they stole

from their customer's accounts,
TO THE CUSTOMERS THEY STOLE IT FROM?
Or did Riggs just give the Feds their cut and keep the rest?

What happened to all the money
that is supposed to have been paid
into the National Treasury of the Equatorial Guinea?

We know that Obiang and the oil companies
opened up an account in Riggs, and there the trail ends.
Obiang does not now appear to actually have more than one thin dime,
although he does have a lot of fancy Riggs paper claiming this and that.

[anarchy1999]

17. You speak Bush talk so well. Sweet and nice job.

"...an Ah kin spend it on mah friends..."

Georgie needs lots of help.

[Wat_Tyler]

13. BWAAHAAHAAHAA!

What a waste of DNA he truly is.

[anarchy1999]

14. "Sir Mark?" What the hey? Good f'ing riddance, scumball.

So sorry for you and your fam having to leave "Highland Park" Dallas.

Not at all. Glad to be rid of you!

[leesa]

18. Good. We have more than enough criminals here already.

[Darth_Kitten]

22. You don't want to be in the UK, Markie, give up....

the privilege of being referred to as "Sir" :eyes: :sarcasm:

(I don't know how that would even work, but what a hypocrite) :rant:

[Bossy Monkey]

23. And of course The Guardian...

Mark Thatcher refused visa by US

Audrey Gillan
Monday April 4, 2005
The Guardian

Sir Mark Thatcher has been refused a visa for the US after being given a four-year suspended sentence for his part in helping to bankroll an attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea.

The son of the former prime minister Lady Thatcher will have to cast aside plans to live with his family in America and look for somewhere else to stay. His wife Diane was born in Texas and his two children attend school there.

In January the South African-based businessman entered a plea bargain and escaped a jail term after he admitted "unwittingly" helping to bankroll an attempted takeover. He was fined £265,000 by a South African court.

Thatcher fled the country after his conviction for financing a helicopter gunship to be used in the coup. In his plea bargain, Thatcher admitted investing in the scheme, despite realising the helicopter "might" be used for mercenary activity. He and his friends have tried to present his role as peripheral.
(more)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1451545,00.html

What a pustule.

[oscarmitre]

24. He can come to Australia if he likes

we probably still take crooks I think.