Videla & Kissinger

07/04/2013 - 03h30

General Jorge Rafael Videla was Argentina's military dictator from 1976 until 1981. He died in May at the Marcos Paz prison at the age of 87 after a fall in the shower. He had been sentenced to 50 years for the systematic stealing of babies from victims kidnapped, tortured and killed during Argentina's "Dirty War."

The psychologist and activist, Laura Bonaparte, was one of the original "Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo." Seven members of her family were "disappeared" by the Argentinian military, including her former husband, the biochemist Santiago Bruschtein. He was seized from his home by soldiers shouting "how can a Jewish bastard judge the Armed Forces." The junta banned gatherings of more than three people outside the Casa Rosada. So they divided into pairs with their white headscarves as a symbol. Laura Bonaparte died last week at the age of 88.

Kissinger was national security adviser and secretary of state to Presidents Nixon and Ford between 1969 and 1977. In 1978 Kissinger, a great football fan, and his family, attended the World Cup in Buenos Aires as guests of Argentina's junta. Kissinger said the junta had "done a outstanding job in wiping out terrorist forces." Kissinger is very much alive at 90.

The "killing of babies" was something I was accused of having alleged in my dispute with "Foreign Affairs" by friends of Kissinger. I had not mentioned anything about babies let alone their killing. Elliott Abrams was assistant secretary of state for Human Rights during the Reagan administration has now testified (via video ink) following the discovery of memorandum of 1982 where he said: "We knew it wasn't one or two children involved, or one or two officers. We thought there was a pattern or plan."

Sepp Blatter observed: "I was happy that Argentina won. It was the first (World Cup) where I was directly involved. It brought about a kind of reconciliation, of the people of Argentina, with the political system, the military system at the time."

Argentinian Judge Noberto Oyarbide's current investigation is said to show that Peru was bought off in the semi-finals in 1978. Peru lost by 6-0, guaranteeing thereby that Argentina played against the Netherlands in the final when Fifa allowed Argentina to veto Abraham Klein as referee. Peru received free grain, and the unblocking of US$ 50m credit in Argentina's national bank.

Jerome Valcke, Fifa's secretary general said: "Too much democracy can be a hindrance when organizing a World Cup." Henry Kissinger would agree with that. As would Laura Bonaparte. She was buried with her white headscarf.