SOA, Nov. 2000

School of the Americas

Human rights advocates face six months in prison for civil disobedience opposing controversial U.S. Army training school

Trials begin in Columbus, Georgia on Monday, January 30; grandmother, priests, retirees, nun, students among those prosecuted [1-30-06]

On Monday, January 30 thirty-two people ranging in age from 19 to 81 will begin federal trials for peacefully walking onto a military base in protest of a controversial Army training school. Each person faces up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine for this act of nonviolent civil disobedience. The rest of the story >>

SOA Watch urges: Be a part of the 2006 Legislative Campaign
[1-23-06]

They also call for support for anti-SOA activists as they are taken to court and sent to prison for their stand Details >>

Rev. Don Beisswenger speaks to his presbytery about the spiritual significance of his 6 month prison term for nonviolent protest against the School of the Americas [3-7-05]

Don Beisswenger was arrested for his participation in the November 2003 demonstration again the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was sent to the Federal Prison in Manchester, Kentucky, where he served a six-month sentence. He completed his sentence and was released on October 1, 2004.

In speaking to his Presbytery, Don reflects on the meaning of his action, the continuing violence -- especially now in Colombia -- rooted in the work of SOA. He concludes:

Prison is not foreign to our faith. In Hebrews we are called to “remember those in prison as though in prison with them, and as those who are ill treated for you also are of the body.”

So I thank you as you remembered me with prayer and letters. I knew a deep sense of community with the people of God, and peace, even amidst the difficult time.

From School of the Americas Watch

Two weeks until the DC Lobby Day, actions and national call-in day: tell Congress to close the SOA/ WHINSEC! Monday, February 21 and Tuesday, February 22 [2-9-05]

Update from SOA Watch preparation for trial of activists, and "Salvador option" considered for use in Iraq [1-18-05]

School of the Americas Watch sends update on activists facing trial, and on US military consideration of the "Salvador option" - putting death-squad-like kidnapping and assassination teams in Iraq.

Updates from the SOA vigil and protest at Fort Benning [11-22-04]

For the latest reports, you can check the SOA Watch website

They have also posted a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

There are others worth looking at, too. Just go to the SOA Watch home page and click on some of the links in the left border, under "In the news."

NOVEMBER 19-21 VIGIL UPDATE, NEW FENCE INFORMATION
[11-12-04]

We are just over a week away from our 14th annual gathering at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia! Hundreds of people from around the country are working together to make this year's vigil and nonviolent direct action our most powerful yet. To plug in as a volunteer, contact John Stith in the SOA Watch office at 202-234-3440 or jstith@soaw.org.

On the heels of SOA Watch's Eleventh Circuit Court victory banning the use of metal detectors and checkpoints at the annual Fort Benning vigil, the City of Columbus has installed a new fence on Fort Benning Drive, the site of our annual gathering. Built less than a month before our annual gathering, the 8' high chain link fence will stretch approximately a half-mile from the military fence towards Torch Hill Road on both sides of the street.

Columbus Police Chief Ricky Boren told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer that police had to find new security options because they couldn't search each protester, claiming, "Law enforcement has to be ready for anything."

Like other attempts to silence and criminalize dissent - from the blaring of military music during last year's gathering to intimidating and unconstitutional searches - this new fence will not quiet our cries for justice, peace and the closure of the SOA!

You can read the Associated Press article about the new fence.

SOA/WHINSEC IN THE NEWS

The National Catholic Reporter ran a front page story in its November 5 issue entitled, "The US and Torture: Roots of Abu Ghraib in CIA Techniques." This informative piece delves into the history of torture at the hands of US and US-trained soldiers and includes a section on the manuals used at the School of the Americas that advocated extortion, blackmail and torture. The article begins:

Last April when Americans found themselves looking at photographs of U.S. soldiers abusing naked and hooded Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison, it's a safe bet that most didn't realize they were looking at torture techniques refined by the Central Intelligence Agency over the last half century. The Bush administration worked overtime to convince Americans that what they were seeing was the work of a 'few bad apples..'

