Congress to Vote on School of the Americas this Wed.

[roody]

Source: School of the Americas Watch

Congress to Vote on School of the Americas this Wednesday-Take Action!

This work is in the public domain
 
Congress Will Decide the Fate of the former School of the Americas this Wednesday June 20th, 2007
Washington, DC - Congress is expected to vote this week on an amendment to the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that would cut funding to the controversial Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly known as the School of the Americas (SOA). The amendment will be offered by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA).

The SOA/WHINSEC, a military training facility for Latin American military and police, has graduated at least 11 military dictators and over 60,000 soldiers, many of which have been linked to some of the worst human rights abuses committed in Central and South America. The school made headlines in 1996 when the Pentagon released training manuals used at the institution that advocated torture, extortion and execution. Despite this admission and hundreds of documented human rights abuses committed by soldiers trained at the school, no independent investigation into the facility has ever taken place.

Support for the former School of the Americas has significantly declined. In May, the Costa Rican government vowed to stop sending Costa Rican police to train at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC). The Central American nation is the fourth country after Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela to cut ties with the school, citing its history of military intervention and human rights abuses.

On June 9, 2006, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) introduced an amendment to the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill that would have cut funding for the SOA/WHINSEC. While the amendment failed by a 15 vote margin, 35 Representatives who opposed the amendment lost their seats in the 2006 mid-term elections.

Protests calling for the closure of the School of the Americas/WHINSEC have taken place at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia every November since 1990. The annual vigil and nonviolent direct action coincides with the November 16 anniversary of the University of Central America massacre during which SOA graduates assassinated 14-year-old Celina Ramos, her mother Elba Ramos, and six Jesuit priests in San Salvador

Please Take Action and contact your Representative and urge her/him to support the McGovern amendment to cut funding for the SOA/WHINSEC - www.soaw.org/legislative

Find out more about the School of Americas at- www.soaw.org
 


Related

Read more: soaw.org

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Please call!

[w4rma]

1. Good! Cut its funding! (nt)

[Pastiche423]

2. Thank you so much for posting this

I am happy to report that my Rep., Pete DeFazio is a co-sponsor of Cosponsors of HR 1707!

This "school" that teaches torture, murdering, etc, should have closed down before it moved to U.S. soil.

[Phredicles]

3. Recommended - Close the fucker down!

[Tom Joad]

4. Rec in memory of Father Bill o' Donnell & Hal, both these peace

veterans have been arrested numerous times at that site of ill-repute, and they both have passed on to a place of nonviolence. Hal just left us about 10 days ago.

Father Bill & Hal... Presente!

[burrowowl]

5. K&R

And call your Congress Persons!
Cut the SOA funding! Release any nuns, priest, people still in jail for protesting this blight on our Nation!

[slipslidingaway]

6. K&R thanks, 104 cosponsors list

Cosponsors of HR 1707 (as of 6/13/07)

Rep Ackerman, Gary L.

Rep Allen, Thomas H.

Rep Altmire, Jason

Rep Baird, Brian

Rep Baldwin, Tammy

Rep Bean, Melissa L.

Rep Biggert, Judy

Rep Blumenauer, Earl

Rep Capps, Lois

Rep Capuano, Michael E.

Rep Carnahan, Russ

Rep Carson, Julia

Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy

Rep Cohen, Steve

Rep Conyers, John, Jr.

Rep Crowley, Joseph

Rep Cummings, Elijah E.

Rep Davis, Danny K.

Rep DeFazio, Peter A.

Rep DeGette, Diana

Rep Delahunt, William D.

Rep DeLauro, Rosa L.

Rep Doggett, Lloyd

Rep Doyle, Michael F.

Rep Ellison, Keith

Rep Emanuel, Rahm

Rep Eshoo, Anna G.

Rep Farr, Sam

Rep Fattah, Chaka

Rep Filner, Bob

Rep Grijalva, Raul M.

Rep Gutierrez, Luis V.

Rep Higgins, Brian

Rep Hinchey, Maurice D.

Rep Holt, Rush D.

Rep Honda, Michael M.

Rep Inslee, Jay

Rep Israel, Steve

Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr.

Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice

Rep Kaptur, Marcy

Rep Kennedy, Patrick J.

Rep Kildee, Dale E.

Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C.

Rep Kind, Ron

Rep Kucinich, Dennis J.

