Comments on: Day 52 and counting http://www.jetwhine.com/2006/11/day-52-and-counting/ Aviation buzz and bold opinion Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:34:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Victor http://www.jetwhine.com/2006/11/day-52-and-counting/#comment-7 Victor Fri, 01 Dec 2006 20:05:03 +0000 http://www.jetwhine.com/?p=17#comment-7 Sure I would like this kind of help but international diplomacy is complex. The two pilots could take refuge in the U.S. consulate which is by definition U.S. soil. Since these men are not charged with any crime the Brazilian government could not require the release (what would be equivalent to an extradition). Now getting them out of the country is another matter. The consulate could issue another passport but then helping them get out of Brazil would create a fairly major diplomatic incident. Of course issuing another passport in itself would be enough to create some turmoil. This is why you do not see too many politicians or alphabet groups get involved. There is really not much that can be done with the exception of putting pressure on the Brazilian government. Brazilians are not crazy about Americans but they like our dollars, so telling them we are not spending our dollars down there might help…not that it helped with Major Daley and Meigs field though. Right now these men are not safe as there is a mob mentality. This, like most diplomatic conflicts, can be either debated behind closed doors or in the media. If you have independent sources prove that the pilots were not at fault and you are able to get that information accepted by the people in Brazil, it might be tougher to keep them there. At least then, U.S. assistance would not cause a major upheaval. But right now, people in Brazil feel these guys are at fault and U.S. intervention would surely be taken extremely negative putting possibly other Americans who are in Brazil at risk. Sure I would like this kind of help but international diplomacy is complex. The two pilots could take refuge in the U.S. consulate which is by definition U.S. soil. Since these men are not charged with any crime the Brazilian government could not require the release (what would be equivalent to an extradition).

Now getting them out of the country is another matter.

The consulate could issue another passport but then helping them get out of Brazil would create a fairly major diplomatic incident. Of course issuing another passport in itself would be enough to create some turmoil. This is why you do not see too many politicians or alphabet groups get involved. There is really not much that can be done with the exception of putting pressure on the Brazilian government.

Brazilians are not crazy about Americans but they like our dollars, so telling them we are not spending our dollars down there might help…not that it helped with Major Daley and Meigs field though.

Right now these men are not safe as there is a mob mentality.

This, like most diplomatic conflicts, can be either debated behind closed doors or in the media.

If you have independent sources prove that the pilots were not at fault and you are able to get that information accepted by the people in Brazil, it might be tougher to keep them there. At least then, U.S. assistance would not cause a major upheaval. But right now, people in Brazil feel these guys are at fault and U.S. intervention would surely be taken extremely negative putting possibly other Americans who are in Brazil at risk.

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