Read the whole article.

To receive bi-weekly email updates on SOA/ WHINSEC and SOA Watch news stories, send a blank email to soainthenews-subscribe@lists.mutualaid.org.

School of the Americas Watch invites you to ...

	support a bill in Congress to close the SOA, especially during the lame duck session beginning Nov. 16.
	join the Witness for Peace - SOA Watch fact-finding delegation to Colombia, February 4-15,
	volunteer at the SOA Vigil: November 19-21, 2004 [11-1-04]

Don Beisswenger released after 6-month sentence for School of the Americas action

Gene TeSelle, Witherspoon's Issues Analyst, reports on the release of Don Beisswenger from federal prison after six months in prison for civil disobedience at the School of the Americas (SOA).

He was greeted by a group of supporters at the Nashville Peace and Justice Center on Friday afternoon after a four-hour trip from the Federal Correctional Institution in Manchester, KY. [10-4-04]

Peace Fellowship invites friends to join witness against School of the Americas, Nov. 19-21

Marilyn White (who has herself served time in prison for her participation in these non-violent actions) sends this invitation:

Help spread the word.
Join Us at Fort Benning, Georgia
November 19-21

Together We Will Shut Down the School of Assassins!
[9-23-04]

For over a decade, students, religious, labor, veterans, human rights, and social/global justice groups have been converging every November at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia, to speak out in solidarity with the people of the Americas and to engage in nonviolent direct action. We will gather again this year on November 20 and 21 to continue together in the struggle until the School of the Americas is closed and the policies it represents are changed forever!

The Saturday and Sunday events this year will be preceded by teach-ins, trainings, and caucuses on Friday, November 19. Continue to check the website (www.soaw.org) as plans unfold and various events are announced in more detail.

PPF has arranged for housing in Columbus and transportation from the Atlanta airport for Presbyterian participants. To join our group, contact Marilyn White at marwhite@igc.org or 281-554-2851. Arrange for your flight to arrive in Atlanta by noon on Friday, November 19 and to leave after 2:00 p.m. on Monday November 22.

Everyone is invited to the Presbyterian Peace Breakfast at the Holiday Inn North on Saturday, November 20 at 7:30 a.m. Please RSVP to Marilyn.

NEXT WEEK MAY SEE A VOTE TO CLOSE THE SOA! [7-10-04]

Click here for the School of the Americas Watch website.
This note comes from SOA Watch.

THE TIME FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION TO CLOSE THE SOA/WHINSEC IS NOW!!!!

The BEST OPPORTUNITY for a vote this session to close the SOA/WHINSEC may be coming sooner than expected! The Foreign Operations Appropriations bill is scheduled to be voted on by the full House of Representatives AS EARLY AS JULY 12th. Historically, we have had success in our legislative efforts when a Member of Congress has introduced an amendment to that bill to cut the funds for "scholarships" for the foreign security forces attending the SOA/WHINSEC, rendering the school inoperable. THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO CLOSE THE SOA. We can do it!

BACKGROUND:

The School of the Americas, renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in 2001, is a US-taxpayer funded military training school for Latin American soldiers located in Georgia. Cosmetic changes and slick public relations tactics have not addressed the fundamental issues in its deeply disturbing history, including its use of "torture training manuals" and the records of human rights abuses by many of its graduates. It remains a combat training school that provides dangerous skills to countries with serious on-going human rights problems. Despite attempts by the congressionally-mandated Board of Visitors to address some of the concerns that have been made over the years, It is symbolic of some of the worst in the history of US foreign policy, and the recent Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal further highlights the on-going need for a full-investigation and Defense Department accountability. For more information on the SOA/WHINSEC, visit www.soaw.org

THE CHALLENGE:

We have until the week of July 12th to reach out and influence our Representatives to take a stand for human rights and government accountability in foreign policy. You should be asking for co-sponsorship of HR 1258, the bill to close and investigate the SOA/WHINSEC. You can also alert them to a possible amendment to the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that would limit funds for foreign scholarships.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Below is a list of suggested actions, but don't be afraid to be creative!

