Iceland to grant ex-chess champ Fischer citizenship (Has been dodging U.S. deportation since 1992)

ABC News (Australia) / Reuters ^ | March 18, 2005

[Hoplite]

The emancipation proclamation (1863) was an executive order, Destro.

So unless you're prepared to demonstrate that 1865 (13th Amendment) somehow came before 1863, you're demonstrably ignorant as to the subject matter at hand.

[Destro]

The emancipation proclamation freed slaves Lincoln had no jurisdiction over (they were in rebel land)- and the only way it could have the force of law after the war was over was under the 13th Amendment.

[Rembrandt_fan]

Lincoln did in fact have jurisdiction over 'rebel' land--the Confederacy was never recognized as a legitimate government by anyone other than the confederates (and some of my FReeper friends).

[TChris]

Apparently not, as the U.S. deportation order is still in effect.

Now this is one guy that GWB should pardon, IMO.

[Hoplite]

I'll just shake my head and walk away from this discussion at this point, Destro.

I will, however, keep it as a reference for future use.

[Destro]

Lincoln may habe had "jurisdiction" as far as the North was concerned but he did not have de facto authority in the South. The emancipation proclamation was a political document - it had no authority as law and once the war was over they had to pass the 13th Ammendment to make it so.

[dfwgator]

If they arrest Bobby Fisher, then they need to arrest every dimwitted celebrity who has gone to Cuba and praised Fidel Castro.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

AP is running late?

**********************************

Today: March 21, 2005 at 12:38:46 PST

Iceland Grants Citizenship for Chess Star

By VALUR GUNNARSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS

REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) - Iceland, the country where Bobby Fischer won the world chess championship a generation ago, granted citizenship to the 62-year-old recluse Monday - a boost to Fischer's efforts to fight deportation from Japan to the United States.

Fischer, who is wanted by the United States for violating economic sanctions against the former Yugoslavia by playing a highly publicized match there in 1992, has been in Japanese custody since July 13. He was detained while trying to board a flight with an invalid passport.

Immigration officials in Iceland said a passport for Fischer could be ready as early as Tuesday.

The legislation, which passed with 40 members of parliament voting in favor and two abstaining, took effect immediately. The 21 other members of the Althingi were absent.

In Washington, the State Department declined comment, citing laws governing rights to privacy in such situations. Fischer has the authority to waive his privacy rights but has not done do.

Fischer and his supporters have staged several high-profile attempts to fight the deportation order.

"I am very pleased with this and I think that the dignity of the parliament has increased," said Saemundur Palsson, a Fischer supporter, after the parliamentary vote.

There is widespread support for Fischer in Iceland, and the parliament's approval had been widely expected. The bill went through the required three readings in 12 minutes.

The Japanese government had no immediate official reaction. But Palsson has claimed Japan confirmed it would allow him to go to Iceland if citizenship was granted.

"I hope that he will stop cursing the Americans now, it has gotten him into so much trouble," Palsson told reporters.

Since being taken into custody, Fischer has repeatedly denounced the U.S. deportation order as politically motivated, demanded refugee status, renounced his U.S. citizenship and said he wants to become a German national.

He also has applied to marry Mikyoko Watai, head of the Japan Chess Association.

Iceland's parliament voted last month against granting Fischer citizenship, offering him a special foreigners' passport and residence permit instead. But Japanese officials declined to release him. Supporters were hoping the new offer of citizenship will resolve the standoff over his status.

Fischer became an icon in 1972 when he dethroned the Soviet Union's Boris Spassky in a series of games in Reykjavik to claim America's first world chess championship in more than a century. But a few years later he forfeited the title to another Soviet, Anatoly Karpov, when he refused to defend it. He then fell into obscurity before resurfacing to play an exhibition rematch against Spassky in the former Yugoslavia in 1992.

Fischer won the rematch on the resort island of Sveti Stefan. But the victory came with a high price - It was played in violation of U.S. sanctions imposed to punish then-President Slobodan Milosevic. If convicted, Fischer, who hasn't been to the United States since then, could face 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Fischer also has emerged from silence in radio broadcasts and on his Web page to express anti-Semitic views and rail against the United States.

A federal grand jury in Washington, meanwhile, is investigating possible money-laundering charges involving Fischer, Richard J. Vattuone, one of his lawyers said this month.

