School of the Americas protesters sentenced Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit **School of the Americas protesters sentenced** (Reprinted from the January 31, 1998 issue of the People's Weekly World. May be reprinted or reposted with PWW credit. For subscription information see below) Special to the World Twenty-two people from all over the country, including veterans, students, workers and clergy and lay people, were sentenced in federal court on Jan. 22 to six months in prison and fined $3,000 for criminal trespass at Fort Benning, Georgia, home of the infamous U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA). The protesters were among 601 arrested last November when they entered the fort carrying white crosses and coffins holding petitions containing nearly a million signatures calling for the closing of the SOA. The 22 had participated in previous demonstrations to close the school and had been barred from the base. The SOA has time and time again been linked to human rights abuses in Latin America. Its graduates have been responsible for the killing of thousands. In a September 1996 article, the Washington Post reported that U.S. Army Intelligence manuals used for training at SOA from 1982- 1991 "advocated executions, torture, blackmail and other forms of coercion." Judge Robert Elliot, who presided over the trial, gave the protesters the maximum prison sentence. Elliot's history of handing out harsh sentences dates back to the civil rights movement. Sr. Rita Steinhagen, 69, from Minneapolis, said, "There's something wrong when we who participate in a solemn funeral procession are sent to prison, while the SOA graduates who did the killing get amnesty and will not spend one day behind bars." Ann Tiffany, 62, a nurse from Syracuse, N.Y., said, "It's a crime to spend millions ... to teach combat skills to Latin American soldiers, while school budgets ... and social programs are cut." According to Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy (D-Mass.), "Every time an SOA graduate is implicated in a human rights violation, America's image suffers another black eye. And as our image is further degraded, our credibility in Latin America erodes." A September 1997 vote to cut funding to the SOA came within four votes of passing. In February of last year Kennedy again introduced legislation (HR-611) calling for closing SOA. In June, Sen. Richard Durban (D-Ill.) introduced similar legislation (S-980) in the Senate. Congress is expected to vote later this year on these two bills. To help in the campaign to close the school, contact your senators and representative and ask them to cosponsors the bills. You can also contact SOA Watch, P.O. Box 3330, Columbus GA 31903. SOA Watch has worked to close the SOA since 1990. ##30## ************************************************************ *** * Read the Peoples Weekly World * ********* **** * Sub info: pww@igc.apc.org * **** * **** 235 W. 23rd St. NYC 10011 *** * ** **** * $20/yr - $1-2 mos trial sub * **** * *** * * ********* ************************************************************ Tired of the same old system: Join the Communist Party, USA Info: CPUSA@rednet.org; or (212) 989-4994; or http://www.hartford-hwp.com/cp-usa ************************************************************ ================================================================= 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-02.05.98-00:21:32-15192