Word: panama
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...Reagan Administration and its predecessors have long been aware of Noriega's seamy dealings. Nonetheless, top officials in the State and Defense departments and the CIA vigorously supported him, citing his cooperation with U.S. intelligence agencies and willingness to let the U.S. military operate broadly in Panama. Even as the Administration finally took action, new charges suggested that Noriega played a role in the Iran-contra arms deal as well. Jose Blandon, until recently Panama's consul general in New York City and a close political adviser to Noriega, disclosed that the general had conspired with Lieut. Colonel Oliver North...
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...
...divided over what to do about him. As early as 1972, a U.S. 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...
...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's resignation. Yet with anti-U.S. sentiment never...
Complicating matters are the U.S. citizens -- 10,000 troops and 40,000 civilians -- living in Panama. Although U.S. officials do not see an immediate threat, diplomats and military officers are urging Americans to be careful. "We're heading into a very, very rocky period," says an Administration official. The U.S. has pushed a thuggish ally into a corner, and now it can only wait guardedly for his reaction...