Fischer was reported to have received $3.5 million from the competition in the former Yugoslavia. He boasted at the time that he didn't intend to pay any income tax on the money.

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[nyg4168]

Just curious what the point of posting the pictures is. People age. It's even happened to me.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See above #48 for more info regarding what is going on with Fischer.

[Leifur]

Why have the US authorities not asked the Japanese to extradize him? There seems at least no hurry in bringing him to justice in the US.

Today he was given an Icelandic citizenship, I am not sure this the right move, but his plight has created some popular sentiment here that I am afraid the parlimentarians are afraid of going against. But as the government parties (centre right, part of the Coaltion of the willing) have agreed upon doing all those things, I honestly beliewe we have got through some back channels ,,permission" from the US authorities to do this, most likely to rid your government of this problem.

I did not think this to be vice, specially now as the discussions of the defense contract between the countries is on very sensitive stage, hopefully this will not destroy that for us. Actually I do trust that it will not, as the foreign minister, Davíð Oddsson, the leader of my party is in good connections with the US authorities, and has probably gotten green light from them to do this. It will also possibly boost our popularity here at home.

I am a little offended by the comparison of Iceland to a jail, it sounds way to similar to Vladimar Zirinowský when he said he would send all criminals to Iceland if he got to power in Russia, and shows a lot of ignorance about the country that makes me proud. Monthy pyton did not have it right, it is not specially cold here, although our summers are rather cool, our winters are rather tempered, there is just not so great fluctuations. (http://www.geocities.com/pythoninsanity/Season4Episode6.html) Actually wingsof liberty, your quate was not correct, they said 8 months, wich is far, far, far from true, and in fact it is not so dark in the height of winter, just not so many hours of sunlight, and their schetsc, although extremely funny, is far from accurate.

Stoat, are we down on stuff like individual liberty? Comparing to you guys, I doupt that to be completely true, we even have a party called the Independence party, that strives for the greatest independence of the individual, and it is the largest one in parliment. Our social security system f.e. is much more individualistic than yours, and we don´t have much problems with it. Bush´s proposals seem to be going in the direction of our system in many ways.

Of course things could be better, and yeah, there is way to much anti-americanism (like everywhere else in Europe, probably less than most though), in some fields we are much more capitalistic than even the US, so even though there is a lot of socialism in some areas, it is a lot less in others, and it is all going away, we are privatizing the last big companie soon f.e. There is nothing wrong with fish based economy, and in fact its share in the economy has decreased a lot under our good right winged (and pro-American) government, tourism and aluminium are around equilly big now, it is easy to get a permission for guns, and I am not sure that is a disatvantage, not beeing able to buy automatic assault rifle in the gas station (is that the height of individual freedom?), our so called rampant-alcaholism is at least a recognised fact, wich we have become good at tackling, if I remember correctly it is so shameful to have this disease in most of the US that people don´t dare to seek help and go to dehydration.

The extra shipping cost of E-bay is a downside, something we can agree on ;)

But back to Fischer, as an Icelander he does not have to stay here, he can move freely withouth a passport even around most of Europe, and as an Icelandic passport is a very respected one (criminals love to get one) he can travel around most of the world without trouble, except the US wishes to get hold of him. And then we are back to the original question, I heard some objections to this decision from the US, but why havent they (you) asked for him to be extradized to be put to jail?

His crimes in Yugoslavia (wich were also crimes against Iceland as we also had sanctions against them I beliewe) have (I am not sure how to say this in English) long since run out of existence, they are not valid any more according to Icelandic laws.

About the tax charges, I doupt that Icelandic governments are going to interfere with those, it is only natural that he pays his taxes, hopefully the charges will not make him so poor that he has to go on welfare, specially with his mental illness. Best wishes from Iceland,

Leifur

[Luddite Patent Counsel]

The Iceland/Jail thing was supposed to be in good fun. No offense intended.

When my wife worked in the neurology department at U of Chicago, one of the neurosurgeon superstars was some giant Icelander. A very cool and brave guy. That's my only real exposure to Icelanders, and he left a very good impression.

Hope you enjoy your new countryman!

[Stoat]

Just curious what the point of posting the pictures is.

There were at least a couple of reasons for my doing this, and I apologize that they weren't as obvious as I had thought them to be. 

