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Presenter sheds light on training schools
By Diana Matusewic
 Media Credit: Blair Schlichte Activist Molly Anne Mossy presented information to aware people about training facilities called School of Americas.
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"Changing the World Piece by Piece," a Women on Wednesnday event, presented information pertaining to Latin American terroist training schools in America.
Speaker, Molly Anne Mossey, a St. Ben's student and activist, said after graduation from these facilities , attendees are sent back to their country.
The training facilities are called the School Of Americas (SOA).
Mossey explained that SOA was originally established in Panama in 1946 with the intent of advancing Latin American and Caribbean militaries. It's now located in Ft. Benning, Ga.
"The school was kicked out of Panama in 1984 because (as the former Panamanian President Jorge Illueca) stated, 'the school of the America was the biggest base for destabilization in Latin America,"' Mossey said.
In 2001, SOA had its name changed to: Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Corporation (WHISC). However, the training remains the same, said Mossey.
Mossey said that often after the people graduate, they terrorize their own people.
"Any civilian that goes against the government in Latin U.S. is targeted," Mossey said, "my take on it is, basically, if we can train these people to keep these people oppressed, then we, as a military, don't have to do it ourselves. We rely on this oppression to keep wages low and keep sweatshops in these countries."
According to Mossey the rationale for continuing this school is using drug scare tactics. The claim is that graduates keep drugs in Columbia from entering America.
Another idea that was presented is that it really is a school that teaches democracy.
"Of the 31 courses that they have, only five are related to human rights, democracy or humanitarian issues," she said.
The Latin Americans who join SOA don't have to pay anything. This school survives on U.S. funds.
"We really need to know where our taxes are going. If we want to stop terrorism in the world, we need to stop sponsoring it," said Shireen Ghorbani, a student worker for the Women's Center.
SOA Watch is an organization dedicated to the termination of the SOA. This organization was founded by the ex-Ltd. from the U.S. Navy, Father Roy Bourgeois.
"He was trained on the same base (and) worked with the man who developed the manuals," Mossey said.
Every year, SOA Watch has a peaceful protest at Ft. Benning. During the presentation, Mossey showed the video, "Guns and Greed," to illustrate the protests that occur at Ft. Benning. The video also highlighted celebrities that participate, such as, Martin Sheen and Susan Saradon.
Most of the protesters carried crosses with the names of people who were killed by the assassins. Some laid on the street next to fake coffins.
For information on SOA Watch go to www.soaw.org.
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