| EL SALVADOR | |
| 5 | Release of Documents re Murder of Churchwomen/Investigation and Recent New Information from El Salvador |
| 6 | Issue of Salvadorian Court Considering the Release of Convicts/General Casonova and His Residency in the US/Tyler Commission's Report and its Contents |
| GUATAMALA | |
| 7 | Accusations of USG Involvement in Death Squad Activities |
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QUESTION: El Salvador -- do you have any comments on the documents that, I guess, are soon to be released or have been released of family members that seem to show that some Salvadoran officials and former Ambassador White seems to be of this opinion, too - that higher-ups were involved in the ordering the slaying of the church women.
MR. RUBIN: Ultimately, we believe that this is a complex evidentiary issue that the historians will have to decide. What we have done, at Secretary Albright's instructions, is release as many documents as we can and as much information on this as we can in order to provide those who are interested in this, as well as the Salvadoran authorities, as much information as possible so that the pursuit of truth can go on.
We want this matter to be fully investigated; we want conclusions to ultimately be drawn. You're familiar with the conclusions that we've reached at various times. But Secretary Albright's instructions were, let's get the documents out and let's have as much information available as possible so that the truth can be determined.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) - United States will conduct another investigation of any kind?
MR. RUBIN: I'm not aware of that. We have all the material; the Tyler Commission did an investigation. There is new information available down in El Salvador, pursuant to people talking to the people who conducted this gruesome killing -- they have said additional things. We would expect and hope that the El Salvador Government would see the value in getting to the bottom of what transpired.
QUESTION: Do you have any comment on the Salvadoran court releasing three of the convicted guardsmen?
MR. RUBIN: We do. The precise nature of which has gotten lost in ten pages of written material.
QUESTION: We have more questions, obviously on --
MR. RUBIN: As I understand it, it is our view that these people should not be released because of the nature of their crimes. They committed heinous crimes, and they should pay a price for them. On the other hand, it is up to El Salvador to make judgments about its own legal system. We recognize that it is their legal system that is at play. So it is our view these people shouldn't be released, given the nature of their crimes.
But with respect to them not reopening the case, they're interpreting their law and we have to respect that. That's why I said that even if criminal prosecutions are not possible, we want to see the full truth learned, and we want follow-up to these developments. But as far as their release is concerned, we think that's a bad idea.
QUESTION: In the event that historians or perhaps legal experts determine to the satisfaction of the US Government that General Casanova was the man who ordered the killings, will that have any effect on his right to remain resident in the United States?
MR. RUBIN: Well, first of all, we would - again, to repeat my last answer - we would be very disappointed if these convicted murderers were released. They committed brutal crimes, and they should not be released; that would be disappointing to us.
With respect to the hypothetical question of what would we do if, let me just say that these were brutal, horrible crimes and we would respond to any new conclusions if new conclusions were reached. But no new conclusions have been reached. There has been a back and forth on the evidentiary situation. I would point out to you that one of the bases for the Tyler Commission's report was that in extensive interviews, the convicted murderers did not - as everyone would have expected at the time - say that it came from higher up. So that's one of the reasons why the Tyler Commission believed that this was not evidence supporting a conclusion that they had been ordered to conduct these brutal killings. But if a different conclusion is reached, we would respond appropriately.
QUESTION: I guess I should ask the question in the abstract. In a situation where someone has been granted residence status, as it so happens this particular general has, in the event that it is found - even though the statute of limitations, I gather, has expired - that he was responsible for mass killing, group killing, would the United States normally take action to get such a person thrown out of the country or take other action against him? What's the law?
MR. RUBIN: We'll get you a lawyer's answer.
QUESTION: In Central America, Jennifer Harbury has just released the names of suspects in the killing of Bishop Gerardi, and I want to quote her, because she says it was a command of war for the military forces of Guatemala. She says, "The commando check in with Uncle Sam two or three times a week in a modern building a few blocks away from the US Embassy. This internal death squad coordinates very closely with some intelligence branch of the US Government." These accusations are true or the State Department is familiar with these accusations?
MR. RUBIN: We haven't had time to examine her full statement. However, the FBI is working with Guatemalan authorities to investigate the case. Both the government of Guatemala and the Catholic Church human rights office have expressed their confidence in and appreciation of US efforts to help solve this horrible crime. We know of no group or individual that has claimed credit for the murder, though the Guatemalan police have arrested - have a suspect in custody.
The USG is strongly committed to the reform agenda of the administration of Guatemala, which includes strengthened civilian control of the military. Any accusations of US involvement in death squad activities would represent a gross violation of American policy, and are simply implausible.
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(The briefing concluded at 1:15 P.M.)
[end of document]