To close the United States Army School of the Americas.

(Introduced in the House)

HR 611 IH

105th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 611

To close the United States Army School of the Americas.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 5, 1997

Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts (for himself, Mr. MEEHAN, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr.
BONIOR, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. STARK, Ms. RIVERS, Mr. VENTO, Mr. CONYERS, Mr.
BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mr.
MARKEY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. KLUG, Mr. SERRANO, Mr.
GEJDENSON, Ms. VELAZQUEZ, Mr. OLVER, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. GUTIERREZ,
Mr. KLECZKA, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. BORSKI, Mr. EVANS, Mr. MINGE, Mr. BARCIA, Mr.
BALDACCI, Mr. SANDERS, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. TOWNS,
Mr. ENGEL, Mr. BROWN of California, and Mr. HALL of Ohio) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on National Security

A BILL

To close the United States Army School of the Americas.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) The School is the only large United States training facility in which
foreign military personnel are not integrated into regular United States
military training courses.

(2) Closing the School would not bar United States training of Latin
American armed forces--but simply require that it take place in the normal
fashion, alongside United States military personnel in their regular
classes, as is the case with other foreign military trainees in the United
States.

(3) Continued operation of the School of the Americas, with its history and
tradition of abusive graduates, stands as a barrier to establishing a new
and constructive relationship with Latin American militaries after the cold
war.

(4) The United States Army School of the Americas graduates include some of
the worst human rights abusers in our hemisphere, including:

(A) El Salvador death squad leader Roberto D'Abuisson.

(B) Panamanian dictator and drug dealer Manuel Noriega.

(C) Haitian coup leader Raoul Cedras.

(D) Nineteen Salvadoran soldiers linked to the 1989 murder of six Jesuit
priests, their housekeeper and her daughter.

(E) Col. Julio Roberto Alpirez, Guatemalan officer linked in the deaths of
an American innkeeper.

(F) Hector Gramajo, former Guatemalan defense minister found liable in
United States court for abduction, rape, and torture of Sister Dianna Ortiz,
a United States citizen.

(G) Argentinian dictator Leopoldo Galtieri, leader of the `dirty little war'
responsible for the deaths of 30 civilians.

(H) Two of the three killers of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.

(I) Ten of the twelve officers responsible for the murder of 900 civilians
in the El Salvadoran village El Mozote.

(J) Three of the five officers involved in the 1980 rape and murder of four
United States churchwomen in El Salvador.

(5) Continued operation of the School continues to associate the United
States with the abuses of its graduates.

(6) In October, 1996, then Secretary of Defense Perry announced that the
United States plans to create an Inter-American Center for Defense Studies
to provide professional training and education relevant to defense
management in a democratic constitutional context to individuals from
throughout the Americas.

SEC. 2. CLOSURE OF UNITED STATES ARMY SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS.

(a) CLOSURE REQUIRED- Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of the Army shall close the military education
and training facility known as the United States Army School of the Americas
at Fort Benning, Georgia.

(b) REPEAL OF STATUTORY AUTHORITY- Section 4415 of chapter 407 of title 10,
United States Code, is repealed. The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 407 of such title is amended by striking out the item relating to
such section.



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