<% ballot="221917" ' Check nothing is broken broken = 0 if ballot = "" then broken = 1 end if set vt = Server.Createobject("mps.Vote") openresult = vt.Open("Vote", "sa", "") ' Created object? if IsObject(vt) = TRUE then ' Opened db? if openresult = True AND broken = 0 then ballotresult = vt.SetBallotName(ballot) ' read the vote votetotal=(vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "yes")+vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "no")) if votetotal <> 0 then ' there are votes in the database numberyes = vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "yes") numberno = vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "no") percentyes = Int((numberyes/votetotal)*100) percentno = 100 - percentyes ' fix graph so funny graph heights dont appear 'if percentyes = 0 then ' percentyes = 1 'end if 'if percentno = 0 then ' percentno = 1 'end if else ' summut went wrong frig it numberyes = 0 numberno = 0 percentyes = 50 percentno = 50 end if end if end if %> Votes so far:

100% 0%			>		>
			Yes: <% =percentyes %>%		No: <% =percentno %>%

The response to the Talking Point on whether Pinochet should be extradited has been overwhelming. BBC News Online has received hundreds of e-mails in the space of a few hours.

Read on to see comments from people who do not think Pinochet should be extradited. Click here for the reaction of those who support the decision from the House of Lords.

Pinochet should be freed at once! His kidnapping at the hands of colonialistic Spain and Great Britain is sickening. Neither nation has any right to judge the man who freed Chile from the tyranny of communism. The British have betrayed one of his best allies in the world. The sadistic and cruel decision made on Mr. Pinochet's 83rd birthday goes beyond all humanity. I am supporting a boycott of all English goods and will continue to press my government for a cease of diplomatic relations with England. WE WANT PINOCHET BACK! He is one of ours and it is up to us what we do with him. If leftist Spain wants to set an example let them start judging their own! It is a disgrace that a country like England can be manipulated by the orchestrations of the international communism. This has to stop right here. Mr. Straw please be wise. Let Pinochet GO!
Paula Ruidiaz, Chile

Pinochet should be extradited, but to Chile. I condemn Pinochet absolutely for his atrocities he has committed, but to allow one country to unilaterally to decide to prosecute Pinochet is one step towards chaos. If Pinochet is to be prosecuted it should be by Chile or the International Community acting collectively.
Alan Paul, UK

Why should we help the Spanish? Do they extradite our criminals to face justice in the UK? NO. Pinochet helped us in the Falklands and this is how we repay him. What if there was another Falklands crisis in the next few years, I doubt we will get the same support we got 16 years ago.
J. Hildred, England

It is highly unfortunate that Spain and other countries seek to interfere in Chilean's internal affairs. If as has been claimed that Pinochet is guilty of crimes against humanity, then NO country can try him in its own courts. This is a case for an international court and forum. The three Law Lords who voted in favour of extradition have conveniently forgotten past precedents. Pinochet must be released immediately in order to restore sanity and faith in International Law.
Brandon, Malaysia

When Spain prosecutes all those responsible for the killings under Franco's regime in their own country, they can go ahead prosecuting Pinochet. It's incredible that they will not punish their own political murderers but now Spain clothes itself with the robe of justice to prosecute foreigners. Why were no charges filed against Pinochet in an International tribunal nor one convened to deal with his crimes before but only on the basis of his killing white Europeans can he now be brought to justice? Have the lives of Chileans not been worth the same attempt at justice for the last three decades? Spain and all those jumping on the bandwagon should be ashamed.
M. Navarro, Canada

I am a Pinochet supporter. There was a war between comunism and capitalism in Chile, yes, a bloody, dirty war and Pinochet is definitely a winner, why judge him? This is the same as to judge a US president for victims of a war in Vietnam !!!
Milan Harmacek, Czech Republic

Regardless of whether Pinochet is guilty or not, one cannot help wondering at the naievety of the British Govt in not doing everything possible to maintain at least one friend in the South Atlantic. New Labour act, as predicted, by many with the immature mentality of young students. Hopefully one day they too will walk into the real world!!
M Graham, New Zealand

