The first thing that struck me about Straw's final decision was the illogicallity of it. When Pinochet arrived in London, it was for urgent medical treatment. He was arrested, after an operation, at the beginning of his recuperation period. If he was considered well enough to be arrested then, why was he considered not well enough to stand trial after a 16 month long holiday...... under "mansion arrest" ?
The second thing that occurred to me was that the outcome must have been as a result of behind the scenes wheeler dealing. I would be willing to bet big money that when the whole thing has blown over... say in 12 months time.... Britain will receive a massive order for tanks or planes or submarines from the Chilean Government.
As Straw's decision was announced I hung my head and remembered Harold Wilson's memoirs. Wilson, British Prime Minister between 1964 & 1970, clearly shows how real politics work. His socialist government wanted to nationalize the banks. In response he was visited by various aristocrats and big businessmen who informed him they would pull their entire investment capital out of Britain if such a move went ahead. Wilson pleaded, "But some of you are Lords of the Realm. Don't you realize that such an act would threaten Britain's prosperity?". The gentlemen in question made it clear that their first loyalties lay with their bank accounts and Wilson relented. I am 100% certain that some similar arm twisting went on in Shaw's case. Though I am less clear who it was came in and bent Jack's arm up his back. The whole affair has been enough to revive old paranoia about "THEM" - the secret government... the real power behind the democratic front. (See Stanislaw Ignaczi Witkiewicz's play "Them").
Pinochet was undoubtedly faking when the Doctors examined him. His sprightly steps and strong embraces at the airport proved that. My favourite comment on his act being a cartoon in a Spanish Newspaper which showed him dressed as John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever dancing energetically at a "Welcome Home Generalissimo" Disco.
It may be true that this case has set a precedent and world justice has advanced a few paces... but it has still left a bitter taste in my mouth that my Chilean friend, and thousands like him, will not get to see justice done to his torturer.
As for Straw, he has proved that all politicians never deliver on their promises and that power means more to them than principles. If further proof was needed one only would have to look at the scandalous way in which he received the asylum seekers who had taken the opportunity of the hijack of their plane to escape from the world's most oppressive regime. The whole atmosphere kicked up in Britain's press was so racist that I have not felt so ashamed of being British since "The Sun" published its famous "Gotcha!" headline during the Falklands Crisis. Would the press have hounded Jews escaping from Hitler in quite the same way? Because that is a better equivalent for those people than economic migrants after our jobs and our unemployment benefit.
Altogether it has been a bad couple of weeks for Labour's claims to be a progressive party.