Father Roy: Inside the School of Assassins

A decorated Vietnam veteran, Father Roy Bourgeois was converted to the antiwar movement and eventually became a Maryknoll priest whose missionary activity in South America would lead him to the door of the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia. Conducted by our government, this school for Latin American military leaders trains personnel in democratic values, as well as learning to spot and quell rebel movements. Father Bourgeois contends the school is an outmoded relic of the Cold War, and nothing more than a school for assassins. Past graduates have included notorious Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega and Roberto D'Aubuisson, who was accused of running a death squad in El Salvador. Graduates have been accused of the rape and murder of four churchwomen in El Salvador, the murder of Archbishop Romero in San Salvador, the killing of several Jesuit priests, and even the massacre of an entire village. Narrated by Susan Sarandon, the documentary follows the priest as he protests against the school, while trying to educate others about its activities. The film shows official Pentagon footage boosting the academy and provides a bit of balance by quoting the school's defenders who consider such training necessary. In the end, Sarandon tartly notes that while Bourgeois has served several prison terms for his antigovernment "crimes," none of the alleged killers have been brought to justice. This video will be of interest to peace and human rights groups. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)