It is a height of hypocrisy to try Gen. Pinochet for ruling his country at the time of chaos. If Yeltsin were found to have been responsible for people dying in USSR's concentration camps, he would still get praise and respect from the West because he controls nuclear weapons and a billion-dollar economy. If the US intelligence agency negligently bombs a wrong target, they are still the heroes of Democracy. But if Pinochet takes some drastic measures to make his country better for millions of the non-communist population, he is an international criminal.
Max Moroz, USA

He should not be extradicted because no country other than Chile has the right to put him on trial. The offences were committed in Chile and hence, he is only answerable to Chilean Law. He is NOT answerable to any other country's court, even though their citizens were harmed in anyway by him. It is out of their jurisdiction. The only other body that can put him on trial will be an International Court provided that 1)he is tried by a panel of judges from various countries, and 2)The jurisdiction of the court encompass all signitories. Even if Hitler was caught by Britain, he should not be deported to Israel to stand trial for his crime because he DID NOT commit them in Israel. Poland and other countries where concentration camps were built can demand his extradiction. Lastly, with so much emotion being poured out it is unclear whether he will stand a fair trial in Spain or any other country.
Cinly Ooi, Malaysia

First of all, Britain recognised Pinochet as a diplomat when they invited him there. Now they say he is not. Tricky? mmm.. Second, Spain has no instrument to play. Their government did not care about their communist leaders when they were assumed dead in Chile, I wonder who is behind this great concern today. And finally, don't forget those "poor and inocent victims " of the Pinochet regimen got in trouble because they looked for trouble (this doesn't mean I don't feel sorry for those who lost their loved ones). The crowd of people you see cheering for the arrest of Pinochet are not the easiest kind of people to talk to, and neither were those rebels and rioters who took force in their own hands and later claimed abuse of force. Pinochet did put order in a Country in chaos. Thanks to him we can proudly say Chile did not become a communist state. Pinochet gave democracy to Chile.
Daisy Lam, Hong Kong

This is an international outrage. What business is it of Spain to ask the UK to detain a Chilean ex-president. This is a first in the recorded history of the world in politics.
Jeff Lehmann, USA

This apparently unpleasant man who has visited the UK for health reasons in the past I understand, undergoing no trouble because of the immunity he enjoyed in the past, should be allowed to go home.
Robert Duckworth, Australia

No: this opens up a Pandora 's Box & is detrimental to international relations.
Kevin Potts, USA

If someone wants to judge him, he must do it in Chile! This man saved this country and now they want to kill him...
Fernando Monsalve, Chile

This whole affair has been political from start to finish and the reality of the Chilean situation has not been appreciated either by the UK media or by this Labour Government. We are not entitled to judge another country's judicial system and the lack of unanimity in the House of Lords only underlines the fact that this issue is still a hot potato. Pinochet should be tried in Chile if at all. He will not receive a fair trial in Europe, that is patently obvious, and especially not at the hands of Judge Garzon. Jack Straw should respect the request of the Chilean President and let the Chileans deal with the matter in their own way.
Paddy Thompson, UK

I'm a Chilean Engineer, working in Brazil. As a Chilean citizen, we feel angry for the situation about our former president. My family was opposed to Pinochet's govermment, but we recognize it was a complete neccesary one. Our country was assault by a foreign regiment, comunism, declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The military strike was a must. The point is if somebody wants to understand our situation, they must refer to the period before the military strike.
Renato Becker, Brazil

He should be released. The crimes were committed in Chile. If they decide that it isn't in their nation's interest to try him, then who are we to interfere? Until there is a recognised international court to deal with international crimes we shouldn't play the policeman. Otherwise what is to prevent Mrs Thatcher from being extridited to Argentina for, say, the sinking othe the Belgrano, which might be regarded as a war crime? Or George Bush to Libya for the bombing of Tripoli?
Alan Lodge, UK

Pinochet should be set free. I like all Chileans regret the deaths of all those people during his Government. But I also have to say that most of those people were not Saints either!!!! I lived in Chile during Pinochet's government and if it wasn't for him Chile would probably be another Cuba. Who knows, maybe Communism would have expanded throughout South America and it would be like another Russia. The last thing i have to say is that all this leftist communist that are against Pinochet and Capitalism, they are all hyppocrites . They all live from the capitalist system. Why don't they go to live in Cuba? if they like Castro and the Communist ways, why don't they live there?.. Pinochet saved Chile and was also an ally to England during the Falklands War.
Rod, USA

