Word: noriega
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...face of it, bringing Noriega to justice seems to be an unqualifiedly good idea. Who wouldn't applaud the downfall of an odious dictator and the return of Panamanian democracy after 21 years of military rule? Unfortunately, things are not that simple. From Noriega's seizure in Panama to his long incarceration without bail, the U.S. government's relentless pursuit of the general has been a cause for concern to civil libertarians and constitutional experts...
...time Noriega gets done with the system, this case will do more damage to American justice than he could possibly have done as a dictator," complains New York University law professor Burt Neuborne, former legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. Justice Department officials insist that the deposed tyrant will be tried strictly on the merits of the indictment, but some in Washington admit that the trial is profoundly political. "The guy was a de facto head of state," says an Administration official. "So how can you say the trial isn't political...
That is precisely what the defense team, headed by Noriega's flamboyant lead counsel, Frank Rubino, has been saying all along. Rubino, one of Miami's savviest drug-case lawyers, claims the charges were manufactured because of Noriega's refusal to commit Panamanian soldiers to an invasion of Nicaragua at the request of the U.S. "Just a drug case, huh? Do you believe in the tooth fairy too?" says Rubino. "Like it or not, General Noriega has been an asset of the CIA, the National Security Agency and other government agencies for 20 some years...
Especially troubling to the government is the defense strategy of dredging up Noriega's role in covert U.S. operations just as the Iran-contra scandal is re-emerging. Where the trail will lead no one knows. Noriega was an important player in the training and resupply of the Nicaraguan rebels. An earlier investigation into Noriega's gunrunning was discouraged by Washington, primarily because of former White House aide Oliver North's involvement; but rumors of drug running by CIA pilots to pay for contra guns have persisted. "The story has never been proved or disproved, but there is the nagging...
Four years ago, in fact, when Bush was running for the presidency, questions about what he knew of Noriega's drug-running activities while he headed the CIA and while serving as Vice President dogged his campaign. Some cynics believe the Administration will cut a secret deal with Noriega to avoid explosive disclosures at a trial that is likely to drag on into the 1992 presidential campaign. Others, like former Panamanian President Ricardo de la Espriella, disagree. "I don't think Noriega has anything on Bush," he says. "It's a bluff. It will be Noriega's word against Bush...