Reply #97: Clark on the School of the Americas

[Tinoire]

"Kirk S." of Concord, NH asked Gen. Clark at Concord High School on January 8 about his continued support of the School of the Americas (SOA)

Kirk asked, "What can we do to reform the school?"

Clark responded, "It's not true that the school is connected to human rights abuses. Those things happened 25 years ago and nothing like that has happened since. You're uninformed."

http://www.birddogger.org/news.php?id=151

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Question #1: A recent newspaper story says that you are a big booster of the controversial School of the Americas, the school that trained and graduated brutal dictators like Manuel Noriega and dictators from Haiti, Argentina and Chile. This is also the school that trained Salvadoran soldiers that executed six Jesuit priests, their cook and her daughter. Is it true that you delivered a commencement speech there a few years ago. And you said in testimony to Congress, There is nothing going on in these institutions that you in the United States Congress wouldn't be extraordinarily proud of?

General Clark: That's exactly right. That's exactly what I said. And I'll tell you why. Because, from the time the School of the Americas got started, it's been changed. A lot. We screen every student who goes there. And they are taught human rights instruction in every class. And it's not a school that's teaching any of the things that those people do. People that do things that are wrong, they are graduates of the School of the Americas, should be prosecuted. And many of them were. And Manuel Noriega is in jail thanks to the USA. But, that's not the majority. That's a tiny minority of the people who've been at the School of the Americas. What the School of the Americas does is teach human rights. And it's the only school we have that really does it. It's responsible for promoting human rights across Central America and South America. And rather than try to banish it, we should be rewarding it and encouraging people to come and supporting the minimal appropriations it takes to bring those foreign students here. Because, they truly are the people who have the opportunity to learn our values and they are our best hope for preventing human rights abuses in Central and South America. :wow:

<snip>

Question #2: Sir, I'm still reeling from your answer to the young lady here about the School of the Americas. But, its somewhat mitigated by your answer about respect to our neighbors that you gave on this side. The third recipient of foreign aid from the United States is Columbia. And part of that has to do with the drug trafficking, the drug problem we have here. Can you please tell me your position on the Black Columbia, which is most of the foreign aid, military aid, to Columbia.

General Clark: <snip>

First of all, ask yourself this. Have you been there? Have any of you been to the School of the Americas and seen it in the classroom? Have you seen the curriculum? Have you talked to the people who've been there? OK, but I have. I was in charge of it. And, I'm not going to have been in charge of a school that I can't be proud of and can't support. In countries in South America, there have been a lot of problems over time. And when we started the School of the Americas, we didn't have the same integrity and feeling for human rights that we do today. It was started as a cold war artifact. It was designed to promote anti-Communism. And a lot of its graduates went on to take over their countries.

<snip>

<snip> But, I can't get to Father Berrigan. And no matter what I've tried to do to get him to take an honest and objective look at the School of the Americas, he doesn't seem to want to do it.

So, I think it's real important that we keep that school. And that's why I'm defending it to you. And, I'll stake my credibility on it. <snip> I think we should be proud of it. Its one of the great things our country is doing to try to help Latin America.

http://www.birddogger.org/news.php?id=152

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Irene asked, "You've stated repeatedly that you support the School of the Americas. In November of last year you were asked by a NH citizen about the many documented Human Rights abuses committed by SOA graduates. At the time you replied, "Imagine the things that would have happened if these soldiers hadn't been taught our principles of Democracy" and that you thought the school was "a good thing" and you "wouldn't kill it." Can you explain this position in light of the fact that many of the teaching materials used at the SOA involved methods of torture?"

Clark challenged the elderly woman (Irene) who asked the question by asking, "Have you seen these teaching materials?"

Irene responded that that no, she hadn't, but knew others who had.

Clark assured her that they didn't exist.

He also stated, "We're teaching police procedures and human rights . . . we don't teach torture . . . never taught torture."

<snip>

Gen. Clark repeated these remarks and challenge at the end of the "town hall meeting" which was covered by dozens of local and national media. This question was the only one that seemed to rattle his chains. He definitely seemed annoyed.

http://www.birddogger.org/news.php?id=150

I didn't get called on during the Q&A, though I did get his attention afterward when he was shaking hands. I asked him what the thought about the upcoming protests at the SOA and where he stood on the school's operation.

He said that he had once taught there and that he supported the school. When I aksed about the many documented Human Rights abuses commited by SOA graduates, his reply was, " Imagine the things that would have happened if these soldiers hadn't been taught our principles of Democracy." I then asked him if he would support the schools closing and he said "I think the school's a good thing, and no I wouldn't kill it."

http://www.birddogger.org/news.php?id=117