Let us, the Chilean people deal with our own problems. We don't need anybody to be involved in this matter. This situation has caused more problems to our country, right now when the UK is thinking they are doing us a favor our country is suffering with the repercussions. Do they care whats happening in Chile? No one here should be making comments other than the Chilean people who lived there when Pinochet was in the Government, because we are the only ones who know what really happened and the fact is that he saved us from the communists and if Chile is improving now is because of Him. Let Pinochet go back to Chile - thats where he belongs.
Claudia Boyd, Canada

Great Britain should respect the diplomatic immunity it granted to general Pinochet when he entered the country with a diplomatic passeport. It is a shame that a man who opposed Communism in his country, a national disaster ( just see Cuba, Cambodia, Albania, Romania...and the list can continue) is accused and nobody cares about the former communist leaders who were/are resposible for, by far, worse things against humanity. If anybody wants to judge Pinochet, he/she should try to imagine and compare Chile of today with what would have been under a Communist regime. I had to leave 40 years under Communism, in Romania and believe me, I would have preferred by far the regime of Pinochet or Franco, instead of that of Gheorghiu-Dej or Ceausescu. Those who attempted to import/export Communism, such as Aliende or Che Guevara, should be tried as criminals, even postmortem.
V Nistor, Belgium

Shame for British justice. If the UK will treat its old allies like this, it may end up alone. All of this is nothing but the result of 25 years of socialist propaganda against the ONLY man capable of defeating communism. Anybody that really knows about recent Chilean history, knows that Pinochet was a real hero, and heroes also make mistakes. Why hasn't Spain requested the extradition of Castro? To an obvious question an obvious answer. Socialists rule the world today, including Mr Blair and some of his ministers. Mr Straw: we Chileans must solve our problems. We don't need your help, let alone the help from Spain.
Elias de la Cruz, Chile

This is a very dangerous judgement with potentially enormous ramifications. What now if Her Majesty the Queen were to visit a foreign country and find herself in danger of extradition. This would be totally unacceptable and furthermore I recall a case when an IRA terrorist was spared extradition because she was "unwell". Despite being allegedly involved in bombing British Army barracks, she was saved from justice because she managed to persuade the Home Secretary that she was unwell. General Pinochet has been an ally of the UK and did save British lives in the Falklands - is this how we repay him? Britain should concentrate on prosecuting our real enemies instead of our allies.
Joseph Carruthers, UK

Judge Garzon accuses Pinochet of genocide, terrorism and torture. On the other hand Fidel Castro is accused by another Spanish Judge of the same thing. But he holds immunity. Which is Pinochet's sin? To be a Chilean, to have defeated a socialist goverment and worse of all: He is not a SOCIALIST, like Fidel or others.
Catalina de la Plaza, Chile

Pinochet is a real soldier and a Chilean with a big heart. Probably nobody who has been never in Chile as we are would ever understand our history. Hundreds of bad Chileans, well paid by the socialists and communists, had created a totally distorted vision of our country. But, at least, we know that thousands of people, probably without political power, support Gen. Pinochet and his big work.
Maria Paz, Chile

In a perfect world I would disagree with Pinochet's deeds! But looking back into history, more people have died, suffered and lost under communist rule than under Pinochet. Let's not forget that more people died during the Russian "goulag" than during the entire second World War including victims of the Holocaust. Thanks to Pinochet, Chile has the highest GDP/capita in Latin American and is a free and democratic country. As we say over here "There is no happiness without grief", and unfortunately England, Spain, France, Switzerland and others do not seem to remember history but only look at events without their consequences.
Carlos Varela, Argentina

General Pinochet must be set free. Quite apart from the argument that he saved a country from socialist lawlessness, his own country has decided to pardon him. Why a foreign government now judge him is beyond me. He is sometimes compared to Hitler or Mussolini (by people who obviously can't differentiate between Che Guevara and Jesus Christ), but a military coup de etat shouldn't be confused for genocide. THAT trivializes crimes against humanity.
Miguel Guzmán-Betancourt, México

I faced Pinochet's police in the streets of Santiago and my brother bled at their hands. In spite of the incredible economic success and ensuing democracy Pinochet gave us I prey we Chileans, NOT OTHERS, judge and punish Pinochet.
Humberto E. Soriano, M.D., Chile/U.S.A.

