DATE=04/15/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10666
TITLE=NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SALVADORAN NUNS MURDER
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: THE JUNGLE HILLS AND VALLEYS OF CENTRAL AMERICA CONTINUE
TO ECHO WITH THE DECADE-LONG CIVIL WARS THAT DECIMATED SEVERAL
NATIONS. ONE ESPECIALLY HORRID INCIDENT FROM ONE CONFLICT
INVOLVED THE RAPE AND MURDER OF THREE U-S ROMAN CATHOLIC NUNS AND
A LAY WORKER BY NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS IN EL SALVADOR, IN 1980.
LAST WEEK, "THE NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTED THAT FOUR SALVADORAN
TROOPS, SERVING 30-YEAR-PRISON TERMS FOR THE CRIME, HAVE
IMPLICATED TOP COMMANDERS OF THE SALVADORAN ARMY AS ORDERING THE
EXECUTIONS. THE ENSUING DEBATE HAS PROMPTED SEVERAL EDITORIALS
IN THE U-S PRESS, AND WE GET A SAMPLING NOW FROM
____________________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: THE NUNS AND THEIR HELPER WERE WORKING ON SOCIAL
SERVICE-RELATED PROJECTS IN THE POVERTY-STRICKEN COUNTRYSIDE WHEN
THE MURDERS OCCURED. THE INCIDENT OUTRAGED MANY AROUND THE WORLD
AGAINST THE U-S BACKED SALVADORAN MILITARY WHICH WAS FIGHTING A
COMMUNIST INSURGENCY AT THE TIME.
THE FOUR SALVADORAN NATIONAL GUARDSMEN TOLD "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
FROM THEIR JAIL CELLS THAT THEY RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM
COMMANDING OFFICERS TO PROCEED WITH THE CRIME, AND THEN TO COVER
UP THE INCIDENT. THE CONFESSIONS RUN COUNTER TO EARLIER FINDINGS
BY U-S GOVERNMENT AND SALVADORAN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATIONS, WHICH
CONCLUDED THE GUARDSMEN HAD ACTED ON THEIR OWN.
A NEW YORK BASED HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP IS DEMANDING THE U-S
GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENT AGAIN, TO DETERMINE WHY A
FORMER HEAD OF THE SALVADORAN NATIONAL GUARD, COLONEL CARLOS
EUGENIO VIDES CASANOVA, WAS ALLOWED TO COME TO THE UNITED STATES
AND SETTLE IN FLORIDA.
IN OHIO, "THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH" IS UPSET AT THE WAY THE INCIDENT
HAS BEEN HANDLED FROM THE START BY THE U-S GOVERNMENT.
VOICE: THE CONFESSION BY FOUR FORMER EL SALVADOR NATIONAL
GUARDSMEN .... SHEDS STARTLING LIGHT ON THAT UGLY
INCIDENT. BUT THE REACTION OF THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT
IS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING. A SPOKESMAN SAID: 'WE ARE
UNCLEAR ABOUT THEIR VERACITY OR THE POSSIBLE MOTIVATIONS
BEHIND' THE CONFESSIONS. THIS INFORMATION SHOULD BE
PRESENTED TO APPROPRIATE SALVADORAN AUTHORITIES FOR
ACTION. IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT THE UNITED STATES WOULD
NOT TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN FINDING WHO IS REALLY
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MURDER ....... IT IS GENERALLY
BELIEVED THEY WERE SLAIN AS PART OF A TERRORIST CAMPAIGN
BY EL SALVADOR'S GOVERNMENT AGAINST SUSPECTED
SYMPATHIZERS OF LEFTISTS. ///OPT /// ..... 'THIS
PARTICULAR ACT OF BARBARISM, ' A 1993 STATE DEPARTMENT
REPORT SAID, 'DID MORE TO INFLAME THE DEBATE OVER EL
SALVADOR IN THE UNITED STATES THAN ANY OTHER SINGLE
INCIDENT.' AND YET IN LIGHT OF THE CONFESSIONS, THAT
SAME DEPARTMENT SHOWS NO INTEREST IN DETERMINING WHO
ORDERED THE MURDERS. /// END OPT /// ... THE
CONFESSIONS SHOULD KICK-START AN EFFORT BY THE UNITED
STATES TO INVESTIGATE ANEW THE HORRIFIC MURDERS AND
PRESS THE GOVERNMENT IN EL SALVADOR TO TAKE WHATEVER
ACTION THE INVESTIGATION NECESSITATES.
