The Other 9/11 story
Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 12:58:07 PM PDT
It was September 11, 1973, when the Chilean military (with covert CIA support) overthrew the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende, and installed the brutal military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. An estimated 5,000 people were killed in the coup, including President Allende himself.
In 1999 the Clinton administration declassified approximately 5,800 documents (many found at the National Security Archives), in order to provide evidence to support the prosecution of General Pinochet, but they also provided evidence of the CIA and Nixon administration's involvement with the overthrow.
"I don't see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its people." - Henry Kissinger
Salvador Allende was democratically elected to become Chile's President on September 4, 1970. He was a member of the Socialist Parliamentarian party, but the Nixon administration considered his affiliation too close to communism for comfort. Eleven days after the election, the Nixon administration ordered a covert CIA operation to undermine Salvador Allende's government. With the help of Henry Kissinger (National Security Advisor), Richard Helms (CIA Director), and Attorney General John Mitchell, they began the operation under the name
Project FUBELT. The purpose of the project, was destabilize Chile and create a
`coup climate'
For the three years prior to the coup, CIA engaged in a campaign which CIA Director William Colby later described in secret testimony as "a prototype or laboratory experiment" to discredit and undermine an elected government. The covert operations included three separate parts -"economic warfare," which included a massive propaganda operation aimed at disrupting the economy and discrediting the government, "political warfare," which included covert funding of opposition political parties, especially those agitating for a coup, and "psychological warfare" in order to heighten tension and force public outrage. See CIA cables
In a briefing to Nixon, it was pointed out that in order to block the Allende's ascension to President, his main supporter General Schneider would have to be eliminated. With the help of General Viaux, a plan was devised, for the kidnapping and assassination of General Schneider, to be lead by General Valenzuela. After an exchange of arms and one failed attempt, Colonel Wimert succeeded, and despite emergency open-heart surgery, General Schneider died the morning of October 25.
The "coup climate" was thus gained, allowing for the coup on September 11, 1973. General Pinochet, who had just 19 days prior, become the commander in chief of the army, staged the coup which resulted in Allende's death and his own rise to President of Chile.
During Pinochet's rule, more than 3,100 Chileans were murdered, 1,100 disappeared, and thousands of others were tortured and jailed. Pinochet closed the Chilean Congress, banned political parties, censored the press and took over the universities. His dictatorship lasted 17 years until March 11, 1990, when he stepped down as President, but retained his position as commander of the army.
In October of 1998 Pinochet flew to England in order to have surgery at a London hospital for a herniated disc, and on October 16, British police arrested him in his hospital bed in London after a Spanish judge issues a warrant alleging gross human rights abuses, including the torture and murder of thousands, during the Pinochet regime in Chile.
The US media generally ignored the story until 1974, when Michael J. Harrington (D-MA) leaked details of secret Congressional testimony by William Colby. In 1975, a Senate Committee headed by Frank Church released the report on "Covert Action in Chile, 1963-1973.
The Nation has a good article about Pinochet's trial.
The Guardian asks the question - Why has Henry Kissinger gotten away without being tried for this and other involvements in International "terrorism"?.
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