# Spanish judge seeks Kissinger **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 19, 2002, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461 "2002-04-19T03:33:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/1 "2002-04-19T03:33:48Z")
> [@](#): > > [http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/04/18/spain.kissinger/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/04/18/spain.kissinger/index.html) > > Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger could be called as a witness to an investigation into alleged human rights crimes committed by former South American military dictatorships. > > According to a copy of a court order obtained by CNN, Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon issued an order on Wednesday. The order asks British authorities to permit the questioning of Kissinger in London, where he is due to attend a conference on April 24. > > Garzon is believed to want to question Kissinger over his alleged involvement in “Operation Condor,” a scheme by former military dictatorships in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay to persecute and eliminate their opponents during the 1970s and 1980s. And you thought the Pinochet case was interesting… I can’t wait to see how this turns out. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/2 "2002-04-19T03:51:56Z")
[This](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1859846319/qid=1019188276/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_19_1/103-9743133-0377413) is an interesting book which, among other things, covers this in detail. Haj ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/3 "2002-04-19T14:13:37Z")
Before anyone gets too excited (on either side), Kissinger is being called as a witness in an investigation of crimes allegedly committed by other people. He ain’t the target himself, at least not at this time. So, IMO, this doesn’t reach Pinochet status. Sua ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/4 "2002-04-19T14:56:09Z")
I just wonder what the US would do if a (retired or active) US government official was subpoeaned in another country. I guess Kissinger could be declared in contempt if he refuses to cooperate? At any rate, I know little about the man and less about his political past so I have no opinion but the book mentioned by hajario seems to contain some strong views. I have read some articles by Kissinger and he seems pretty intelligent to me (although I do not understand how he has managed to keep that accent for so long). He told a funny anecdote at a late night show (maybe Letterman). He was at a party and a lady came up to him and said: "Dr Kissinger, I have heard you are a fascinating man. . . fascinate me! " I found him to be intelligent, articulate (in spite of the funny accent) and funny. OTOH, I have no idea what he was up to some years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Mersavets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@Mersavets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mersavets)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/5 "2002-04-20T02:13:55Z")
I’ve always thought he was one of the most evil men to come out of Europe in the Twentieth Century. And to think that even to this day, western mothers are calling their babies “Henry”. Disgusting.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/6 "2002-04-20T02:55:27Z")
BTW, where IS Kissenger from? ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Spider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Barking\_Spider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Spider)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/7 "2002-04-20T03:07:15Z")
I believe he’s from Germany. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/8 "2002-04-20T19:03:03Z")
I hope Henry FRIES!!! ---
**Author:** ![Efrem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@Efrem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Efrem)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/9 "2002-04-21T01:55:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mersavets \* > **I’ve always thought he was one of the most evil men to come out of Europe in the Twentieth Century.** Good lord, please forgive my ignorance but what could have the man possibly have done to desreve that title. ---
**Author:** ![Efrem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@Efrem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Efrem)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/10 "2002-04-21T02:29:13Z")
After a brief check on the Internet, I am now upto date on the little worm’s rap sheet. ---
**Author:** ![Mersavets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@Mersavets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mersavets)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/11 "2002-04-21T02:49:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by efrem \* > \*\*After a brief check on the Internet, I am now upto date on the little worm’s rap sheet. \*\* Damn! I was so looking forward to coming back tonight to fill you in. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/12 "2002-04-21T03:01:20Z")
Ahh Kissinger, I hope he dies from some nasty disease. I don’t think he will ever face a court of justice you know the syaing “all humans are equall but there are some that are more equall than others”. He is one of those if some judge ever “pinochetizes him” U.S.A would nuke his garden ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/13 "2002-04-22T11:49:42Z")
My point is that the man was a government official at the time and whatever he did were acts of the US government. How is it possible for another country to judge this and what would the US government do if they tried? ---
**Author:** ![Mersavets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@Mersavets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mersavets)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/14 "2002-04-22T12:57:32Z")
Milosevic and Mullah Omar were officials of their respective governments too and yet the State department still chased them relentlessly, and with good reason. However, the same State department has foiled every attempt made by others to even question Kissinger. A permanent International Warcrimes Tribunal would definitely have grounds for a trial but the US government, along with China and Russia, is violently opposed to such a body. We’d see how violently if an IWC used the same methods to get Kissinger as the US used to get the other two. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/15 "2002-04-22T13:07:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mersavets \* > \*\*We’d see how violently if an IWC used the same methods to get Kissinger as the US used to get the other two. \*\* From a link and quote from the OP in [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=109083) thread > [@](#): > > Republican Congressmen have introduced a smattering of retaliatory legislation, ranging from forbidding any U.S. contact with the court and punishing those ratifying the treaty to using force to free any American brought to The Hague. Now wouldn’t that make the world VERY INTERESTING :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/16 "2002-04-22T14:11:47Z")
But he’s got nicer legs than Hitler, and bigger tits than Cher. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/17 "2002-04-23T01:57:46Z")
Well, it seems the UK has denied the request so it moot for now but I guess some day, sooner or later, the issue will come up again and I wonder how the US would react to seeing one of its officials brought to trial in another country. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-judge-seeks-kissinger/104461/18 "2002-04-23T08:17:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*I wonder how the US would react to seeing one of its officials brought to trial in another country. \*\* Well if they’re taking any cues from Kissinger, I’d imagine they’d start with high-altitude bombardment of the Netherlands and the surrounding areas, taking out key military and communications installations, carpet bombing Belgium and Luxembourg on the sly (‘just in case’), before bringing in 200,000 ‘military advisers’ to remain in the Netherlands propping up an anti-EU puppet regime, being picked off by plucky Dutch guerillas in firefights among the tulips and windmills for the next seven years while enjoying the local narcotic fare and sex shows, before a disastrous and embarrassing withdrawal and airlift out of Maastricht.