CIA
LOOKING FOR MORE GOOD MEN AND WOMEN SPIES
The
largest recruiting drive in a decade (Austin American-Statesman
Nov. 28) is being launched under CIA Director George Tenet (CFR)
who says today's threat environment is "more diverse, complex
and dangerous." Congress has added $1.5 million to the budgets
of the U.S.'s 13 intelligence agencies. In the late 1980s the
CIA payroll was at least 22,000 employees but is down to maybe
16,000 today.
CASTRO SAYS HE IS "ABOVE
ARREST"
According to Martin Arostegui, writing in
Insight Magazine (Dec. 7), Castro was asked in Spain, while speaking
to an international conference of Latin American presidents, whether
he was afraid of an extradition order. He replied:
"I belong to a species which is above arrest."
PINOCHET
HELD NOT IMMUNE IN 3-2 LAW LORDS DECISION
A major of the five Law Lords decided Wednesday
(Reuters Nov. 25) that Augusto Pinochet has no immunity from prosecution
on charges of murder, torture and genocide. The ruling held that
the crimes alleged were international in nature that could never
be normal acts undertaken in the functions of a head of state. Former
sovereigns have narrower immunity than sitting rulers. British Home
Secretary Jack Shaw originally had until December 2nd to decide
whether or not to block Pinochet's extradition. A Chilean plane
was waiting near London as the Law Lords announced their decision.
David Bull, of Amnesty International, said
the verdict was "a message to all murdering regimes." Kenneth Roth,
Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, said: "This decision will
give future tyrants pause before they embark on a path of mass murder."
Alfred Rubin, a Tufts Professor of International Law, said that
Spain could ask the U.S. to extradite Henry Kissinger (BB/CFR/TC)
for involvement in Allende's overthrow as well as President Nixon
(if he were still alive).
Andreas Frank Lowenfeld (CFR), Professor
of International Law at New York University Law School, said (CNN
Nov 25) that: "I think it is clearly an unprecedented decision.
It puts the House of Lords...in the position of saying yes there
are universal crimes of genocide, torture, terrorism, disappearance
and so on...that cannot be granted any kind of immunity." He added:
"(T)he traditions of immunity don't apply when certain acts that
cannot be performed lawfully by a state or the head of state are
at issue. In that sense it is a novel ruling in a peacetime context."
The NY professor also said that the crimes
alleged were "made unlawful in these particular conventions." When
asked if former President Bush could be tried in some country, he
said: "Bush did send 20,000 troops to kidnap former President Noreiga
of Panama. And that one is more questionable."
British Barrister Geoffrey Robertson said
(CNN Nov. 25) that it was "a historic moment for human rights, a
great day for international law. The result of this ruling is that
the torturers of the 21st century can tremble in a way that those
of the last half century since Nuernberg have had no worries at
all."
Jack Shaw will need another week to decide
and will announce his decision on December 9.
Pinochet has been supported by Margaret
Thatcher who believes he should be allowed to return to Chile. A
deal may be made soon (AP Nov. 28) to allow Pinochet to return home
to stand trial.
Salvador Allende Gossens (1908-1973) was
elected as president in Chile in 1970. He nationalized the copper
industry and instituted various socialist programs. After strikes
in 1972 he declared martial law. After a failed coup attempt, the
second coup succeeded in 1973 and Allende was killed. General Augusto
Pinochet Ugarto became dictator of Chile. In the mid-1970s, the
role of the CIA and U.S. State Department in creating strikes, destabilizing
the government and ousting Allende was made public.
The European parliament in Strasburg voted
almost unanimously for
Pinochet's extradition.
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Vladimir Zhirinovsky attended an elite Italian
fashion house's opening and assured the crowd that wealthy Russians
will be unscathed by the current crisis. According to the AP (Nov.
24), he was asked who would have the money to afford the fur coats
of Fendi. He replied: "(Government) ministers and (parliament) deputies."
The Russian Center of the Standard of Living says:
79 million Russians, out of a population of 147 million, now live
in poverty.
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KISSINGER SAYS NO MORE
LAND TO PALESTINIANS
At a dinner organized by Ben Gurion University
in New York, Henry Kissinger (BB/CFR/TC) said (Israel Alert Nov.
30) that no more territory should be turned over until permanent
status talks begin due to security concerns.
all the above was found
at
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