from the Mexico Solidarity Network, Aug 5, 1998

Mr. Kennedy of Massachusetts (for himself, Mr. Meehan, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Bonior, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Stark, Ms. Rivers, Mr. Vento, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Barrett of Wisconsin, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Mr. Markey, Mr. McDermott, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mr. Klug, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Gejdenson, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Olver, Ms. McKinney, Mr. Shays, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Kleczka, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Borski, Mr. Evans, Mr. Minge, Mr. Barcia, Mr. Baldacci, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. Towns, Mr. Engel, Mr. Brown of California, and Mr. Hall of Ohio) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on National Security

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

1. The School is the only large United States training facility in which foreign military personnel are not integrated into regular United States military training courses.
2. Closing the School would not bar United States training of Latin American armed forces--but simply require that it take place in the normal fashion, alongside United States military personnel in their regular classes, as is the case with other foreign military trainees in the United States.
3. Continued operation of the School of the Americas, with its history and tradition of abusive graduates, stands as a barrier to establishing a new and constructive relationship with Latin American militaries after the cold war.
4. The United States Army School of the Americas graduates include some of the worst human rights abusers in our hemisphere, including:
   • El Salvador death squad leader Roberto D'Abuisson.
   • Panamanian dictator and drug dealer Manuel Noriega.
   • Haitian coup leader Raoul Cedras.
   • Nineteen Salvadoran soldiers linked to the 1989 murder of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter.
   • Col. Julio Roberto Alpirez, Guatemalan officer linked in the deaths of an American innkeeper.
   • Hector Gramajo, former Guatemalan defense minister found liable in United States court for abduction, rape, and torture of Sister Dianna Ortiz, a United States citizen.
   • Argentinian dictator Leopoldo Galtieri, leader of the "dirty little war"' responsible for the deaths of 30 civilians.
   • Two of the three killers of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.
   • Ten of the twelve officers responsible for the murder of 900 civilians in the El Salvadoran village El Mozote.
   • Three of the five officers involved in the 1980 rape and murder of four United States churchwomen in El Salvador.
5. Continued operation of the School continues to associate the United States with the abuses of its graduates.
6. In October, 1996, then Secretary of Defense Perry announced that the United States plans to create an Inter-American Center for Defense Studies to provide professional training and education relevant to defense management in a democratic constitutional context to individuals from throughout the Americas.

(a) Closure Required. -- Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Army shall close the military education and training facility known as the United States Army School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia.

(b) Repeal of Statutory Authority. -- Section 4415 of chapter 407 of title 10, United States Code, is repealed. The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 407 of such title is amended by striking out the item relating to such section.

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