World Notes ARGENTINA

When renegade officers rebelled last month and demanded amnesty for those charged with violating human rights under the military regime in the 1970s, Argentine President Raul Alfonsin defiantly put down the uprising. But while Alfonsin may have won that battle, he apparently lost the war. Last week the President proposed a law to end prosecution of lower-ranking officers, on the ground that they were only carrying out orders. If it passes, as expected, the majority of the 400 officers on trial would be exonerated.

The President claimed that amnesty is necessary to avert a civil war, but human rights groups were incensed. Bristled Lawyer Marcello Parrilli: "The bill guarantees the impunity of people who committed atrocious crimes." Alfonsin's action, though, recognizes the enduring power of the military and Argentina's tenuous grip on democracy.