Chile investigates Pinochet and arms deals

[Judi Lynn]

Chile investigates Pinochet and arms deals
SANTIAGO, Chile, Oct. 7 (UPI)

-- El Mercurio reported that investigations into illegal Chilean weapons sales to Croatia in the early 1990s are continuing. Chilean investigators are making new discoveries in Riggs Bank records about decades of arms purchases, bribes, murder and the origin of former dictator Augusto Pinochet's hidden riches. Judge Claudio Pavez has uncovered new evidence conclusively linking the death in 1992 of Colonel Gerardo Huber of Pinochet's Direcci?n Nacional de Inteligencia (DINA) intelligence service to the Riggs Bank case. Two months after United Nations officials in Hungary seized a Chilean shipment of weapons bound for Croatia, then under a UN arms embargo for its part in the Balkan wars Huber disappeared on January 29, 1992. As the Chief of Acquisitions for Chile's army at the time, Huber was expected to appear in court to testify about his role in the illegal arms transaction. Shortly before his disappearance Huber implicated army logistics director General Carlos Krumm as participating in the weapons sale. Huber's corpse was found in the Maipo River three weeks later. Military investigators ruled Huber's death a suicide by after police autopsies claimed he died of injuries sustained by jumping off a bridge. New autopsies performed on Huber's remains in 1995 found that Huber was shot in the head with a high-powered rifle and had his fingerprints burned off with acid.
(snip/...)

http://about.upi.com/products/perspectives/UPI-20051007-103302-6005R

[happydreams]

1. Was the Riggs bank run by Bush's brother?

that's what I heard.

[Judi Lynn]

2. A Bush uncle is involved: "Web Site Cites Bush-Riggs Link"

Web Site Cites Bush-Riggs Link

By Kathleen Day
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, May 15, 2004; Page E02


A political Web site written by a Democratic operative drew attention yesterday to the fact that President Bush's uncle, Jonathan J. Bush, is a top executive at Riggs Bank, which this week agreed to pay a record $25 million in civil fines for violations of law intended to thwart money laundering.

Jonathan Bush, who is a major fundraiser for his nephew, was appointed in 2000 to run Riggs Investment Management Co. His association with Riggs began when he headed J. Bush & Co., a New Haven, Conn., company he created in 1970 and built to offer advice on money management.

Riggs bought J. Bush & Co. in 1997 to help create a one-stop financial outlet offering a range of services, from insurance to securities trading and investment advice. News reports at the time said investment bankers estimated the purchase price, which was not disclosed, as $5.5 million.

The headline posted yesterday on the Web site, www.davidsirota.com, reads, "Bush's Uncle Is Executive At Bank Fined for Laundering Saudi Money."
(snip/...)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28396-2004May14.html
(Free registration required)

[happydreams]

9. think you

At least I got the family right.

[Say_What]

3. PLOT THICKENS IN CHILE’S WEAPONS TRAFFICKING CASES

The UPI link goes to a Not Found page. Here's another similar from the Santiago Times.

Note that the investigator is questioning all five of Pinochet's children for involvement. Youngest son Marcos is already in the slammer for embezzlement and Pinochet's wife is charged along with her POS husband. May that old POS suffer for the misery he brought to so many thousands of people. Chickens comin' home to roost. Yeehaw!!


<clips>

Judge Links Col. Huber’s Death To Pinochet’s Arms Laundering

(Oct. 6, 2005) Investigations into illegal weapons sales to Croatia in the early 1990s and the mysterious death of Col. Gerardo Huber advanced rapidly this week, as new discoveries from the Riggs Bank case shed light on the motives behind decades of arms purchases, bribes, murders and – perhaps – the origin of former dictator Augusto Pinochet’s secret wealth.

New evidence discovered by Judge Claudio Pavez has conclusively linked Huber’s 1992 death to the Riggs Bank case, an inquiry into former Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s private fortune, which is hidden in numerous offshore bank accounts. Pavez, lead investigator for the court reviewing the Huber case, asked for the appointment of a civilian judge to his military panel of investigators on Sept 27.

Col. Huber disappeared on Jan. 29, 1992, two months after United Nations (UN) officials in Hungary seized a Chilean shipment of weapons bound for the Balkan state of Croatia. The country was then under a UN arms embargo for its part in the Balkan War and the weapons shipment was illegal.

As the Chief of Acquisitions for Chile’s army at the time, Huber was expected to appear in court to testify about his role in the illegal arms deal. Shortly before he disappeared he implicated Gen. Carlos Krumm, director of logistics for the army, as a participant in the weapons sale. Huber’s body was found floating in the Maipo River three weeks later.

http://www.tcgnews.com/santiagotimes/index.php?nav=story&story_id=10073&topic_id=1

[Judi Lynn]

4. Cool! All five. Very decent. What a bunch of slimes.

Thanks for locating a working link. The other one was VERY SHORT, anyway.

