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 The BBC's Paul ReynoldsInvestigation into Letelier murder reopened  real 28k |
The United States will restart an investigation into whether General Augusto Pinochet was responsible for the death of former Chilean ambassador Orlando Letelier.
Mr Letelier and a colleague were killed by a car bomb in Washington in 1976.
 Letelier: Killed by car bomb
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The relatives renewed their efforts in light of the recent legal attention given to General Pinochet.
A Chilean judge will question 42 witnesses on behalf of the US investigators.
Under orders?
Among these witnesses are the head of the Chilean secret police at the time, Manuel Contreras, and the then head of operations, Pedro Espinoza, both of whom are in prison in Chile for their roles in the plot.
The missing piece of evidence has always been any statement from them that they were acting under General Pinochet's orders.
 The US hopes to encourage Chile to pursue Pinochet
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The hope is that new evidence will be discovered to allow an American grand jury to indict the general, even though it is unlikely that he would ever be extradited.
But it is also hoped that this renewed pressure from the US Government will encourage the authorities in Chile to pursue the cases which have been brought against General Pinochet there.
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