Find out who your Representative is and how to contact them at www.congress.org. You'll also be able to researching your Member's voting record and priority issues. To see if they are a current HR 1258 co-sponsor, visit http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=96

Call the Member's DC office and ask to speak with the foreign policy staffer. Whether you speak with someone personally, or get directed to voicemail, be specific with your message, "I am a constituent and I am calling to urge Rep. ______ to sign on to HR 1258, the bill to close and investigate the SOA/WHINSEC, because______. I also want to tell you that there may be an amendment to the Foreign Operations bill next week to limit scholarship funding." Tell them that action is needed as soon as possible.

Visit http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id-&cat=4 for talking points and background info.

CAPITOL SWITCH BOARD: 800-839-5276; 202-225-3121

· Write a letter. Fax and/or email the DC and district office. Then ask other people to write letters. If you can, handwritten, personal letters are very influential. See link above for a sample.

· Hold an impromptu call-in party. At the next meeting of your SOAW group, religious congregation, school club, PTA, union, etc, or even dinner-party, take 15 minutes to pass around a cell phone and have people leave messages for the DC office. Not only will it be more fun for everyone; it will impress the offices the next morning to have a flood of voicemail.

· Keep a look out for urgent emails from SOA Watch announcing the day of the vote so we can flood the office with calls.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

For tips, sample letters, phone scripts, talking points, analysis, other action ideas -- visit SOAW's Legislative Action Center: http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=572 or contact the SOA Watch Office at 202-234-3440 or info@soaw.org.

KEEP UP THE CONGRESSIONAL PRESSURE AND ALL YOUR GREAT WORK!

Presbyterians arrested in School of Americas protest

Dwight Lawton, a member of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, reports on the sentencing of these demonstrators, and reflects on the reasons for their action. The Peace Fellowship also announces plans for another action this coming November. [8-28-01]

21 demonstrators face federal charges, possible imprisonment

by Evan Silverstein, Presbyterian News Service

COLUMBUS, GA -- 6-December-2000 -- At least five Presbyterians were among more than 1,700 protesters arrested here on Nov. 19 for taking part in a campaign to force the federal government to close the U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA) at nearby Fort Benning.

At least one Presbyterian is among the 21 people facing federal charges and possible imprisonment for taking part in the peaceful demonstration. Most of the people who were detained were merely processed and issued "ban and bar" letters forbidding their return to the post for five years.

For Ann Huntwork, a 69-year-old member of Westminister Presbyterian Church in Portland, OR, and a long-time opponent of the SOA, this arrest was her fourth in connection with protests at Fort Benning, which is about 85 miles southwest of Atlanta. Huntwork, who served as a missionary in Iran for 12 years, faces federal charges including resisting arrest, trespassing and destruction of federal property. She was detained after she and five others, including her husband, Bruce, dug shallow graves on the post in which they intended to bury dolls representing SOA victims.

Bruce Huntwork received a "ban and bar letter," while his wife's fate is in the hands of the judicial system.

"I feel like it's a privilege to be able to be engaged in looking at something that does so much damage," Ann Huntwork said, referring to the controversial military academy. She speculated that she might be sentenced to at least three months behind bars. "I feel very, very committed to continue working on this," she said. "I'll probably get out (of jail) and go back and do it again."

An estimated 3,500 protesters, including actor Martin Sheen, ventured onto the post during the protest. A total of 1,766 were detained and issued "ban and bar" letters, then processed and bused to a Columbus, GA, park, where they were released.

Many graduates of the School of Americas have been linked to torture, assassination and other human-rights abuses in Latin America.

Twenty-two members of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship (PPF), which has opposed the SOA for years, braved rain and chilly weather to take part in the demonstration, which was in its 11th year. At least two of six PPF members who crossed onto the base were arrested, according to Marilyn White of suburban Houston, TX, a former PPF co-moderator who helped organize the delegation but was not arrested during the demonstration.

