Named commander in chief of the armed forces by Chilean president Salvador Allende, Augusto Pinochet overthrew the government on September 11, 1973, in a bloody coup. During his 16 year dictatorship, Pinochet's regime kidnapped and killed thousands of people, many of whose bodies have yet to be found.

In 1973, Gen. Pinochet overtook Chile in a violent coup. In 1998 came the surprise arrest of the former Chilean dictator for crimes against humanity. Armed with a diplomatic passport and apparent immunity, the retired general visited Great Britain for a vacation that was to forever change his life -- and the prospects for dictators across the globe. Amnesty International spearheaded the long-awaited arrest with help from the Spanish and British governments,...