US revisits Pinochet 'secrets'

[T_i_B]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3683079.stm

Nearly 30 years ago, US spies decided Chilean President Augusto Pinochet was a charming, attractive and devoted husband who liked to drink pisco sours. Five years ago, the Clinton White House thought the biography mundane enough to be made public in its entirety.

But now the verdict on the man accused of human rights abuses is back among 14 million secrets classified last year, according to an independent watchdog.

Earlier this year, the US government's Information Security Oversight Office reported to the White House that 14,228,020 items had been classified during 2003, up from 11 million the previous year and eight million in 2001.

Among the deleted words are the DIA's assertion that the then Chilean president who took power in a military coup aided by the Americans was "charming, attractive socially at ease". What the US government would apparently not want the public to know any more is that it once thought Gen Pinochet "enjoys discussing world military problems and would respond to a frank, man-to-man approach".

[maddezmom]

1. "14,228,020 items had been classified during 2003, up from 11 million

the previous year"

Betcha it'll 2004 will top them all....20 million, perhaps?