Though some excesses are to be expected in a civil war, particularly one that has dragged on for a decade, the government of El Salvador still has far too much blood on its hands.
So it's hard to blame Congress for moving to express American displeasure by making a deep cut in U.S. military aid to the right-wing government of El Salvador.But the 50 percent cut being pushed by the House of Representatives goes too far. It risks a big reduction in the American influence that necessarily goes with U.S. aid. Moreover, it could encourage the leftist rebels in El Salvador to keep pursuing their goals on the battlefield just when a breakthrough in negotiations could mark the beginning of the end to the killing that has taken 75,000 lives in this Central American nation. The government and the rebels recently agreed to a six-month schedule for talks aimed at bringing peace to El Salvador by next fall.
Reasons for deep displeasure with the government of El Salvador are well-documented. Only this week a new study for Congress showed that nearly all of El Salvador's top military officers have records blemished by repeated human rights abuses committed by soldiers serving under them.
Admittedly, no evidence links the top officers directly to the killing and torture of civilians. But the fact that these officers continued to get promoted despite such abuses sent a clear message to their troops that such outrages would be tolerated.
Even without the new report, Washington would have ample reason to get tougher with El Salvador. After six Jesuit priests and two women were slaughtered by soldiers last November in El Salvador, an investigation resulted in charges against eight men. But hopes that justice might be done were dashed a few days ago when El Salvador's Supreme Court reported that several pieces of crucial evidence had "vanished." Moreover, at least four soldiers with potentially incriminating evidence have been sent abroad to study. What a shabby cover-up.
Though Washington must not ignore the blood on the hands of El Salvador, it would be folly to cripple the government there. But that's what could happen if Congress makes deep cuts in its aid. More than half of El Salvador's military budget is provided by the United States.
By all means, Washington should apply pressure to El Salvador by insisting that future aid be linked to reforms in the military and improvements in its human rights record. Congress will get further if it cuts this aid with a scalpel, not with a meat ax.