Word: generality
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Even by the standards set by the Shah and Ferdinand Marcos, Noriega's record is infamous. The diminutive general, whose acne-scarred complexion earned him the nickname "Pineapple Face," has been accused in Panama of ordering both the decapitation of a political opponent and the murder of the son of the man he replaced as commander of the armed forces. Rising through the ranks, Noriega allegedly created a criminal organization that would be the envy of any Mafia don. The 12,000-man Panama Defense Forces are so much a part of Noriega's criminal empire that U.S. Attorney Kellner...
Those who play along are well cared for. Steven Kalish, a convicted U.S. drug smuggler who was the chief witness against Noriega in the Tampa indictment, says he personally delivered at least $900,000 in bribes to the general in 1983 and 1984. In exchange, says Kalish, Noriega gave him a diplomatic passport, a multimillion-dollar letter of credit and safe passage for hundreds of thousands of pounds of marijuana...
...personally witnessed a 1984 meeting in Havana at which Castro mediated a dispute between Noriega and the leaders of a major Colombian drug cartel. According to Blandon, as well as U.S. Customs investigators, Noriega has supplied Cuba with U.S. intelligence and high-technology goods. In Central America, the general has sold weapons both to Nicaragua's anti-Communist contras and to Marxist guerrillas in El Salvador. "He is a businessman," declares Blandon. "Contras, Sandinistas, Cubans, the CIA -- he deals with them all to make money...
...narcotics agent proposed his "total and complete immobilization" -- meaning assassination. But the agent's superior rejected the idea. Last March, when Senators Jesse Helms of North Carolina and John Kerry of Massachusetts introduced a resolution condemning Panama for its , poor showing in the war on drugs, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Trott protested that the Panamanian record was "superb...
...State Department has been trying for some time to persuade the general to step down in favor of a caretaker government that would pave the way for new elections. The indictment may make it more difficult for Noriega to arrange a graceful exit, though in any event the general has shown no sign of wanting to step down. Panama's Foreign Ministry last week released a predictable statement condemning the "new attack" against Noriega and questioning the credibility of Blandon and the other witnesses. The same day, 200 anti-Noriega demonstrators in downtown Panama City called for the general...