MATHRICH@UMCVMB.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel UMC Math Department) (06/29/91)
>From: Peter Shell <pshell%WIENER.PRODIGY.CS.CMU.EDU@CARNEGIE.BITNET>
From: The CISPES National Office
June 27, 1991
ADMINISTRATION BEGINS SPENDING $42 MILLION IN UNFROZEN WAR AID
On June 26, the Bush Administration announced that it will
soon begin sending the $42.5 million in military aid to El Salvador
which Congress withheld last fall. The aid has been unfrozen since
January but not yet obligated, and its fate has been considered an
important political symbol by the Salvadoran government and Armed
Forces, the FMLN, Congress and the Administration. President
Cristiani came to Washington in mid-June specifically to lobby for
the $42 million.
To justify its move, the Administration has been releasing a
series of charges that the FMLN is escalating the war by deploying
SA-16 missiles, which the State Department alleges -- without
evidence -- to have come from Cuba. Cuba denies the charge. The
FMLN acknowledges having the missiles and points out that they are
readily available on the Central American arms black market.
In reality, the Salvadoran Armed Forces are the ones who have
been escalating the war. Since April, they have launched some of
the largest-scale offensives in the history of the war into the
zones of FMLN control. As part of the offensives, they have
captured dozens of civilians, killed several, occupied villages and
destroyed food stores and livestock.
To reassure critics, the Administration says that for now it
is just spending up to $21 million of the total, and only for so-
called "non-lethal" purposes: spare parts for trucks and aircraft,
as well as food, medical supplies and clothing. The first $3
million of goods will be shipped to the Salvadoran Army in the next
few weeks, followed by spare parts shipments over the summer.
What is Congress' response? "This is probably better than
most of us had dared hope," the New York Times quotes Rep. Robert
Torricelli (D-NJ), chair of the House Western Hemisphere Affairs
Subcommittee, as saying. "Measured against the expectations, the
signal is not necessarily negative." Other Congressional reactions
are not yet known.
The effect on the Salvadoran peace talks will almost certainly
be negative. Already, the government has been blocking progress
on the topic of Armed Forces reform by retrenching on previous
agreements and insisting, contrary to the Caracas agenda, that a
ceasefire should precede political accords. The aid flow is
likely to reinforce ultra-right opponents of negotiations in ARENA
and the Armed Forces. These forces will feel confident of being
able to continue blocking agreements without losing U.S. backing.
Moreover, the aid release will send a green light to the Armed
Forces which are right now occupying and repressing rural
communities. It will embolden the death squads whose threats
against the popular movement and international humanitarian
organizations have been proliferating recently. Bush's move will
say to them, "Go ahead and carry out your threats -- we're behind
you."
- - - - - - - - - -
Although the aid release will negatively affect the
negotiations, it also presents an opportunity for those organizing
pressure on Congress. For example, Senator Leahy (D-VT), chair of
the Senate Foreign Operations Subcommittee, said last week that
Congress and the Administration were enjoying a "mood of mutual
restraint". However, if the Administration spent the aid, he
continued, he would consider the mood broken and would not
appropriate more aid.
Now is the time to hold Sen. Leahy to his word, and to tell
Congresspeople that the appropriate response is to CUT OFF ALL WAR-
RELATED AID. The Administration has amply demonstrated that it
will use war aid to block the political agreements necessary for
a lasting ceasefire. Giving Bush oversight over the aid is
equivalent to sending the aid straight to the Armed Forces. It is
past time for Congress to take strong action where the
Administration will not. Otherwise, the war will be prolonged,
and many more people will fall victim to abuse by the Armed Forces
and newly-emboldened death squads.
DEMANDS
Our demands of Senators and Representatives should be:
(1) Publicly denounce the sending of the unfrozen military aid.
Sign a Dear Colleague letter to that effect (we're working to get
one introduced; do you have a Senator or Representative who could
be an author or co-author?)
(2) Support a cut-off of all war-related aid by co-sponsoring the
Adams and McDermott bills. Senators, who face a vote sometime in
July on the Dodd bill to further restrict new aid and pipeline aid,
should be our special focus. This is a good time to increase
Senate co-sponsorship on the Adams bill from the current figure of
10. Those who haven't signed yet in either house should be told
that NOW IS THE TIME -- they have no excuse! Senators should also
be told to vote for the strongest possible aid-cut measure that
comes to the floor in the next few weeks.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
Congress will be at home on recess the week of July 1-7.
(1) Activities of protest and pressure with Congresspeople,
particularly both your Senators, as the target. This is a good
time to contact and involve religious allies.
Some committees already have protests planned for later in
July, in conjunction with the Senate floor vote, and more are
encouraged. The aid release calls for a simple and IMMEDIATE
response, focusing on the offices of Congresspeople, and increasing
the level of confrontation.
We suggest drop-in delegations of 5-10 people, including
community leaders who are allies, or "community forums" in
Congressional offices. Bring along interesting visuals: a coffin,
a tape recording of machine gun fire or helicopters. Read
testimony about recent Armed Forces atrocities, such as the FMLN
combatants who were captured and mutilated. Let the press know
ahead of time that you will be visiting your Congressperson while
s/he is at home. Insist that you need to stay until they agree to
the above demands!
(2) Visible opposition in the media.
* op ed pieces, signed by religious or other prominent
figures, denouncing the aid restoration and calling for a cut-off.
* letters to the editor, addressing your Congressional
representatives by name.
* paid ads signed by community leaders -- we can provide a
sample.