KEVIN STODA--Online Independent Senator Candidate for Kansas in 2010--Suggests Closing Guantanamo Immediately and Moving it to Ft. Benning, Georgia, Home of the Infamous School of the Americas
By KEVIN STODA
The former online presidential candidate from Kansas (Kevin Anthony Stoda), who before the Iowa Caucus in January 2008 demanded that the U.S. government (1) freeze all housing foreclosures and (2) reduce draconian penalties and fees on banks, has another great suggestion.
AMERICA RECOGNIZES ITS BAD WORLDWIDE SYMBOLS
As of May 21, 2009, Kevin Stoda has appropriately been publicly advocating
--a move of the Guantanamo Prison
--to Ft. Benning, Georgia, where the infamous School of the Americas (SOA) WATCH has been located for decades.
SOA WATCH has described the history of America's SOA projects, "Initially established in Panama in 1946, it was kicked out of that country in 1984 under the terms of the Panama Canal Treaty. Former Panamanian President, Jorge Illueca, stated that the School of the Americas was the 'biggest base for destabilization in Latin America.' The SOA, frequently dubbed the 'School of Assassins' has left a trail of blood and suffering in every country where its graduates have returned."
THE PROPOSAL
In an e-mail to SOA Watch yesterday, U.S. Senate candidate in 2010, Kevin Stoda of Kansas, wrote the following:
"Why not move the trials from Guantanamo to the School of Americas´ location in Fort Benning and close them all down at the same time?"
Ft. Benning, Georgia has been the location of the school for 3 decades or more.
"Over its 59 years, the SOA has trained over 60,000 Latin American soldiers in counterinsurgency techniques, sniper training, commando and psychological warfare, military intelligence and interrogation tactics. These graduates have consistently used their skills to wage a war against their own people. Among those targeted by SOA graduates are educators, union organizers, religious workers, student leaders, and others who work for the rights of the poor. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have been tortured, raped, assassinated, 'disappeared,' massacred, and forced into refugee by those trained at the School of Assassins."
Kevin Stoda believes that the moving of all trials and terrorists to Ft. Benning is therefore the most appropriate place on the North American continent.
GREAT IDEA
One fundraiser for SOA WATCH responded, "That's a great idea! That way those responsible for torture and crimes against humanity could get put on trial at the same time."
On-line candidate Stoda believes that by linking both Guantanamo Prison in Cuba and Ft. Benning´s SOA activities is the most appropriate way to say to the world that (1) America is cleaning house and (2) opening questions of terror and prosecution to greater public introspection at a location where militarism and torture have been directly and indirectly promoted by various USA regimes for decades.
Meanwhile, Stoda calls on President Obama to support the McGovern Bill to close the SOA facility in Ft. Benning.
Already nearly nearly 130 Members of Congress support the McGovern Bill to close Ft. Benning´s activities in current and former SOA activities. The closure of Ft. Benning´s most infamous training project will make North and Americans breath a sigh of relief.
Stoda noted that he personally had gotten to know one Guatemalan victim, Hurtado, of the SOA school training (and its torture and kidnapping tradition).
Stoda specifically recalls, "Luckily, in Dr. Hurtado´s specific case of being kidnapped by former SOA-trained military officers, both Kansas Representatives and Kansas Senators back in 1982 had intervened in Guatemalan governments management of terror and dirty war--and had luckily negotiated Dr. Hurtado´s release."
Stoda says the country needs Senators, like Nancy Kassebaum who stood up back then for human rights. He asks that his opponents, Kansas Senators Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback, join President Obama in closing down Guantanamo Prison as well as the School of Americas. "They both should introduce a bill to match HR 1707 in the Senate before this month is out."
According to SOA Watch, below are those representatives who currently support the McGovern bill.
