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Tennesseans Gather at the Gates of Fort Benning to Shut Down the SOA
Nov 20, 2005
Originally published by the Tennessee Independent Media Center
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by Liz Barger
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Tennesseans from Knoxville, Nashville and Summertown are some of the thousands of people from the hemisphere to call for the shut down of the notorious SOA/WHINSEC School. Reports of torture and terrorism being perpetrated many graduates of the school have been documented. |
 Sixteen members of Peaceroots Alliance from the Farm Community near Summertown and Columbia, TN have arrived in Columbus, Georgia. Busloads of students and Citizens from Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville are also arriving to join the protest.
Joey king, a Ranger from Nashville, TN, who graduated 20 years ago will be giving his Ranger patch back at the protest. King had his father pin his Ranger patch on when he graduated from the Ranger program in 1984. This year Mr. King has grown ashamed of what is happening at the former school of Americas, which has been renamed WHINSEC.
 Thousands of South and Central American troops have been brought into the school located at Ft. Benning to be trained in counter insurgency and terrorist techniques that are used against civilians in their own countries.
 Thousands of people have died at the hands of the graduates of this school that has kept torture manuals in its curriculum. As the weekends events to close the school of the Americas started and thousands of people converged in Columbus, Georgia, we received sad news from our friends in the Colombian Peace community of San Jos de Apartad.
 On Thursday, November 17, 2005, troops commanded by General Luis Alonzo Zapata attacked and killed Arleen Salsa David, a leader of the peace community. More than 10,000 Colombian soldiers have been trained at the Soa/Whinsec. Colombia continues to send more soldiers to the soap than any other countrywith chilling results. Graduates of the school are consistently cited for human rights abuses.  The U.S. is an active contributor to the war in Colombia providing billions in military aid and training to the Colombian military. Movements for justice in the Americas need to stand in solidarity with the people of Colombia, work to change U.S. foreign policy and close the SOA.
General Luis Alonzo Zapata, which has commanded The 17th brigade of the Colombian army since May 2005, was trained in counter-insurgency at the school of the Americas. He attended the small-unit infantry Tactics c-7 course to become familiar with small-unit operational concepts and principles at the Squad and platoon level, [to] receive training in planning and conducting small-unit tactical Operations.
- the San Jos de Apartad Peace Community wrote today, November 18, 2005:
 - we make an appeal for national and international support, so that our extermination can be stopped; so that the inhabitants of the whole region of arenas atlas are not forced to become internally displaced, which the army has told us is their objective. The serious and committed work that Arleen was carrying out will guide us. We will continue to cry Dignity out loud, like he taught us to do during his daily chores and his commitment to the community. His two small children will continue to walk besides us, building a different tomorrow in which there will be respect for life. Arleen, our tears accompany this horror but you are with us, giving us life. Thank you for your leadership, your commitment. Someday history will judge those who murdered you. |
This work is in the public domain. |
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