TEXT: STILL IN THE MIDWEST, "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE" IS EQUALLY
OUTRAGED.
VOICE: EVEN AS MOST OF LATIN AMERICA TRIES TO ENJOY A NEW
DEMOCRATIC TRANQUILITY, VICTIMS OF PAST WARS AND
DICTATORSHIPS KEEP THRASHING IN THEIR GRAVES, CLAMORING
FOR JUSTICE. ..... ROBERT WHITE, THE U-S ENVOY IN EL
SALVADOR AT THE TIME, NOW SAYS HE IMMEDIATELY SUSPECTED
[WHAT THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED] AS MUCH. THOSE
ASSERTIONS [BY THE IMPRISONED GUARDSMEN] AREN'T PROOF,
BUT IT WOULDN'T BE SURPRISING IF THEY TURN OUT TO BE.
BOTH COUNTRIES MUST REOPEN THIS INVESTIGATION. .... IT
[THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH] IS A SUPREMELY DELICATE AND
PAINFUL TASK, BUT ONE FROM WHICH NEITHER LATIN AMERICA
NOR THE U-S -- TO THE EXTENT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED
IN SOME OF THESE ATROCITIES -- SHOULD SHY AWAY.
TEXT: "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES," IN CALLING FOR INVESTIGATIONS
TO BE REOPENED, POINTS OUT THAT THE TWO HIGHEST RANKING
OFFICERS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED NOW LIVE IN THE
UNITED STATES. "THE TIMES" SAYS THAT IF THEY ARE FOUND
TO HAVE GIVEN THE ORDERS, THEIR LEGAL RESIDENCY HERE
COULD BE IN QUESTION.
VOICE: IT IS HARDLY A SURPRISE. ... THERE WAS SUSPICION FROM
THE BEGINNING THAT THE SOLDIERS HADN'T ACTED
INDEPENDENTLY. BUT BACK IN 1980, THE NEW REAGAN
ADMINISTRATION WAS BACKING THE SALVADORAN GOVERNMENT
AGAINST LEFT-WING INSURGENTS. SECRETARY OF STATE
ALEXANDER ... HAIG TESTIFIED TO CONGRESS THAT THE FOUR
VICTIMS, WHO WORKED WITH POOR PEASANTS, WERE PERHAPS
SHOT BECAUSE THEY APPEARED TO BE RUNNING A MILITARY
ROADBLOCK. THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S OFFICIAL REPORT
PRETTY MUCH EXONERATED THE SALVADORAN HIGH COMMAND.
NOW, ARMED WITH THE SOLDIERS' NEW STATEMENTS AND OTHER
EVIDENCE ... THE UNITED STATES SHOULD FINALLY AND FULLY
GET TO THE BOTTOM [FIND OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT] THE
INCIDENT.
TEXT: FINALLY, IN THE NEWSPAPER THAT BROKE THE STORY, "THE NEW
YORK TIMES," A FORMER MEMBER OF THE TRUTH COMMISSION, GEORGE
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL LAW PROFESSOR THOMAS
BUERGENTHAL, WRITES:
VOICE: THE INVESTIGATIONS CARRIED OUT BY THE UNITED STATES OF
THIS CASE AND OF OTHER MILITARY-RELATED ATROCITIES IN EL
SALVADOR, HONDURAS AND GUATEMALA WERE FLAWED. AND THE
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO THIS DAY TO RESIST A
FULL ACCOUNTING OF THE BRUTAL CRIMES COMMITTED IN
CENTRAL AMERICA DURING THE COLD WAR. AS A RULE, THE
VERY PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CRIMES WERE EITHER IN
THE PAY OF OUR INTELLIGENCE SERVICES OR THEY WERE VIEWED
AS INVALUABLE ALLIES IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST COMMUNIST
SUBVERSION. THAT THEY WERE ALSO FREQUENTLY THUGS AND
MURDERERS MATTERED LITTLE DURING THOSE YEARS.
TEXT' ON THAT DISQUIETING NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF
EDITORIAL COMMENT AND OPINION ON THE LATEST REVELATIONS IN THE
CASE OF THREE U-S NUNS AND A CO-WORKER, ABDUCTED, RAPED AND
KILLED IN EL SALVADOR IN 1980, DURING THE CIVIL WAR THERE.
NEB/ANG/ MMK
15-Apr-98 2:40 PM EDT (1840 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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