The sovereignty of Chile and all of the Latin American countries is affected by high-handed European Court decision. The human rights issues were settled in Chile and other countries and should not be brought up to the surface again. Chile will suffer tremendously from the Court decision. Old hates will come back. The left is still bitter of their having being ousted from power by Pinochet. The right remembers the disaster brought upon Chile by Allende. It was best to leave it where it was before the single deciding vote in London brought this sorry situation. Mourning the dead and forgiving is better than hating.
Alex Grobman, Peru

The extradition process is putting tremendous strains on the resources of Chile and on the interrelationships between people. The transition to democracy process was in good shape until the interference of Britain and Spain in Chile's internal affairs. We have recessed years now in this process. Once again there is open hatred in the streets. Is the prosecution of an 83 year old man worth this pain? What gives England and Spain the right to make this decision?
Jorge Barros, Chile

Of course General Pinochet should be back home immediately. Spain has NOTHING to do with this problem. Moreover, don't forget that General Pinochet was formally invited by British authorities. He entered U.K. with a diplomatic passport. There is an old saying in our country .."Dirty clothes to be cleaned at home"... Go ahead Mr. Straw, please release General Pinochet. This is the only way you can effectively help our country to live in peace.
Fernando Aldunate, Chile

First, He is too old to face Justice. Secondly, the effects of his extradition will be adverse for the future of democracy in Chile and the relationship between Chile and Britain. Although his extradition will also be a lesson for leaders dictators who abuse human rights.
Romano Dada Rokani, Guatemala

Pinochet restored economic stability and constitutional democracy to Chile and then stepped down. His government had no alternative to using force against violent terrorists. Pinochet is not personally responsible for deaths resulting from civil war. His detention in the UK shows the breakdown of law under a Labour government. It is far more criminal to destroy law than to kill terrorists.
PC Roberts, USA

I am a "Brit" who has spent many years in Central and South America. Coups happen in Latin America and most times there is bloodshed. Pinochet was par for the course! What will happen if the Queen visits Argentina? All those dead Argentineans in the Falklands war. Law Lords findings was a farce. House of Lords should be disbanded. It's an antique that serves no purpose.
Tim Curtis, USA

I think that he should be tried in his own country. IF HE TRULY IS GUILTY he will have to answer his accusers.
Emily Sannuti, USA

He was an ally of Great Britain. Helped Chile to become a democratic country. Was fighting evil with evil. Briton should not turn on her friends This is all political. Let him be. Nothing can be gained. Spain was never a saint. They should be charged.
Victor Kemp, Canada

It is a violation of the law of hospitality to treat a guest like this. If Pinochet was so evil why was he allowed in to Britain. It reminds me of the way the Campbell's treated the Macdonalds or Macbeth. A law applies to everyone whether you like them or not and the law of hospitality is one of the most ancient. So ancient that it didn't need to be written down. But of course, we have a modernising government.
William Hood, Russia

No!! The man deserves a pat on the back! After all the western hemisphere has for many years tried to eradicate communism. Now if he is extradited to stand trial, who are the Spaniards to judge after the atrocities they committed against the so called "SAVAGES" here in the Americas during the conquest days! How many hundreds of thousands did they kill in the name of GOD. A that goes for the Brits and French and so on! Who has the right to judge after the atrocities (GENOCIDE) "ALL" European countries have committed in the name of monetary gain? How dare you!!!!!!
Drake Bartlett USA

He should not be extradited. What!, how easy?, international law is not able yet to take that step and should not then. This man should not be judged by other court and maybe not his court either but an international court!, this is definitely not the way to do it, Spain has nothing to say and neither does the UK. Lets ALL set the rules of the game and then try to solve the problems of the past. Not more mistakes.
Mariela Vallejo México

Let the people of Chile deal with Mr. Pinochet. The average person under Pinochet felt safe, small businesses stood a fighting chance, and he did not enrich himself the way his predecessor and others have, from Marcos to Mandela. Must we live in a "holocaust" crazed world where national sovereignty no longer exists? Britain and Spain, butt out. If concern for international justice were really important, we'd be hearing about Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mexico on the news every single day. Mr. Pinochet is, and has been, a rational man with sound economic principles who had to be draconian to save his country from anarcho-socialist murderers.
Pete Caneer USA