I'm going to read this article more slowly later tonight, as it looks like a very good one.

Pinochet & Riggs illustration's really great.

[happydreams]

10. Henry Kissinger has a lawsuit against him

by someone in Chili who was killed by Pinochet.

[Say_What]

11. Charles Horman--US citizen executed by the Junta in National Stadium and

also for the murder of Chilean General Rene Schneider who wouldn't cave to US demands for coup to overthrow Allende.

Welcome to DU, happydreams :hi:

<clips>

...In July 2001, the highest court of Chile granted investigating judge Juan Guzman the right to question Kissinger about the 1973 killing of the American journalist Charles Horman, whose execution by forces loyal to General Augusto Pinochet was dramatized in the 1982 Costa-Gavras film, Missing. The judge’s questions were relayed to Kissinger via diplomatic routes but went unanswered. Representative Cynthia McKinney later wrote to Secretary of State Colin Powell, asking for help in persuading Kissinger to take the stand. The Chilean courts later announced that if they continued to meet with no response to their requests for co-operation, they would seek Kissinger's extradition. Sergio Corvalan, a lawyer involved in the case, said: "Kissinger has never answered to justice and he had an important role in the coup in Chile and an influence in the Chilean military government." <5>

In August 2001, Argentine Judge Rodolfo Canicoba sent a letter rogatory to the US State Department, in accordance with the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), requesting a deposition by Kissinger to aid the judge's investigation of Operation Condor. <6>

On 10 September 2001, a civil suit was filed in a Washington, D.C., federal court by the family of Gen. René Schneider, former Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army, accusing Kissinger of arranging his 1970 murder for opposing a military coup. The suit asserts that Kissinger gave the order for the elimination of Schneider because he refused to endorse plans for a military coup. The prosecution case is based solely on U.S. government declassified documents. Schneider’s two sons are suing Kissinger and CIA director Richard Helms for $3 million. <7> <8> <9>

On 11 September 2001, the 28th anniversary of the Pinochet coup, Chilean human rights lawyers filed a criminal case against Kissinger along with Augusto Pinochet, former Bolivian dictator Hugo Banzer, former Argentine dictator Jorge Rafael Videla, former Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner, and several other US, Chilean, and Argentine officials for their role in Operation Condor. The case was brought on behalf of some fifteen victims of Operation Condor, ten of whom were Chilean. Several international organizations also joined the suit as plaintiffs, including the US National Lawyer’s Guild, the American Association of Jurists, and the Guatemalan Rigoberta Menchu Foundation. Kissinger and the others were charged with being intellectual or material authors or accomplices to crimes against humanity, war crimes, violations of international treaties, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, and torture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Kissinger#Legal_problems

[struggle4progress]

5. And ... Judge seeks lifting of Pinochet’s legal immunity

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) – A judge on Friday asked a court to lift Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s immunity from prosecution so the former dictator can be tried on new human rights charges.

The request was filed by Judge Alejandro Solis, who is investigating the disappearance of 26 dissidents and the torture of 23 others at a secret detention center during Pinochet’s 1973-90 rule. <snip>

The alleged abuses occurred at Villa Grimaldi, a secret detention center used by Pinochet’s regime that has since been turned into a park.

The new case adds to Pinochet’s legal woes. He has lost his immunity in another case – Chilean law requires immunity be stripped in each individual case – known as Operation Colombo, which involves the killing of 119 dissidents whose bodies were found in Argentina. <snip>

http://www.thedailyjournalonline.com/article.asp?ArticleId=199655&CategoryId=12394

[Say_What]

6. Villa Grimaldi and Senator Tom Harkin

Harkin met with Orlando Letelier in 1976 about Villa Grimaldi. On his trip to Chile, Harkin actually managed to get through the gates of Villa Grimaldi before being turned back by DINA guards. On returning to Washington he proposed a resolution to cease US aid to Chile and was instrumental in opening the issue of torture in Chile to international oversight. Weeks later Letelier was assassinated in Washington by Chilean and Cuban terrorists working for DINA--another victim of Operation Condor.

Regarding Pinochet, every few weeks they seem to remove more immunity. One can only hope the old POS lives long enough to end up behind bars.

[struggle4progress]

7. Thanks. I didn't know that about Harkin. eom

[Say_What]

8. Me either. I recently read it in "Assassination on Embassy Row",

which really details Operation Condor on US soil, how Old Bush covered up for the Chilean government, and how the Cubans were involved. It's a well written book filled with lots of details.