European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Field instruction at the school of the americas when it was in Panama. Not some Call it a school of dictators by Lauran Neergaard the associated press the clamor against the school of the americas at fort Bening ga., grows along with the Dishonour Roll of the school s alumni Manuel Noriega. Argentinian Gen Leopoldo Galtieri whose seizure of the Falkland islands sparked a War with Britain. Five of the salvadoran soldiers charged with murdering six Jesuit priests and two women in 1989 critics Call it the Quot school of the dictators Quot a a place where the United states trains latin american soldiers in ways to suppress their people. But the army insists the school emphasizes human rights. The purpose officials say is to gain friends and train allies a by to Osterg military education. Quot you could t hold us responsible for an irresponsible action on the part of a few Quot said commandant col Jose Feliciano Quot our Mission to promote this multinational cooperation is very important it is one that i truly believe helps our country make friends and get along with other  dictators Quot we be trained Over 50,000 soldiers. There a not 50,000 dictators out there Quot he said with a laugh. The school established in 1946 and moved to fort Benning from Panama in 1984, has trained 54,000 latin american soldiers in . Military tactics. Most of the soldiers Are from Colombia and Al Salvador. The school operates at a Cost of $4.5 million a year a third of which is billed to the 17 participating countries. They pay out of . Aid a essentially getting free training Feliciano said a a they re my customers. If my training a Good i get More students Quot he said. Quot in a very High on the army s priority list. I get the Best  the countries typically Send their top soldiers to the school. It. Col. Raul Estrada graduated in the top 10 percent of his class in a Honduras military school and was sent to fort Benning As a Reward so was maj. Victor Cuellar of Bolivia. Manuel Noriega is among the graduates. Courses Range from 10 weeks to a year. Recently 39 officers from nine latin american nations listened As maj. John Dimmey explained a Belgium a s. Operation to free hostages from rebels in the Congo in 1964. A colombian officer asked Why . Forces intervened when the rebels had t threatened to kill the hostages. Diviney responded that some hostages were killed but that the rebels dispersed when . And belgian forces approached. The course is identical to one Given . Officers at Kansas fort Leavenworth except it is conducted in Spanish. It prepares latin american soldiers to serve with . Forces in conflicts like the persian Gulf War course director maj. William Acker said. The most controversial courses Are special operations Low intensity conflict classes. They include counter narcotics a the most popular course a As Well As sniper and commando training military intelligence psychological operations and propaganda. Feliciano says Low intensity conflict is merely a term used in teaching soldiers How to counter rebels and Quot protect the sovereignty of their countries just like we would in our  but dozens of protesters who have marched on the school in the past year waging hunger strikes and throwing blood on school Headquarters say these courses perpetuate Al Salvador s 11-year civil War with marxist rebels. A flow intensity conflict is the army phrase for the War against civilians and children in Al Salvador by soldiers a said the Rev. Roy Bourgeois serving an 18-month prison sentence for trespassing during a protest at the school. Quot the soldiers target anyone they can claim is a subversive and torture or kill them. That includes anyone who thinks there is room for Reform Quot he said. Bourgeois says the six slain Jesuit priests were victims of the strategy. According to congressional investigations on nov. 16, 1989, salvadoran soldiers entered Central american University and executed the priests their Cook and her 15-year-old daughter. Eight soldiers were charged with premeditated murder and jailed a ninth is a fugitive. Five of those charged trained at the school of the americas taking courses in such topics As combat arms. Feliciano said that in response to Public and congressional concerns Over human rights the school strongly emphasizes such training. All soldiers Are taught Basic human rights Laws including the Geneva convention. Estrada the student from Honduras said discussions of human rights Quot Are spread through the whole course. Its not these Are human rights one two three four. Its discussed  Cuellar said latin american soldiers have studied human rights in their own nations but at fort Benning the discussions become  Quot normally people say governments that Are dictatorships violate human rights a he said. Quot but amnesty International says countries like the United states violate human rights too. We saw their 1990 Book. Its a laundry list including democratic governments that violated human  Feliciano said exposure to . Soldiers and the american Way of life reinforces the lesson on human nights. Thus their training includes visits to Disney world and dinners in private Homes. Quot we show them How caring a . Member of the armed forces is. They saw shots. Taken of prisoners Hurt and afraid on the Battlefield in Iraq and our soldiers caring for them Quot Feliciano said. He claimed that human rights conditions in latin America and particularly Al Salvador have improved since he Early 1980s. Quot i think the school has played a role in that Quot he said. At the school violence is downplayed. Officers say nowhere else in the world can leaders of countries with Long histories of hostilities study together peacefully. Quot really the Best thing of All is the Chance to meet soldiers from All the different countries Quot said col. Jose Portugal of Brazil. Quot there s no other institution where for example chileans and argentinians can sit siae by Side at dinner Quot d Viney said. Quot everybody a called a truce and nobody shit anybody  five of the Al Salvador soldiers charged in the 1989 slayings of six Jesuit priests and two others had trained at the school. Argentine Gen. Leopoldo isl Tlell triggered a War with great Britain by invading the falklands. The Rev. Roy Bourgeois is serving a prison term for trespassing on school of the americas property during a protest. Page 14 b the stars and stripes monday october 28, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 15