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by Kelli McCall '00 Last Spring following the Peace Prize Forum, five Mid-western schools were invited to visit the United States Army School of the Americas to get the military's side of its controversial operations. Professor Kris Thalhammer, Derek Burrows, Jeff Carlson and I had the opportunity of representing St. Olaf on this fact finding mission. The United States Army School of the Americas (USARSA) was established at Ft. Gulick, Panama, in 1946 to promote the professional training of military officials and personnel of the US Army and other Latin American countries. It moved from Panama to Fort Benning, Georgia in 1984 as one of the concessions to the Carter-Torrijos Panama Canal Treaty in 1977. It has been a questionable establishment in the eyes of many Latin Americans and United States citizens alike since its commencement. Maryknoll priest Roy Bourgeois, is one of the main opposing voices in the campaign against the USARSA. He developed a grassroots organization, SOA Watch, that has worked for the last ten years to expose the school's human rights record and lobby to have the school shut down. Their research reveals connections between many USARSA graduates and a number of scandalous military coups, repressive dictators, human rights abuses, religious persecutions and illegal drug operations throughout Latin America. Before leaving for Ft. Benning our delegation met in Minneapolis to share the information we had all gathered and to be debriefed by Jack Nelson-Palmeyer, who has written a numbed of books regarding the United States involvement, especially militarily, in the atrocities that disappeared and murdered thousands throughout Latin America. We left the next morning armed with many difficult questions, and at least in my case, a sense that nothing they could tell me at the school could sway me into believing that it is necessary or produces positive results in Latin America. We flew early on a US Army C-130 Hercules cargo plane to the army base. We were greeted by the Lutheran Chaplain, Major Ruben Colon and the head of the School of the Americas portion of the base, Colonel Glenn Weidner. We were on a tight schedule the entire day which unfortunately for us, left us little time to ask all of our questions. We had three information sessions, we toured the library, sat in on a couple of classes (that were taught in Spanish), and watched a cultural presentation on Venezuelan independence. Colonel Weidner spent a great deal of time explaining the history and economics of Latin America and why the school is essential in carrying out US foreign policy in the region. He also defended the school from the accusations of teaching torture, promoting human rights abuses, and supporting harsh dictatorships. One of their main defenses is the fact that the courses range in length and in content. For example, can the school be blamed for the actions of its graduates if the soldier was only there for a two week course on building radios? The USARSA also contests to having human rights being a part of the curriculum taught at the school. Weidner also said that the protesters against the School of the Americas do not have all the facts and in some respects are deceitful with the evidence they present. To be perfectly honest I was surprised by some aspects of the school. The people we met were not hard-core military men who only had hearts for bloodshed and war. They were instead, people who felt compassion for the Latin American people and who truly believed what they were doing was in some ways improving the situation of the people. I also believe that the school facilitates a way for the soldiers to develop relationships and diplomatic skills with people from other countries because they are in a neutral territory, all in the same situation and are bringing in experience from many different Latin American countries on different issues. The USARSA has also expanded its curriculum from what it had originally taught. Today, they are focusing some of the training on humanitarian aid and not just military strategies. It is also possible to read literature on liberation theology in the library, something that would have probably been unheard of in the 1980's. What does all of this mean? Am I now a big supporter of the School of the Americas? No. These of course, are only some of the arguments presented by either side. My observations and conclusions from the visit are somewhat limited because of the short time we spent there, who we talked to and what we were allowed to see. Much of the "truth" of what really happened in Latin America and its connection to the United States has been lost and/or destroyed. I did realize however, that there is always more to every issue than either side presents and that the resolution is never as clear as black or white. Instead it must lie somewhere in the gray area where compromise, understanding and dialogue are all present in the light of truth. Perhaps it will be some time before this happens but it is encouraging to know that each of us has a voice and that it can be heard.
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