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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCheney and Kissinger to attend Thatcher funeral
it's like a critical mass of evil.
No 10 said Cheney would attend with his wife Lynne. Other high-profile US guests include Dr Henry Kissinger, the former US secretary of state in the Nixon and Ford administrations and a key cold war figure, and the maverick rightwinger Ross Perot.
...
Obama declined to attend the funeral himself, opting instead for a comparatively low-key delegation, with no serving members of his administration present. Michelle Bachmann, the ultra-conservative former presidential candidate, will attend with two other Republicans from Congress.
Downing Street indicated on Tuesday that Cheney was attending in a personal capacity, not as an official US representative. Nonetheless, his presence is likely to enrage many. As George W Bush's number two between 2001-2009, Cheney was one of the chief architects of the war in Iraq.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/16/dick-cheney-attending-thatcher-funeral
rocktivity
(44,576 posts)I knew that Cheney was...
rocktivity
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)along with the decapitation and garlic in his mouth.
proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)niyad
(113,336 posts)peace13
(11,076 posts)May their plane be diverted to a country that has the conviction to do the right thing!
What a sweet day that would be. Upon conviction Shooter could give that new heart to someone who deserves it!
rurallib
(62,423 posts)And, after a full and fair trial of the highest possible procedural probity, promptly executed following the inevitable verdict of guilty of crimes against humanity.
RZM
(8,556 posts)Let alone trying and executing them. I'm not sure people grasp what a big deal that would be.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)is a just place.
monmouth3
(3,871 posts)nts...No?
niyad
(113,336 posts)WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)NV Whino
(20,886 posts)WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)tularetom
(23,664 posts)What if their plane is forced to land in one of the countries where they are wanted for war crimes?
malaise
(269,049 posts)leftyohiolib
(5,917 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)n2doc
(47,953 posts)The amount of pain those fuckers collectively have caused the world is immense.
libodem
(19,288 posts)Shiver. Involuntary viseral reaction of disgust.
DinahMoeHum
(21,794 posts)Sheldon Cooper
(3,724 posts)BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)I guess there's no further proof needed that Thatcher was evil than by looking at who wants to haunt her funeral. Blech.
Erose999
(5,624 posts)pissing that much easier.
bowens43
(16,064 posts)LuvNewcastle
(16,846 posts)that church.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)I think we could spare SOMEONE who is currently serving in the administration. I mean...Biden? Funerals are a Veep's job.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)and friend to serial murderers?
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)SERIOUSLY??
Cleita
(75,480 posts)I believe it would have been worse for Brit/USA relations to send a high profile official like the Veep.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)wrong with sending a representative of the administration to pay respects at a funeral. It's the grease that smooths international relations, especially with one of our closest allies.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)Dubya was a dirtbag of the highest order. When he dies, I would hope Tony Blair and all his bootlickers will be sent to the funeral. I would not want anyone from the royal family or present government there. As an American or I might question who is running England and exactly who they have good relationships with in this country.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)If Obama doesn't send someone, it looks bad. There are plenty of people to choose from. If not Biden, why not Kerry? If not Kerry, because he's probably exhausted from his trip, how about an undersecretary of state? How about Hagel, he actually served in the Reagan administration and probably loved Thatcher (being a Repub and all)? Lew? Sebelius? WH staff--McDonough? Point is, I am certain they can spare SOMEONE.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)Response to Cleita (Reply #56)
devilgrrl This message was self-deleted by its author.
Response to TwilightGardener (Reply #52)
devilgrrl This message was self-deleted by its author.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)in Afghanistan. It's just the classy thing to do.
Response to TwilightGardener (Reply #61)
devilgrrl This message was self-deleted by its author.
LeftishBrit
(41,208 posts)I think there is little need for Obama or Biden to take even a slight risk, or to leave their own country at a time of tragedy, in order to attend this extravaganza. It's not as if American presidents and high-level dignitaries usually attended British Prime Ministers' funerals. I'm fairly sure they didn't for Callaghan, Heath, Wilson or Macmillan. Royalty perhaps (I think in the case of both Princess Diana's and the Queen Mother's funerals, it was the First Lady of the day who attended); but not politicians.
RZM
(8,556 posts)Chavez wouldn't have wanted Obama to send anybody anyway. Relations with Britain, OTOH, are quite good.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)woman any more than perfunctory courtesies.
RZM
(8,556 posts)Not that it matters. If Obama attended himself do you really think Anglo-American relations would be affected in any way at all?
Cleita
(75,480 posts)Remember what she did to the Irish. They may retaliate.
RZM
(8,556 posts)Just a hunch, of course
Cleita
(75,480 posts)Maggie inflicted a lot of cruelty on them.
RZM
(8,556 posts)Sounds like the definition of overkill.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)muriel_volestrangler
(101,321 posts)For the funeral of a current dignitary, VP would be a good choice; but, for one who retired 23 years ago, two Secs of State from her time seems appropriate. And I think they're a bit better people than Cheney or Kissinger.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)member of the administration. It's nice that ancient SoS's are going, but there is no real sacrifice to sending someone to represent the WH. Just my opinion.
Response to TwilightGardener (Reply #23)
devilgrrl This message was self-deleted by its author.
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)Cleita
(75,480 posts)I couldn't have picked a better delegation myself. But doesn't Kissinger have some kind of arrest warrant out there for him should he leave the USA?
LeftishBrit
(41,208 posts)ellie
(6,929 posts)Aren't the French after him?
Cleita
(75,480 posts)find anything concrete on it.
ellie
(6,929 posts)one of their people was killed during the Allende coup but I can't tell you where I read that. It was a long time ago.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)message boards about it.
ellie
(6,929 posts)Edited to add:
I found a news article from the BBC about Kissinger being wanted as a witness to the disappearance of French citizens during Pinochet's reign but was not under any legal summons:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1357632.stm
And a couple of blog posts too. Here is one from Common Dreams;
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0611-03.htm
Him being wanted for questioning is different than him being wanted for incarceration. It is easy to conflate the two because in my mind he is a war criminal extraordinaire.
sadbear
(4,340 posts)Fawke Em
(11,366 posts)Ganja Ninja
(15,953 posts)KauaiK
(544 posts)Cleita
(75,480 posts)Spirochete
(5,264 posts)paying tribute to the third. Too bad they weren't at the Boston Marathon instead.
Initech
(100,080 posts)spanone
(135,844 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)after Maggie's funeral.
lpbk2713
(42,759 posts)Maybe they can arrest him.