UK: MARGARET THATCHER AUGUSTO PINOCHET SPEECH

(7 Oct 1999) Span/Eng/Nat Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has said former Chilean leader Augusto Pinochet will get nothing more than a “show trial“ if extradited to Spain. Speaking at the Conservative Party’s annual conference, she also called the Labour government contemptible for allowing his extradition trial to go forward. Thatcher’s comments came hours after a British judge excused the former dictator from appearing in court later this week. The ruling came after a doctor testified the general suffered two small strokes last month. For the second day in a row, Margaret Thatcher created a storm in British politics. On Tuesday, the former prime minister lashed out at plans to join the European Union, blaming the continent for all the problems Britain had suffered during her lifetime. On Wednesday, she turned her attention to her former ally Augusto Pinochet, addressing his plight at a rally held in conjunction with the annual Conservative party