I believe that Pinochet is responsible for many heinous crimes. At the time when they were committed he was clearly the head of State of Chile and could not have been charged, tried or convicted for any wrongdoing arising out of those misdeeds. It now appears that international law has changed and former heads of state may be liable criminally for certain misdeeds when out of office. This a new and unprecedented development. It appears that Pinochet is the victim of new law being made applicable to past circumstances. Also, I believe that on compassionate grounds he should not be extradited. However, now that we appear to accept that heads of state are liable for misdeeds, then this new law should find expression in an international convention and made applicable to all persons and enforceable by the new Permanent International Criminal court.
Eamon Courtenay Belize

He should go back and be tried by his own people. No country should impose its human rights standards on another... every one has their interpretation, and while Pinochet is no angel, its up to his people to judge and no one else. Maybe the Chileans are happy to be tortured, imprisoned and executed, who knows but they themselves. Let them decide.
M. Rifaat U.K.

There is a lot to learn from the South African reconciliation initiative. Chile, like S. Africa has more to determine the fate of Dictator Pinochet, but the nation has to look ahead, and use such reference to forge better leadership. I know one day Dictator Pinochet will apologise to the Chilean people about all what he did, and does not necessarily need the treatment other than that that the population of Chile want.
JOSEPH MUPANDA UGANDA

No! General Pinochet should not be extradited. It should be left up to the Chilian people to decide his fate. We must be careful not to act as the international police, bringing the international criminals to book... when it is nothing to do with us. It seems that the British government is making an example out of Pinochet, as a means of saying, "we can act without America". The British government must also be very careful not to punish Pinochet for all the crimes of the past dictators, that they could not punish - Hitler, Mussolini, Pol Pot, Stalin etc.
Chris Jones, UK

No England has not the right to extradite Pinochet. This is the law of the strong. If Chile was a strong country, this would not be possible. This is modern colonialism.
Claudio Monasterio, Chile

Do we now arrest Bill Clinton on his next visit to London for the Cruise missile attacks on Sudan and Afghanistan?
Daniel Pitt, UK

The treatment by this country of Pinochet is in violation of the law of hospitality, a custom so ancient and universally observed that it has never needed to be written down. One does not treat one's friends like this, making them welcome, giving them assurances they will be safe and then failing to protect them from their enemies. Is this part of the process of modernising the English legal system and bringing it into conformity with the continent where judgements are based not on law? When Gorbachov next visits England need he fear extradition to Azerbaijan? And what about the rulers of Turkey, China, Malaysia, South Africa (past and present), etc.
William S.H. Haines, Russia

Cool Britannia seems to run amok. Let Pinochet go and retire peacefully. He saved Chile from disaster and turned it into one of the few prosperous countries in the region. Shame on Blair and his consorts for dragging Pinochet before the courts.
Kristiaan Helsen, Belgium

Regardless of the importance of yesterday's House of Lords decision for the future, it must not be forgotten that Pinochet was in Britain as an official guest of the Government. In such circumstances, extradition would be an example of extreme bad faith. Nor should the British government so easily overlook the material assistance provided by Pinochet's Chile during the Falkland's war.
Graham Best, Norway

Don't forget that more than a 40% of Chilean citizens supports Pinochet and are now very disappointed with the UK attitude. Let us manage our problems and you take care of your problems. Pinochet has saved and reorganized Chile 25 years ago.
Jose Rodriguez, Chile

Since when Europeans can dictate to other countries their laws? Viva Pinochet, he got rid off of the communists.
Ernesto Valdez, Australia

This case is a Chilean matter.
Rene Fernandez, Chile

He's a old man, an old evil man, but still an old man. What's the point? Putting it very bluntly, he will die before any sufficiently detailed trial can be carried out.
Andrew Oakley, UK Also bear in mind the January 1999 Scout and Guide jamboree in Chile- do we really want to inflame Chilleans against the 1000 or so British scouts and guides who plan to attend? http://www.scoutnet.ch/events/jam99/

