The gift that keeps on giving

October 10, 2007 6:25 AM

The quicker you succeed the better. Declassified documents show Secretary of State Kissenger gave a green light to the Argentine Junta, whilest Rev. Christián González aka Christián von Wernich, also leant a hand, showing that The Catholic Church's involvement with fascism and the Dirty War was far from dead. The Vatican was instrumental in witholding detail. The Desaparecidos probably exceeded 12,000.
posted by adamvasco (8 comments total)

"Look, our basic attitude is that we would like you to succeed. I have an old-fashioned view that friends ought to be supported. What is not understood in the United States is that you have a civil war. We read about human rights problems but not the context. The quicker you succeed the better… The human rights problem is a growing one. Your Ambassador can apprise you. We want a stable situation. We won't cause you unnecessary difficulties. If you can finish before Congress gets back, the better. Whatever freedoms you could restore would help."

Interesting to be reminded that there was once a time in American history when the White House cared about the influence of Congress - or had a reason to care.
posted by three blind mice at 7:01 AM on October 10, 2007

Maybe I should link to todays news.
and you PeterMcDermott are a naughty puppy.
posted by adamvasco at 7:58 AM on October 10, 2007

Link that works.
posted by adamvasco at 7:59 AM on October 10, 2007

Triste y lamentable.
posted by msali at 10:01 AM on October 10, 2007

The link detailing the complicity of the Vatican is extremely disturbing:

The Vatican Embassy in Argentina kept a secret list of thousands of people who disappeared during Argentina's Dirty War of the late 1970s which it failed to make public at the time and which may have since been destroyed, according to recent revelations regarding the Catholic Church's poor human rights record in this country. Italian Cardinal Pio Laghi, who was Papal Pro-Nuncio in Buenos Aires during the time of the military dictatorship - and who later served as John Paul II's Pro-Nuncio in the United States - has openly admitted to the Argentine press that he had knowledge of some 6,000 cases of people who "disappeared."

Something went terribly, terribly wrong with the Church during the papacy of John-Paul II. It's no wonder they couldn't muster much concern about mere widespread child molestation in the United States, when they were playing an integral role in the disappearance, torture, and murder of many thousands of their own flock in South America. The linked article quotes sources suggesting a toll of 30,000 in Argentina alone.

But I do have the sense there will be a reckoning.
posted by jamjam at 3:05 PM on October 10, 2007

Excellent post adamvasco. Very interesting -and disturbing- reading. I love that the truth is coming out via the internet for all to see what really happened, who were the liars, responsible for mass murder, while wearing masks of diplomacy.

I agree with Christopher Hitchens in thinking that Henry Kissinger is a war criminal.

This has to be some painful vindication for those who suspected this a long time or knew about it but did not have the proof.

Thanks.
posted by nickyskye at 4:30 PM on October 10, 2007

Cardinal Ral Francisco Primatesta.
Kissinger and The 'Dirty War.
The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, a group representing families of victims, demanded that the church "end its silence on what it knows about the dirty war".
Cardinal Pio Laghi .
posted by adamvasco at 12:37 AM on October 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

Catholics - who needs them?
posted by altman at 5:46 AM on October 11, 2007