SOA Watch

Urge your Senator to Support the Release of WHINSEC Names

By entering your information below, your address and zip code will be matched with your Senator and your letter will automatically be directed to their office. After you send the message, follow up to make sure they received your request by calling the Congressional switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Ask to be connected with your Senator's office, and when you are connected, make sure to identify yourself as a constituent and ask to speak with the military affairs legislative assistant in the office. For more information about the legislative campaign, visit http://www.soaw.org/legislative

***Make sure to click the "Send a fax" button below!!***

February 09, 2010

Subject:

Dear Senator,

As your constituent, I urge you to support the public release of names, rank, country of origin, dates and courses attended for graduates and instructors of the SOA/ WHINSEC. As you may know, on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008, the House passed the McGovern- Sestak-Bishop (GA) amendment that would require the release of this information. In a decisive statement in favor of transparency and human rights, the amendment was agreed to with a wide margin of victory in a 220 - 189 vote. As you may know the School of the Americas, renamed WHINSEC, has a notorious history linked to serious crimes and human rights abuses throughout Latin America. In the past few years under WHINSEC, known human rights abusers have attended the school and WHINSEC instructors have been arrested in Colombia for returning home and aiding the drug cartels. None of this information would be known if the basic information about enrollment at WHINSEC were not disclosed. This information is vital to the work of Congress and human rights organizations who seek protection of human rights and promoting transparency, however all FOIA requests for this information are now being denied. I urge you to advocate, at any opportunity in committee, on the Senate floor, or in conference committee, the immediate release of this information to the public. Thank you.
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