Kucinich protests Army school that trains Latin American soldiers

[babylonsister]

Kucinich protests Army school that trains Latin American soldiers
By HARRY R. WEBER - Associated Press Writer --


COLUMBUS, Ga. --
Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich said Sunday the thinking that went into producing an Army school blamed for human rights abuses in Latin America was the same that led the U.S. to war in Iraq and could cause it to raid Iran.

Kucinich, speaking at the 18th annual protest of the school at Fort Benning that trains Latin American soldiers, police and government officials, said one of his first acts as president if elected would be to close the school.

He used the opportunity to reinforce his opposition to the Bush administration's war policies.

"We reject war as an instrument of foreign policy," the Ohio congressman and former Cleveland mayor told the crowd, estimated by local police to number roughly 10,000.

The Army's School of the Americas moved to Fort Benning from Panama in 1984 and was replaced in 2001 by the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, under the Defense Department.

The protests outside the gate to the military installation are timed to commemorate six Jesuit priests who were killed along with their housekeeper and her daughter in El Salvador on Nov. 19, 1989. Some of the killers had attended the School of the Americas.

more...

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/251/story/179747.html

[tbyg52]

1. K&R nt

[annabanana]

2. The School for Torture seems to have a branch in Tucson too.

Here is a video about it:

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/081307J.shtml

[prole_for_peace]

3. just when i think that he can't impress me more..

he goes and does something like this.

GO DENNIS!!!! i think i might be in love...

[IndianaGreen]

5. I don't think Hillary will close SOA, or turn off the genocidal Plan Colombia

Two of the greatest achievements of the Clinton 42 Administration was keeping SOA open, after being sugar-coated with a name change and blessed with Wes Clark as a fig leave for change, and the evil Plan Colombia.

A Clinton 44 Administration is likely to be as warlike in Latin America as Bush was in the Middle East.

[eleny]

6. It's disgusting

[BornagainDUer]

16. NO SHIT!! That's why Dennis should bring this up during the debates!!

[IndianaGreen]

4. SOA was renamed by Big Dog, but still remains a school for assassins and torturers

just as Big Dog's Plan Colombia is a program of death squads, assassination, and torture under the guise of War on Drugs.

[eleny]

7. If he gets elected he won't be able to sleep for 3 days he'll be so busy

[LWolf]

8. He has been speaking against the SOA for years.

And I appreciate it.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. What a massively misleading title. Typical MSM crap.

The School of the Americas trains Latin American military in the latest torture techniques as part of their Dictatorship 101 training program. Oh wait, they changed the name, must be all better now.

The article does manage to hint at the issue here:

"The protests outside the gate to the military installation are timed to commemorate six Jesuit priests who were killed along with their housekeeper and her daughter in El Salvador on Nov. 19, 1989. Some of the killers had attended the School of the Americas."

[Desertrose]

11. Like a name change would change anything else....

Dennis has been speaking out about this awful school...like LWolf said, for a l o n g time.

Go Dennis!!!

DR

[BornagainDUer]

14. Nice catch, thanks. It's truly amazing how biased the media is.

[LongTomH]

10. Good for Dennis!

I wish we could ask all the candidates to take a stand on this!

[rjones2818]

12. Where are the other candidates?

Go Dennis! :woohoo:
http://dennis4president.com
Choose Peace!

[Desertrose]

13. Makes ya wonder, huh? n/t

[BornagainDUer]

15. Dennis needs to take these issues to the debates and tell the

UFO impregnated hosts to fuck off!

[rjones2818]

17. Dennis wins the UFO argument

when he finally decides that what he saw was FSM!

Kuchinch 2008: Touched by his noodly appendage!

Go Dennis! :woohoo:
http://dennis4president.com
Choose Peace!

[Sonicmedusa]

18. He just gets better and better.

:loveya:

[GreenInNC]

19. I was there

I was at the vigil this weekend. Yesterday was one of the most moving days of my life. It started with McKinney and Kucinich's speeches, both were great. I don't think I have ever seen Dennis so animated!

The processional was so sad. As we processed around the route, the names and ages of the vistims were being read aloud. After each name was read we all said "presente" and raised our crosses. We then stuck our crosses on the fence at the entrance. Several people were crying.

I left there with a renewed need to close that damn place.

[wyldwolf]

20. yes he does... it seems every four years