[net.legal] Death Squads

jmg@sftig.UUCP (J.McGhee) (02/17/86)

*** REPLACE THIS TRAVESTY WITH JUSTICE ***

>   Recently (Feb. 13) two former El Salvadoran national guardsmen
> were found guilty of shooting two Americans. This provides further
> support for an important legal principle: that it should be illegal
> under any circumstances for a Death Squad to kill an American. I am
> enough of a liberal to support the extension of this principle even
> to Canadians, Australians, Japanese and Western Europeans.
>
> ucbvax!brahms!gsmith    Gene Ward Smith/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720
> ucbvax!weyl!gsmith      "When Ubizmo talks, people listen."


	I recently heard on one of the classical music radio stations
in New York (WNYC/WNCN/WQXR?) that officers of the Salvadorean military who
were found guilty of involvement in the slaying of four American women
missionaries were "punished" by being promoted and sent out of El Salvador
for foreign duty (possibly at Salvadorean Embassies).
	Regarding Gene Smith's "liberal" principles stated above, I think
he has defined just the right mind-set for a career officer at the State
Department :-).

					J. M. McGhee

orb@whuts.UUCP (SEVENER) (02/18/86)

> *** REPLACE THIS TRAVESTY WITH JUSTICE ***
> 
> >   Recently (Feb. 13) two former El Salvadoran national guardsmen
> > were found guilty of shooting two Americans. This provides further
> > support for an important legal principle: that it should be illegal
> > under any circumstances for a Death Squad to kill an American. I am
> > enough of a liberal to support the extension of this principle even
> > to Canadians, Australians, Japanese and Western Europeans.
> >
> > ucbvax!brahms!gsmith    Gene Ward Smith/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720
> > ucbvax!weyl!gsmith      "When Ubizmo talks, people listen."
> 
> 
> 	I recently heard on one of the classical music radio stations
> in New York (WNYC/WNCN/WQXR?) that officers of the Salvadorean military who
> were found guilty of involvement in the slaying of four American women
> missionaries were "punished" by being promoted and sent out of El Salvador
> for foreign duty (possibly at Salvadorean Embassies).
> 	Regarding Gene Smith's "liberal" principles stated above, I think
> he has defined just the right mind-set for a career officer at the State
> Department :-).
> 
> 					J. M. McGhee

Yes, that's right!  I saw this item in both the New York Times 
(back pages of course) and the Progressive.  El Salvador certainly
has the Death Squads under control and justice for terrorism against
American civilians in check - simply promote them out of it!
 
          tim sevener   whuxn!orb

eric@chronon.UUCP (Eric Black) (02/21/86)

>> *** REPLACE THIS TRAVESTY WITH JUSTICE ***
>> 
>> >   Recently (Feb. 13) two former El Salvadoran national guardsmen
>> > were found guilty of shooting two Americans. This provides further
>> > support for an important legal principle: that it should be illegal
>> > under any circumstances for a Death Squad to kill an American. I am
>> > enough of a liberal to support the extension of this principle even
>> > to Canadians, Australians, Japanese and Western Europeans.
>> >
>> > ucbvax!brahms!gsmith    Gene Ward Smith/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720
>> > ucbvax!weyl!gsmith      "When Ubizmo talks, people listen."
>> 
>> 
>> 	I recently heard on one of the classical music radio stations
>> in New York (WNYC/WNCN/WQXR?) that officers of the Salvadorean military who
>> were found guilty of involvement in the slaying of four American women
>> missionaries were "punished" by being promoted and sent out of El Salvador
>> for foreign duty (possibly at Salvadorean Embassies).
>> 	Regarding Gene Smith's "liberal" principles stated above, I think
>> he has defined just the right mind-set for a career officer at the State
>> Department :-).
>> 
>> 					J. M. McGhee
>
>Yes, that's right!  I saw this item in both the New York Times 
>(back pages of course) and the Progressive.  El Salvador certainly
>has the Death Squads under control and justice for terrorism against
>American civilians in check - simply promote them out of it!
> 
>          tim sevener   whuxn!orb

Is this a variation on the Peter Principle?  Two problems:
	1) to be promoted beyond your level of competency, presumably
	   you need to demonstrate competency.
	2) no military hierarchy likes to promote people (other than
	   favorite sons) multiple levels, else they could promote
	   the <*&(*!#*@#(>'s right past the Death Squad rank.

-- 
Eric Black   "Garbage In, Gospel Out"
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