Cosponsors of HR 1707
125 + McGovern
Rep Ackerman, Gary L. [NY-5]
Rep Allen, Thomas H. [ME-1]
Rep Altmire, Jason [PA-4]
Rep Baca, Joe [CA-43]
Rep Baird, Brian [WA-3]
Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2]
Rep Bean, Melissa L. [IL-8]
Rep Biggert, Judy [IL-13]
Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1]
Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3]
Rep Boucher, Rick [VA-9]
Rep Brady, Robert A. [PA-1]
Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1]
Rep Capps, Lois [CA-23]
Rep Capuano, Michael E. [MA-8]
Rep Carnahan, Russ [MO-3]
Rep Carson, Julia [IN-7]
Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11]
Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1]
Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5]
Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9]
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14]
Rep Costello, Jerry F. [IL-12]
Rep Crowley, Joseph [NY-7]
Rep Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-7]
Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7]
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4]
Rep DeGette, Diana [CO-1]
Rep Delahunt, William D. [MA-10]
Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3]
Rep Doggett, Lloyd [TX-25]
Rep Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14]
Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5]
Rep Emanuel, Rahm [IL-5]
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-14]
Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17]
Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2]
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51]
Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4]
Rep Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY-20]
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7]
Rep Gutierrez, Luis V. [IL-4]
Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17]
Rep Higgins, Brian [NY-27]
Rep Hill, Baron P. [IN-9]
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22]
Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12]
Rep Honda, Michael M. [CA-15]
Rep Hooley, Darlene [OR-5]
Rep Inslee, Jay [WA-1]
Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2]
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2]
Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30]
Rep Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [GA-4]
Rep Kagen, Steve, M.D. [WI-8]
Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9]
Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1]
Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5]
Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. [MI-13]
Rep Kind, Ron [WI-3]
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10]
Rep LaHood, Ray [IL-18]
Rep Lantos, Tom [CA-12]
Rep Larsen, Rick [WA-2]
Rep Larson, John B. [CT-1]
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9]
Rep Levin, Sander M. [MI-12]
Rep Lewis, John [GA-5]
Rep Loebsack, David [IA-2]
Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16]
Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18]
Rep Lynch, Stephen F. [MA-9]
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14]
Rep Markey, Edward J. [MA-7]
Rep Matsui, Doris O. [CA-5]
Rep McCollum, Betty [MN-4]
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7]
Rep McNerney, Jerry [CA-11]
Rep McNulty, Michael R. [NY-21]
Rep Meehan, Martin T. [MA-5]
Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2]
Rep Miller, George [CA-7]
Rep Moore, Dennis [KS-3]
Rep Moore, Gwen [WI-4]
Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8]
Rep Moran, Jerry [KS-1]
Rep Nadler, Jerrold [NY-8]
Rep Oberstar, James L. [MN-8]
Rep Olver, John W. [MA-1]
Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6]
Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [NJ-8]
Rep Pastor, Ed [AZ-4]
Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14]
Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10]
Rep Petri, Thomas E. [WI-6]
Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19]
Rep Price, David E. [NC-4]
Rep Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-9]
Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1]
Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17]
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [CA-39]
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9]
Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16]
Rep Shays, Christopher [CT-4]
Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [NY-28]
Rep Solis, Hilda L. [CA-32]
Rep Speier, Jackie [CA-12]
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13]
Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13]
Rep Tierney, John F. [MA-6]
Rep Udall, Tom [NM-3]
Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8]
Rep Velazquez, Nydia M. [NY-12]
Rep Walsh, James T. [NY-25]
Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1]
Rep Waters, Maxine [CA-35]
Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33]
Rep Waxman, Henry A. [CA-30]
Rep Weiner, Anthony D. [NY-9]
Rep Welch, Peter [VT]
Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19]
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6]
Rep Wu, David [OR-1]
Rep Wynn, Albert Russell [MD-4]
Rep Yarmuth, John A. [KY-3]
Kevin Stoda notes that some Kansas representatives are on the list. However, "it is shameful" he says that very few Kansas and Midwestern representatives have joined in supporting the HR 1707.