[A note from your WebWeaver: My stepdaughter was there too, with 5 girls from her high school. How to make parents proud!!]

"We know now that it's more than just a street festival," White said of the Fort Benning action, which continues to grow in attendance each year. "Those of us who want to close the school are willing to stand out there in the freezing rain and cold, and keep coming back every year until it is closed."

PPF officials said at least 50 Presbyterians attended the protest, including students from Presbyterian-related colleges such as Warren Wilson in Asheville, NC, Peace College in Raleigh, NC, and Maryville College in Maryville, TN. The Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly has called repeatedly for the closing of the SOA, which has trained more than 60,000 Latin American military and police in counter-insurgency warfare over the past 50 years. PC(USA) was the first faith group to adopt an official policy of opposing the school.

Some protesters wore white "death masks" and carried crosses and coffins to symbolize the victims of SOA violence in Latin America. Thirty-two activists staged a re-enactment of a Colombian massacre, and were arrested. Others portrayed the 1989 assassination of six Jesuit priests and their co-workers by members of a paramilitary group in El Salvador, most of whom were "graduates" of the controversial school.

"Our family's journey to SOA is really a venture in faith for us," said Erik Johnson, a Presbyterian minister from Maryville, TN, who was arrested along with his 18-year-old daughter, Ingrid. "Part of coming to SOA is also joining in the hope that ... the violence raging in peoples' lives (in Central America) doesn't have to have the last word. We want to stand in solidarity with the hope that is born of their struggle."

Exact arrest figures were not available, but at least 21 people who had been issued "ban and bar" letters before last month's protest face charges in U.S. District Court ranging from criminal trespassing to vandalism. Of the 3,500 who approached the base, about 1,400 stopped short of the post and returned to the protest area.

The demonstration was part of two days of vigils, music and mourning sponsored by the School of the Americas Watch, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that opposes the school. As in previous years, estimates of the crowd differed wildly. Fort Benning officials put the number at 6,500; SOA Watch said 10,000 people took part.

"To be honest, I have never seen that kind of energy here, that kind of hope," said Father Roy Bourgeois, a Catholic priest and Vietnam war veteran who fueled early efforts to close the school by founding SOA Watch after the Jesuits were killed. "What's so encouraging ... is to see everyone still very focused. We're going to keep our hands on the plow until this school is shut down."

Alumni of the SOA, established in 1946 and funded by U.S. tax dollars, include Manuel Noriega, the ex-dictator of Panama, now imprisoned in the U.S. for drug running; Salvadoran death squad commander Roberto d'Abuisson; the Guatemalan military officers who led the killing of more than 200,000 indigenous Mayan Indians; the assassin of Salvadoran archbishop Oscar Romero; and 19 of the 27 soldiers identified as the killers of the six Jesuit priests and their housekeeper and her daughter in El Salvador.

Other Presbyterians arrested included Genevieve Yancey, a 79-year-old PPF member who worships at Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN, and the Rev. Allen Proctor of Raleigh, NC, a Presbyterian campus minister at North Carolina State University who accompanied nine students to the protest from N.C. State, Wake Technical Community College and Presbyterian-affiliated Peace College.

"They were upset about how our government participates in the disappearances and murders and massacres that happen in Latin America," Proctor said of the students, six of whom were arrested. "They felt it was our duty as Christians to give a Christian witness to our opposition to that U.S. policy."

Though recent congressional efforts to close or trim the SOA's budget have failed to win approval on Capitol Hill, Presbyterians remain committed to the fight to shut it down.

"It's thrilling and also saddening to be taking part in these vigils again," said the Rev. Leonard Bjorkman of Syracuse, NY, a co-moderator of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship who was not arrested at the protest. "But yet people have suffered, and we can't forget their suffering or ignore our (the United States') complicity in it. As Christian Americans we have to keep on doing what we can do to change our foreign policy. We must continue until the school is closed."