Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 24, 1991                   TAG: 9102250278
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: D-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WHERE IS NEWS OF OTHER U.S. WARS?

On Feb. 4, National Public Radio reported that the Catholic Church's investigation into the Jan. 21 killing of 15 civilians in Axutuxtepeque proves the 1st Infantry Brigade of El Salvador is responsible. The dead were members of the Aragon family, who left a total of 18 children orphaned. Three persons were killed from gunshot wounds. The rest died from multiple stab wounds.

The murders took two hours. A 17-page report by the archdiocesean human-rights office ruled out the Salvadoran army's claim that the killings were the result of a family feud.

The renewed violence came less than two months before the scheduled March 10 municipal and legislative elections. The Maximiliano Hernandez death squad recently broadcast death threats over the radio against opposition leaders, and, in violation of the constitution, units of the armed forces have been campaigning for the ruling Nationalist Republican Alliance (Arena) party. The regional headquarters of a major opposition party was bombed on Jan. 31, and a party leader was detained by troops as he attempted to campaign.

This is the military our government is supporting with our tax dollars. With helicopters, fighter planes, ammunition and "advisers." Where is the story in the Roanoke Times & World-News? Information on the massacre was a short paragraph last month in the column "In the world." I have read nothing in your paper on the investigation.

We would like to be better informed about the Roman Catholic Archbishop Rivera y Damas. He has become as outspoken as Archbishop Oscar Romero before he was killed by the military in 1980.

Until your news department begins to print all the news, I will rely on "Doonesbury" and the Editorial Page for information. PAT PRATALI ROANOKE

> Editor's note: We don't have space to publish all news throughout the world, especially with massive coverage to the Persian Gulf War. We try to touch on the most important world issues, either in daily events or occasional in-depth background.