Posted on 12/10/2006 3:25:58 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
Former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher is "greatly saddened" by the death of Augusto Pinochet, said a spokesman.
Chile's former military leader, who has died aged 91 in hospital, backed the UK during the Falklands conflict.
Baroness Thatcher also pressed for his release after his arrest in London in 1998 over alleged human rights abuses.
Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett used the death to pay tribute to Chile's "remarkable progress" since Gen Pinochet left office.
Mrs Beckett said Chile had become "an open, stable and prosperous democracy" since 1990.
A spokesman for Baroness Thatcher said the former PM would not be issuing a formal statement but would be sending "deepest condolences" to Gen Pinochet's widow and family.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
He was a butcher, but he also led Chile to democracy.
Don't no much about Auggie, but if he was anything like Gen. Papadopoulos, then I'm sorry to hear about his passing.
Though far from sainthood, he did stop the commies from taking over Chile which most likely would have been far more brutal than he was.
The left will vilify this man while heaping praise on a thug like Castro who systemically murdered thousands on his little island paradise.
Opponents of former Gen. Augusto Pinochet, one toasting with a glass of wine another one holding a portrait of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, celebrate after hearing the news of Pinochet's death in Santiago, Chile Sunday Dec. 10, 2006. Pinochet, who ruled Chile after a military coup from 1973 to 1990, died Sunday from heart complications. He was 91. (AP Photo/ Gonzalo Salinas)
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words
I thought he was good in "Perfect Strangers."
He killed a lot of Commies and that was a good thing.
Ain't that the truth.
Pinochet was no angel. But to toast his death with a picture of Che Guevera... only shows the worse evil that Pinochet fought. Che was responsible for far more death and suffering than any dictator like Pinochet could have dreamed.
These commie kids just don't get it.
Thatcher, Reagan, Pinochet, Franco... some better than others, but all were heros who saved civilization from the communists.
"at least with a dictator, when he's replaced or he dies, you can hope the next one will be better or even lead to democracy... but with socialism / communism you are stuck with it forever!!!
Let me add Pope JPII to that list as well.
*BUMP*
Buh^ump!
You'd better put on your asbestos suit though.
Thank you General Pinochet.
Pinochet did some evil things.
But he has also heralded in the new world economic order (on the advice of Milton Friedman and the Chicago School of Economics.)
Low inflation, moderate sized government, free enterprise above all eventually resulted in an economic miracle in Chile and in the UK and in the US and China and every other country that has tried it since.
You owe your low mortgage rate in part to Pinochet.
Lefties said the same things about the Shah of Iran. Life has been so much better under the mullahs - not!
Many thanks to Maggie Thatcher for having the moral courage to acknowledge this man's contributions to the free world.
Even now, few political figures will so openly defy the global media culture and its leftist clients.
Yeah. Lady Thatcher is a real friend of the butchers of the World.
ML/NJ
Pinochet was hounded by the left until his death.
The BBC reported in the last week that his medical condition was doubted by those who wanted to prosecute him.
He cleaned out the Allende government and its supporters after the 1973 coup. Allende was the Chavez of Chile in the early 70's with Fidel visiting etc.
The awful stories were heard almost from the beginnning through communist propaganda outlets like Radio Havana that I listened to as a teenager. They accused Allende and his soldiers of everything that Bush is supposed to have done to terrorists and their supporters today, maybe even worse.
I really don't know all the truth, but I'm glad Allende came along because the left was put back many years in that country because of him.
The left (Communists) don't stop. Every day is another day in their political struggle and while we try to live normal lives they live totally political lives and lies. People like Pinochet have been under contast harrassment and attack by them.
Don't believe anything the MSM says because its recycled Radio Havana trash. Pinochet was a military dictator who drove Communism out of Chile and Chile is the better for it.
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