Reply #28: Here are excerpts from their training manual

[Hoppin_Mad]

HOW can you be defending the SOA ? !

http://www.soawne.org/SOAManuals.html

Manual Excerpts Deemed "Completely Consistent with U.S. Law and Human Rights Policy":

I. The following excerpts, typical of the manuals as a whole, recommend that Latin American militaries preemptively infiltrate opposition political parties, youth groups, unions, civil society organizations; use children, doctors and clergy as sources; take advantage of humanitarian aid programs; and view legal political campaigning as potentially subversive.

"We have already seen how a relatively small number of individuals can come to control an organization by infiltration and fixed elections. The government can inform itself in a timely way about insurgents' activity in these organizations, by placing its agents in all organizations that it suspects could interest the insurgent group. Among the main organizations of this type can be mentioned political parties, unions and youth and student groups." ("Handling of Sources," p. 7)

"AGE: The employees worthy of greatest confidence are mature, objective and emotionally stable individuals.... Children are, at least, very observant and can provide precise information about things they have seen and heard, if they are interrogated in the appropriate manner." ("Handling of Sources," p. 26)

"The insurgents try to influence the direction, control and authority that is exercised over the nation in general and in the administration of the political system. The insurgents are active in the areas of political nominations, political organizations, political education, and judicial laws. They can resort to subverting the government by means of elections in which the insurgents cause the replacement of an unfriendly government official to one favorable to their cause. The insurgent activity can include disbursing campaign funds to gain members and organizing political meetings for their candidates.... Also, insurgent leaders can participate in political races as candidates for government posts." ("Revolutionary War, Guerillas and Communist Ideology," 1989, p. 51)

"The CI agent should take advantage of the aid programs through which the government provides food, clothing, health care and housing for the population. As these are programs with which the government is identified, it is possible to persuade the individuals who have benefitted from them to collaborate in the search for people ready to work with the government." ("Handling of Sources," p. 34)

"Teachers, doctors, social workers and clergy in a local area also can provide a lot of information to the CI agent. These individuals usually have a close relationship with the population and enjoy their respect. They usually maintain a variety of files that can be a useful source of information." ("Handling of Sources," p. 35)

"Before the guerillas take control: The CI agent should consider all organizations as possible guerilla sympathizers. He ought to train and locate informants inside these organizations to inform him about activities and discover any indication of a latent insurrection. We are especially interested in identifying the members of the guerillas commando structure, its political structure and base of support. By infiltrating informants in the diverse youth, workers, political, business, social and charitable organizations, we can identify the organizations that include guerillas among their members. The agent can also identify the relatives of these guerillas, their supporters and sympathizers of the insurrectionary movement.... The CI agent also should investigate other organizations that are not yet under the guerillas' control, since doubtless these will include members who sympathize with the insurrectionary movement; for that reason, it is essential to identify those persons." ("Handling of Sources," p. 75)

"Organizations or groups that are able to be a potential threat to the government also must be identified as targets. Even though the threat may not be apparent, insurgents frequently hide subversive activity behind front organizations. Examples of hostile organizations or groups are paramilitary groups, labor unions, and dissident groups." ("Terrorism and the Urban Guerilla," p. 112)

II. The following excerpts recommend that Latin American militaries institute repressive, controlling measures over the local population, making black lists of suspected civilians, instituting checkpoints, ID cards, curfews and rationing systems, and enforcing measures through arrests and exile. There is no discussion in any of the manuals about a state of siege or other legal measures that would provide a legal basis for such suspension of civil liberties and democratic guarantees. "CIVILIAN SECURITY: In all cases the mission of the military forces has priority over the well-being of the civilians in the area.

Examples of the civilian security measures are: Systematic registering of the civilian personnel, including the neutral foreigners and enemies: This is done by the civilian affairs agency and includes the distribution of rationing cards, work permits, travel permits and permits for crossing borders.... Surveillance of suspect political groups: one should find out whether other groups are sympathetic to enemy cause. Such groups must always be considered potential agents." ("Counterintelligence," pp. 10-11)