Bearing Witness to Negroponte Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit source - "Andres Thomas Conteris" Dear friends, On Thursday, Sept. 13, 2001, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing to consider John Negroponte's nomination to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The sister of a man who disappeared in Honduras in Septermber 1981 asked me to be present at the hearing and hold a sign saying, "Manfredo Velazquez -- Presente" which I did. Three senators raised tough questions regarding Negroponte's knowledge and connection to human rights violations in Honduras and his contacts with right-wing contra forces. The nominee's responses sought to minimize his knowledge and participation in wrongdoing. He went so far as to deny any knowledge of the existence of the infamous death squad called Battalion 316 which was very active during his tenure as ambassador in Honduras from 1981-85. He claimed he did not hear about this battalion until reading an article by Steven Kinzer in the New York Times in 1988. No independent witnesses were allowed to testify at the hearing. One witness who could have given evidence of Negroponte's criminal activities would have been the Honduran Human Rights Commissioner, Dr. Leo Valladares. In 1994 he charged Negroponte personally with several human rights abuses. After listening to the blatant lies being told to Senators, I decided to stand and speak to the committee saying that the people of Honduras believe that Mr. Negroponte has engaged in state terrorism. I was escorted out of the room by police. While detained in the hallway, I spoke to journalists saying that I worked in Honduras for 5 years as a human rights advocate. I had hoped to be a voice for the voiceless who were not permitted to speak directly about the crimes that John Negroponte has committed. Miraculously, I was not arrested for speaking out. The committee later voted 14 to 3 approving the nomination. The full Senate approved him the next day in a voice vote. During these very difficult times in our world, it is important to mourn all the victims of violence. We grieve those killed by terrorists on September 11, as well as those who died 20 years ago as a result of U.S. policy promoting terrorism in Central America, especially since a number of individuals are now in key positions of authority. How many more will have to be killed in the coming weeks and months by any kind of terrorism before we realize that violence is not the answer? It is up to each of us to explore creative ways to appeal to the conscience of those in power and others to promote life and nonviolence. Paz, Andrés Thomas Conteris aconteri@capaccess.org ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytcamer-09.23.01-06:34:38-27192