Of course General Pinochet should be back home immediately. Spain has NOTHING to do with this problem. Moreover, don't forget that General Pinochet was formaly invited by British authorities. He entered UK with a diplomatic passport. There is an old saying in our country, "Dirty clothes to be cleaned at home". Go ahead Mr. Straw, please release General Pinochet. This is the only way you can effectively help our country to live in peace.
Fernando Aldunate, Chile

It is not a show of heroism to held General Pinochet in custody. An old, frail and sick man. Even a former ally of Britain in the war with Argentina. Very hypocritical to accept his support when it suits you and to arrest him later. I do not say that he is free of guilt, but when he is to be tried, much more rulers like Saddam Hussein, Gadaffi and many African heads of state should be brought to justice, not to mention the rulers in former Yugoslavia. The arrest of General Pinochet does not cause widespread political turmoil. In that sense he is an easy victim. As long as "Hitler and Stalin" are still in power and we still negotiate with them, you have no moral right to extradite General Pinochet.
C. Burggraaf, The Netherlands

The headlong rush to judge is not serving the interests of justice, whatever that is in this world of contradictory hypocrosy imposed by Amnesty International and publicity hungry lawyers. General Pinochet saved a country from a Communist coup and turned Chile into a model for the rest of Latin America. The very stability he brought to the Hemisphere by banishing the Castro model for society is now threatened by the self same Communists now masquerading under the banner of international human rights. The majority of people in Chile recognise their liberties of today and who is responsible for them. They have the right as a nation to judge their own affairs without the pandemonium of the so called victims, most of whom were taking up arms against the state. Pandora's box is truly open. Now the left has it's way in Latin America by destabilizing the most open democracy in the continent, another legacy of Pinochet. I can only hope that Britain sees the folly of treating a true friend is this fashion is a scant reward for all of the British lives saved in the Falklands. One day the crocodile tears shed by Isable Allende and friends will be seen in their true light. Revisionism is alive and well.
Peter Rogers, Chile

Do not forget Gen.Pinochet saved Chile from Corvalan and all those tragedies which would have come with turning the now prosperous Chile in another Cuba! And that is not all the danger of a corvalanized Chile!
L.Herzenberg, Russia

This is a matter only for Chileans and Chilean justice to decide upon. We can not accept foreign intervention in our home affairs. It is said that the US took an active part in the military coup of 1973. Now we are confronted by Europe meddling in our efforts to reunite our people to look towards our future in peace and with confidence. I strongly feel that Europe is trying to cover up its own history of human rights violations by picking on a small faraway country, that many do not know nor even understand.
Michael & Valerie, Chile

The main worry should be getting rid of present evils, not chasing ghosts of the past. This seems to send the message that dictators should do as they have for so long - stay in power at all costs - as they will probably be alright then.
Goncalo, UK

If Pinochet is guilty of any crimes against Chileans in Chile, he must be tried by the Chilean courts. Spain has no jurisdiction to try him, no matter what the Law Lords or any other European judges might say.
Christian Ernst, Chile

England should be ashamed. Spain is too far gone to be ashamed. Pinochet saved Chile. You should see it now. Pinochet even helped England during the Falklands war. The rest of South America has been looking at Chile's economic resurrection and trying to copy it. Why don't we arrest Mrs. Thatcher for the Malvinas War or Bush for Somalia and Panama or Clinton for Serbia, etc?
Ray Griffin, USA

Gen.Pinochet is a patriot who some 20 years ago saved his country from chaos and the threat of communism. Gen. Pinochet has also been one of Britains most loyal supporters That the British government has had him arrested is a disgrace and a proof that the Blair government is merely a communist mafia.
Mathias Hahn, Sweden

Let Chileans take their own decisions, even though I opposed Pinochet's Regime, and voted NO against him continuing his government in 1989. I believe this decision (to try him) has to be taken by Chileans, not by any other government or court.
Alberto Rawlins, Chile

Britain has been in bed with this criminal dictator since 1973. I find it curious that the UK is now considering turning him over to a third party (Spain) to answer alleged crimes against that country's citizens. Is this in the tradition of British foreign policy?
Alan Poyser, USA

Pinochet is a Chilean patriot, was a good friend to UK in our hour of need and did not grossly enrich himself during his rule unlike the Spanish Government under the Socialists, the very country that is now trying to extradite Pinochet!
Andrew Baynes, Spain

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage | ©