From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: ARGENTINA TO INVESTIGATE BRITISH POW EXECUTIONS
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 23:41:29 GMT

/** reg.samerica: 155.0 **/
** Topic: IPS: Argentina to Investigate Charg **
** Written 10:31 am  Aug 30, 1992 by josefina in cdp:reg.samerica **
From: Josefina Velasquez <josefina>
Subject: IPS: Argentina to Investigate Charges

/* Escrito 12:09 am  Aug 27, 1992 por newsdesk en cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "ARGENTINA: INVESTIGATION INTO MALVI" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Europe, western
Title: ARGENTINA: INVESTIGATION INTO MALVINA MILITARY EXECUTIONS

buenos aires, aug 24 (ips) -- argentina's armed forces will
investigate charges that british troops executed prisoners during
the falklans/malvinas islands war, argentine foreign minister
guido di tella announced monday.

the initiation of an argentine investigation follows on last
week's announcement that the british government was officially
looking into the affair.

di tella said that new evidence had surfaced supporting the
charges, originally made in london, of human rights abuses during
the falklands/malvinas war ten years ago.

defense minister erman gonzalez confirmed the investigation,
but said its scope would be limited to ''a gathering of
opinions'' and accounts from former combattants.

according to gonzalez, while the official testimony following
the war does not support the charges of human rights abuses,
''one cannot discount the possibility that for some reason (the
denounciations) were omitted at some point.''

osvaldo destefanes, president of the ''national volunteers,''
accused british forces of ''serious physical crimes and repeated
assassinations,'' against argentine prisoners.

destefanes, whose account corroborates that of other former
fighters, also said that shipwrecked argentine soldiers were
machine-gunned by british troops.

the british ambassador in buenos aires, humphrey maud, said on
monday that the opening of an investigation in london indicated
the seriousness of the original charges made by british
parachutist vincent bramley.

bramley, who fought in the falklands/malvinas, wrote in his
1991 book, ''excursion to hell,'' that british forces executed at
least seven prisoners, three of whom were u.s. mercenaries
fighting alongside argentine forces.

maud, along with his counterpart, mario campora, argentine
ambassador in london, said that the investigations would not
affect relations and cooperation accords signed between the two
countries in 1990.

in the united kingdom, the investigation has been turned over
to scotland yard, which will interview veterans of the conflict.

debate in argentina over bramley's book has pitted high
government and military officials against veteran of the
conflict. the former have consisitently denied the allegations,
while the latter say they presented evidence, including the names
of victims, immediately following the war. (more/ips)
----


argentina: investigation (2)

bramley claims the executions took place following the battle
for mount langdon -- fought on june 11 and 12, 1982 -- in which
29 argentine and 23 british soldiers died.

colonel carlos carrizo, who was in charge of the region at the
time, and general marin balza, a veteran of the conflict, both
deny the charges of executions and abuse.

however, former soldiers jorge ferreyra, luis nunez, ernesto
vallejo and julio godoy, veterans of the battle of mount longdon,
all backed bramley's account of the executions.

destefanes said that the executions had been consistently
reported by argentine soldiers, both in public and before
military tribunals, ''but up until now, there has been no
investigation.'' (end/ips/sp/trd/ff/sfi/eli/92)
----



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