Did we ever think we’d reach a time when the phrase “extraordinary rendition,” would be a common term? With 2007’s release of the so-called “family jewels” - the secret, classified files of the CIA - and the groundbreaking work of journalists fighting to expose the U.S. government’s dirty work abroad, there is no better time to draw attention to our nation’s secret life.
As President Bush vetoes bills banning the use of torture, our moral compass continues to be challenged. Cynical leaders tell us they are not legally bound to obey the Geneva Conventions, leaving us with an obvious question: Does this mean that we are currently engaged in torture as a means of coercion?
In this Link TV Special Presentation we air Father Roy: Inside the School of Assassins, and will be joined in the studio by former priest, war hero and peace activist Charles Liteky, along with his wife and partner in activism Judy Balch Liteky.
Charles Liteky served as an Army Chaplain in the Vietnam War, receiving the U.S.’ highest war accolade – the Congressional Medal of Honor – for his deeds. In 1986, Liteky became the only recipient to ever return his medal and the lifetime pension - in protest of America’s actions in Central America. Having left the priesthood, Liteky had found another calling - activist. In the years since, he has fasted and spent long stretches in prison, all in the name of active opposition, and often in direct protest to the U.S. Army School of the Americas.
Father Roy: Inside the School of Assassins
Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo are not the first time the U.S. has been involved in torture and torture training. This documentary reveals the struggle to expose the truth behind a secret torture training facility on U.S. territory, now located on the grounds of Ft. Benning, GA.
The story is told through the extraordinary life and daring actions of Father Roy Bourgeois, a Vietnam War hero and leading activist who has risked his freedom and life many times in the campaign to close the training facility. For many years it was called the U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA). Three men who never met, each from a different Latin American country, here link SOA to torture training.
Now, the SOA continues under a new name, the Western Hemispheric Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC). The growing international drive also continues, to expose the truth about this School of Assassins and close it down.
Letter from Father Roy as told to Link TV producer Toni Whiteman:
I would like to thank Link TV for the attention they bring to this issue and the many important issues of our day. One of the greatest problems in our country is ignorance. There is so little we know about our country's foreign policy and how it affects others.
There is so little we know about other cultures and their history so much older than our own. And our only hope is knowledge and wisdom. Link TV is the way to bring about this knowledge and wisdom, which gives us hope.
We visited over 13 countries (Latin America) this last year and met with Presidents and Defense Ministers and didn't know what to expect. We were told, 'We know this school very well. We have been on the receiving end.' But they were quiet surprised to know that in the US there are tens of thousands of people working in solidarity with them in their struggle for justice.
I'm very encouraged, four countries have now severed their ties with this military school that has caused much suffering and death in the their countries.
Give my love to Charlie and Judy and thank you Link TV for all your good work.
- Father Roy Bourgeois
LEARN MORE:
You can read diary entries by Charlie Liteky at his website.
Find out what you can do to help close SOA/ WHINSEC at the SOA Watch website.
Melinda Welsh’s article “Prisoner of Conscience” provides an in-depth look at Charlie Liteky’s life and work.
Find out what you can do to protect human rights at Amnesty International.
You can learn more about WHINSEC at “Just the Facts” and by visiting the official WHINSEC website.
You can learn more about the film Father Roy: Inside the School of Assassins at Richter Videos.
Visit Link TV's Specials Page.
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