From: harelb@math.cornell.edu (misc.activism.progressive co-moderator)
Subject: Another "Democracy" -- Washington Style
Organization: misc.activism.progressive on UseNet ; ACTIV-L@UMCVMB
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 17:00:24 GMT

Another "Democracy" -- Washington Style

From Amnesty International's report
_El Salvador: `Death Squads' -- A Government Strategy_:

	"Efforts by El Salvador's independent and church-run human
rights organizations to investigate these killing have been hampered
by the harassment, intimidation, imprisonment, torture, mutilation,
extrajudicial execution and "disappearance" of their members..."

	"The military court system in El Salvador has routinely failed
to prosecute military personnel accused of involvement in torture,
"disappearance" and extrajudicial execution. The exclusive
jurisdiction of the military courts over members of the armed forces
provides a shield behind which armed forces personnel commit grave
crimes with impunity."

	"In exceptional cases in which military court jurisdiction has
been waived - notably the murder in 1981 of two American labour
advisers and their Salvadorian colleague - civilian courts have been
intimidated and proceeding obstructed by lack of cooperation by the
armed forces.

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

	"Amnesty International has concluded that the Salvadoran
`death squads' are simply used to shield the government from
accountability for the torture, `disappearance' and extrajudicial
executions committed in their name. The squads are made up of *regular
army and police agents*, acting in uniform or plain clothes, *under
the orders of superior officers*."  [emphasis added]
[Who Runs the ``Death Squads''", pp. 8-9]

	"The Salvadorian Government maintains that `death squad'-style
killings are the work of extremist groups beyond its control. However,
there is overwhelming evidence to suggest that the squads are made up
of regular troops and police -- that they form an intrinsic part of
the security apparatus" [Back cover]

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            =============================================
            T h e   " N i c a r a g u a   L i b r a r y "
            =============================================

*
* =========
* Nicaragua
* =========
*
  WHO-WERE CONTRAS    Contras' origins; make-up; practices - documented
  FSLN     H-RIGHTS  Documented HRs comparison w/Somoza,Guat,ES,others
  FSLN     MISKITOS  Sandinista treatment of Miskitos;Charges & Realit
  FSLN     NICAJEWS  Debunks charges of Sandinista 'Anti-Semitism'
*
  OXFAM84  NICARAG   Oxfam America's 1984 report on Nicaragua, in full
  FSLN     ACHIEVE   Documented: achievements of the Nica. revolution
*
  NICA-84  ELECTION  Documented: Fair under Sandinistas; US subversion
  FAIRNESS NICA-USA  Flwup:`Is Nicaragua More Democratic than the US?'
  NICRAGUA ELECTION  Study in US subversion of '90 Nicaraguan election

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