Rep LaHood, Ray

Rep Lantos, Tom

Rep Larsen, Rick

Rep Larson, John B.

Rep Lee, Barbara

Rep Levin, Sander M.

Rep Lewis, John

Rep Loebsack, David

Rep Lofgren, Zoe

Rep Lynch, Stephen F.

Rep Maloney, Carolyn B.

Rep Markey, Edward J.

Rep Matsui, Doris O.

Rep McCollum, Betty

Rep McDermott, Jim

Rep McNerney, Jerry

Rep McNulty, Michael R.

Rep Meehan, Martin T.

Rep Michaud, Michael H.

Rep Miller, George

Rep Moore, Dennis

Rep Moore, Gwen

Rep Moran, James P.

Rep Nadler, Jerrold

Rep Oberstar, James L.

Rep Olver, John W.

Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr.

Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr.

Rep Pastor, Ed

Rep Paul, Ron

Rep Payne, Donald M.

Rep Petri, Thomas E.

Rep Platts, Todd Russell

Rep Price, David E.

Rep Rothman, Steven R.

Rep Rush, Bobby L.

Rep Ryan, Tim

Rep Sanchez, Linda T.

Rep Schakowsky, Janice D.

Rep Serrano, Jose E.

Rep Shays, Christopher

Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh

Rep Stark, Fortney Pete

Rep Sutton, Betty

Rep Tierney, John F.

Rep Udall, Tom

Rep Van Hollen, Chris

Rep Walsh, James T.

Rep Waters, Maxine

Rep Watson, Diane E.

Rep Waxman, Henry A.

Rep Weiner, Anthony D.

Rep Welch, Peter

Rep Wexler, Robert

Rep Woolsey, Lynn C.

Rep Wu, David

Rep Wynn, Albert Russell

Rep Yarmuth, John A.

[Judi Lynn]

14. Thanks for listing the co-sponsors. All the best ones are certainly there. n/t

[Canuckistanian]

7. Wow, there's a revealing little factoid

"35 Representatives who opposed the amendment lost their seats in the 2006 mid-term elections"

Tells you something about the real supporters of the SOA.

K&R

[saigon68]

8. Thugs and Gangsters graduate from this Asylum

A black mark on amerika

[emilyg]

9. R

close it.

[Mojambo]

10. A win on shutting that fucker down would be most welcome. n/t

[Take_The_Red_Pill]

11. SOP

In step with the usual back wards rational of our DO NOTHING elected officials, GITMO and Abu Gharib will probably remain open for business after this far less hurtful institution has its funding pulled.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with the bill. But let's build on this progressive attitude and aim at targets that will send a message to the world that regardless of the nonsense of GWB, the American people desire peace.

[roody]

22. This campaign predates Gitmo and Bush's

murderous invasion of Iraq. Call your rep; maybe they can get this movement against torture moving faster.

[freefall]

12. Thank you for posting this. I'm pretty sure my Congressman

will be doing the right thing anyway but I am going to call his office to let him know I support him in opposing SOA. It is so important that this funding be cut and so very long overdue.

Thanks again Roody.

Peace,
freefall

:kick:

[OneBlueSky]

13. given the recent record of the Congress, I have a hunch that the amendment may be DOA . . . n/t

.

[PADemD]

15. Sent to my Republican Representative

[RestoreGore]

16. Good, because Democrats and Republicans have supported it

[MsMagnificent]

17. If this doesn't deseve a kick

and recommendation, nothing does!

[roody]

18. It is easy to send a fax; just click on the legislative link.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

19. Yet another opportunity for the Dems to cave in

in lieu of actually taking any kind of constructive action.

Pardon my cynicism, but you KNOW what's gonna happen...

[EFerrari]

20. K&R. It only stayed open by a few votes last time.

Please call!

[redqueen]

21. Please call.

K&R

[slipslidingaway]

23. Called, add another cosponsor. Rep Boucher, Rick [VA-9] n/t

[stephinrome]

24. will call and send fax - plus film recommendation

Hidden in Plain Sight - excellent film on SOA.

Steph

[AX10]

25. SHUT IT DOWN! If this bill passes, it will be a great victory for...

progress! "The School of the Americas" is a terrorist training camp!

[Wilms]

26. Thanks. n/t

[rocktivity]

27. Think you can get THIS one right, Dems?

Think you can get this out of the House with a straight-line vote?

:headbang:
rocknation