Generals Take Early Retirement

Since Argentine President Raul Alfonsin came to power seven months ago, he has been striving to bring to account the generals who ran the country for nearly eight years. But his efforts to prosecute military men for the human rights abuses that led to the deaths of at least 10,000 Argentines has led to growing dissension within the army. Last week Alfonsin moved to quash the opposition to his civilian government by ousting four top generals.

The strongest action was the forced retirement of General Jorge H. Arguindegui, who was named Chief of Staff by Alfonsin shortly after the President took office. General Ricardo Pianta, a career officer said to be independent of both the nationalist and conservative wings within the armed forces, was appointed to succeed Arguindegui. For the moment there appeared to be no threat of a military coup. But there was an ominous warning: as the dismissals were being announced, a bomb exploded on the roof of a Buenos Aires TV station that was airing the details of an official report on the abuses under military rule.