If a criminal trial started against him, then it is very probable that the general dies before there is a verdict.

My interpretation is that Pinochet can refuse to have the examinations, but at the same time the law obliges the investigating judge to request them.

Without a doubt, this is the worst birthday he could have from a judicial standpoint. This is by far the most delicate situation he’s gone through.

Public opinion will be focused on the protests against Bush.

This is his Achilles heel, the big headache for Pinochet and his defence lawyers. Unlike the human-rights accusations where it has been tough to prove a link between Pinochet and the crimes of his regime,...