After more than 15 years of bitter litigation and expenditure of well over 40 million for litigation expenses and settlements, the congressionally authorized cases were inconclusively closed.

The question of whether to meet with nasty but powerful people has dogged diplomacy since its inception, and both ends of the question have been argued endlessly and inconclusively.

Such a claim was dealt with, albeit inconclusively, by the International Court of Justice in the Asylum case as well as in the Haya de la Torre case, where Colombia contended inter alia that a regional law had emerged on diplomatic protection, with the purpose of deviating from the general law.