Where there's a Will, there's a way

I wanted to point this out because its one of those issues that rarely gets coverage in the corporate media. An amendment to cut off funding to the School of the Americas failed by 6 votes in the US House.

Accorind to SOA Watch:

"SOA graduates are responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses in Latin America. In 1996 the Pentagon was forced to release training manuals used at the school that advocated torture, extortion and execution. Among the SOA's nearly 60,000 graduates are notorious dictators Manuel Noriega and Omar Torrijos of Panama, Leopoldo Galtieri and Roberto Viola of Argentina, Juan Velasco Alvarado of Peru, Guillermo Rodriguez of Ecuador, and Hugo Banzer Suarez of Bolivia. Lower-level SOA graduates have participated in human rights abuses that include the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the El Mozote Massacre of 900 civilians.

Congressman John Shimkus showed his support for the activities of the SOA by voting against the amendment to cut off funding. Phil Hare and Ray LaHood took the opposite position, voting in favor of the amendement.