Latin America, the U.S. Army School of the Americas and the Panama Canal Zone (1967)

http://thefilmarchive.org/

The Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHISC or WHINSEC), formerly the United States Army School of the Americas (USARSA or SOA; Spanish: Escuela de las Américas) is a United States Department of Defense educational and training facility at Fort Benning near Columbus, Georgia in the United States. Established by the US government for teaching law enforcement and military techniques to US allies in the rest of the Americas, it has been criticized for training Latin American dictators and their militaries in various techniques to quell dissidence in their countries.

In 1946, in the early days of the Cold War, the Latin American Training Center -- U.S. Ground Forces was established in the Atlantic sector of the Panama Canal Zone, in the US army base of Fort Amador. During 1949 it was expanded and became the U.S. Army Caribbean Training Center, seated into a former hospital building on the grounds of Fort Gulick (now housing the Melia Hotel).

It was once again expanded and renamed the U.S. Army School of the Americas in 1963. It relocated to Fort Benning in 1984, following the signing of the Panama Canal Treaty. More than 61,000 military personnel attended these United States Army schools.

The School of the Americas was criticized concerning the human rights violations performed by a number of its graduates, WHINSEC argues "that no school should be held accountable for the actions of its graduates."

According to the Center for International Policy, "The School of the Americas had been questioned for years, as it trained many military personnel before and during the years of the "national security doctrine" — the dirty war years in the Southern Cone and the civil war years in Central America — in which the armed forces within several Latin American countries ruled or had disproportionate government influence and committed serious human rights violations in those countries." SOA and WHINSEC graduates continue to surface in news reports regarding both current human rights cases and new reports.

Defenders argue that today the curriculum includes human rights, but according to Human Rights Watch, "training alone, even when it includes human rights instruction, does not prevent human rights abuses." U.S. Army Maj. Joe Blair, a former director of instruction at the school, said, "there are no substantive changes besides the name. [...] They teach the identical courses that I taught, and changed the course names and use the same manuals."

On June 28, 1996, a report issued by the Intelligence Oversight Board stated that "School of the Americas ... used improper instruction materials in training Latin American officers from 1982 to 1991. ... certain passages appeared to condone practices such as execution of guerrillas, extortion, physical abuse, coercion, and false imprisonment." It was determined that the materials had never actually been used for instruction but were part of additional reading materials which had not been properly reviewed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_the_americas

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[jamescs1969]

I love how they casually talk about how many coups/revolutions were happening the "Latin America". Our CIA had a hand in every God Damn one. The information they leave out slaps you in the face if you know the history.

[mcfrdmn]

Interesting video.

[nicklessz]

well made, not something you'd see now

[cliffworks4321]

@jamescs1969 LOL no one reads anymore! I was with the USO working in hospitals allover VN from Saigon to Quang Tri to Vung Tau on bases, jungle camps with Rangers training little Cambodian boys they 'd ship across border to fight our war. Lots of crazy stuff. From 95 -98 lived in Cambodia reported on their insanity. HunSen is former N VN solider, members of his staff say their histories were destroyed by the KR so no ones

background can be verified, some are known NVN. 

[jamescs1969]

@cliffworks4321 Veitnam Huh! That must have been a trip. Just yesterday was sittn' down at the VAUSD with a buddy who did his time very early in Vietnam. You know. When we weren't there. I'm not a vet. Was following my brother in when a buisness op. came up. Anyway, the authors are safe. No one reads anymore. Many involved are proud of the dirt they did. Probably would thank them for the publicity. Blow a current op? Different story. Strange times lately. How's it compare to the 60's/70's.

[cliffworks4321]

@jamescs1969 check out some of their clips on you tube, and they have written excellent books, wonder how they are allowed to live considering all they reveal

[cliffworks4321]

@cliffworks4321 my last day in Vietnam Sept 25,1972 I met the great Gen. FredC. Weyand who told me, Cliff I know you've seen lot out there, don't believe everything you saw. I replied no sir I'll believe everything you tell me I saw. We both cracked up. RIP General.

[jamescs1969]

@cliffworks4321 Oh re he he heally! I'll have to look into their work more closely. Thanks!

[alejandraCD5]

Thanks for this amazing documentation...

;)

[cliffworks4321]

@jamescs1969 yup chalmers johnson and john perkins are but two who have written extensively about the USA's criminal acts in S America and elsewhere.