1.  Most people who don't follow chess avidly remember Bobby Fischer from his ubiquitous magazine and newspaper photos from the matches in the 1970's, and may have been wondering what's become of him.

2.  He has, rightly or wrongly, been a fugitive from the law or quite some time and this sort of constant stress is never something that is healthy for a person.  His current appearance compared with his earlier appearance may be evidence of these stresses, in addition to any natural aging processes.

People age. It's even happened to me.

Not necessarily so....FReepers generally tend not to 'age', but merely to become better and wiser with time  :-)   Another proof that some people don't age is Tina Turner

Tina 'then'

 

Tina 'now'

[1Old Pro]

Bobby Fischer went to Yugoslavia to play chess, against the law, but not anything even close to Kerry meeting with the N. Vietnamese, and look where he is today.

Not to mention all the business doing businesses with Cuba and all the Americans who fly there from Canada against the embargo.

[freeemail767]

When Fischer went to Yugoslavia in 1992, the Yugoslavian leader, Slobodan Milosevic was an avowed ethnic cleanser hellbent on a genocidal extermination of Bosnians. He had just appropriated the entire military arsenal of Yugoslavia for this purpose. Similar to the governor of California seizing control of the US Military to exterminate Mexicans. The US was considering a war against Yugoslavia at this time and ultimately used military force against Yugoslavia twice, 1994 and 2000.

An American going to a highly visible exhibition match in Yugoslavia in 1992 is similar to an American deciding to forgo a boycott of the 1936 Nazi Olympics in Berlin. Imagine Tiger Woods saying that he is playing in the all-Taliban golf tournament in Afghanistan, or Michael Jordan showing up for the Iraqi Insurgency One-on-One tournament.(I am aware that there was no American boycott of the 1936 Olympics, nor highly visible golf / basketball tournaments in Afghanistan / Iraq.) Lending one's name and public image to support an enemy of this country is treason.

[billbears]

First post and you resurrect an old thread? Listen very carefully. I don't care. Fischer was acting as a sovereign individual. His actions with another sovereign individual in another nation, as long as it is not treason is his business. Your definition of the word shows you have no idea what the Framers had intended when it comes to that very specific word. Benedict Arnold? Treason. Playing chess with someone from another country? A chess game.

As for the police action in Yugoslavia, I will remind you what Adams said in 1821. Although 'conservatives' have forgotten the words, ignore the intent, and look to 'spread democracy', those of us that hold to the Constitution and the original ideal do not forget

She has abstained from interference in the concerns of others, even when conflict has been for principles to which she clings, as to the last vital drop that visits the heart. She has seen that probably for centuries to come, all the contests of that Aceldama the European world, will be contests of inveterate power, and emerging right. Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.

The internal affairs of other nations, whether they be based on human rights, religious concerns, etc. are none of our business. As a citizen of the state of North Carolina, which belongs to the union of states, could care less what Yugoslavians are doing or not doing to each other. As a Christian I do care, but I still would not advocate using the military forces of this nation of states to right a wrong halfway across the world

[freeemail767]

you said "Listen very carefully. I don't care. Fischer was acting as a sovereign individual."

Well that's sort of the point isn't it? Fischer decided not to care about his country and act as a sovereign individual.

you said " Benedict Arnold? Treason. Playing chess with someone from another country? A chess game."

-What if Andy Roddick decided to play tennis in the Iraqi Insurgency Open? Lending credibility to an enemy government is detrimental to US foreign policy. If you disagree with US foreign policy there are all sorts of legal ways to make your views known. It doesn't sound like Fischer played in Yugoslavia as an act of protest. It's more like what you said. He just chose not to care about his country and put his own wishes first. Not very classy in my book...

I'm not sure what your quote of John Quincy Adams and his isolationist thoughts have to do with treason...

[billbears]

-What if Andy Roddick decided to play tennis in the Iraqi Insurgency Open? Lending credibility to an enemy government is detrimental to US foreign policy. If you disagree with US foreign policy there are all sorts of legal ways to make your views known. It doesn't sound like Fischer played in Yugoslavia as an act of protest. It's more like what you said. He just chose not to care about his country and put his own wishes first. Not very classy in my book...

Back again? Treason has a very specific definition and the Framers had a very high standard for an act to be deemed treason. Bobby Fischer playing chess is not treason.