Manuel Noriega Case
The late 1980’s were a period of change, both in the United States and across the world. Van Halen had broken up causing cultural unrest amongst the common man, and poor economic progress in the 70’s paved the way for the first Republican president since Nixon (who didn’t leave the best of impressions during his tenure as president), and the U.S. was just as concerned as ever about the expansion of communism, with the Sandinistas in Honduras and the Castro family in Cuba inching communism ever closer to U.S. borders. Manuel Noriega was employed by the Richard Helms led CIA in 1970. He was rising quickly in the Panamanian political system and gaining more powerful by the minute. He was hired to be an informant in the battle to keep communism out of Central America and, even more importantly, maintain control over the Panama Canal. Noriega had gained command of the Panamanian National Guard, which he transformed into his own personal police force, the Panamanian Defense Force (PDF), imposing his will against the helpless Panamanian citizens. It was discovered that Noriega had been using his CIA money and the PDF to form an impressive drug cartel, and thusly, his relationship with the CIA was promptly terminated by then director (and future president) George H. W. Bush. With the Communist Sandinistas
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gaining total power of Nicaragua in 1979 after a bloody 5 sided civil war, CIA director Stansfield Turner reemployed Noriega to oppose the Sandinistas, as Noriega had become the defacto leader of Panama by means of rigging elections and putting his puppets in positions of power, including the presidency. In 1983 he was declared dictator of Panama, to little local dispute. Noriega was very popular to American politicians, due to his willingness to openly cooperate with the U.S. government, and his firm opposition to communism. The relationship Ronald Reagan had built with Noriega and their alliance was, at the time, seen as one of Reagan’s greatest accomplishments, and Panama was seen by the U.S. citizens as an ally. This close relationship allowed him to survive allegations of drug trafficking and election fraud, coming in 1983 and 1984, respectively. Things changed in 1986 when CIA intelligence officers were clued into the fact that Noriega had been working with the Sandinistas and the Castro's in Cuba. With all the new information about the U.S.’s new ally out in the open, the U.S. government began to deny any relationship with Noriega, in an attempt to separate the U.S. from Noriega, tried and convicted him of drug trafficking in two separate courts in 1988.
The PDF, with their leader no longer receiving CIA money and with an enhanced sense of freedom, inched closer to the U.S.
controlled Panama Canal. The U.S decided to bulk up on their defenses of the canal, and 9000 soldiers joined the 12,000 already in Panama in preparation for the oncoming explosion. In the meantime, Noriega nullified an election, keeping him in power indefinitely, in lieu of winner Guillermo Endara. Tempers flared on December 16, 1989, when an off duty marine was shot and killed by PDF forces, The next day, President George H. W. Bush implemented Operation Just Cause, an invasion with the intent of deposing Manuel Noriega, who had gone a bridge too
far.
By the 20th of December all 21,000 U.S. troops had been briefed and deployed. The goal of the Operation was clear, and speed would be essential to the mission's success, as if Noriega was allowed to escape U.S. custody and escape to another country, such as Nicaragua, chances were high there would be nothing the U.S. could do to bring him back. The invasion, orchestrated by General Maxwell Thurman, focused on 24 main points of attack, designed to cripple the PDF, find Noriega, and do minimal damage to the civilian population. He positioned the 193rd infantry outside of Panama city, to infiltrate the city and attack key locations within Panama City. The 7th Infantry was designated to control the exits to the city, envelop it, and cut off any way for Noriega to escape. The 82nd Airborne paratroopers, who achieved infamy from their role in Operation Overlord (Allied invasion of Normandy in WWII), were assigned to attack certain targets outside of the city, such as other known Noriega residences than his palace, PDF defense outposts, and airfields. The attacks were an overwhelming success. Of the 27,000 American and Panamanian soldiers in combat with the PDF, only 23 were killed, and 325 wounded. The PDF, on the other hand, of their 13,000 soldiers, 205 were killed and 2000 were captured. By December 24th, after only four days of fighting, the PDF was all but destroyed, and the entirety of Panama CIty was under U.S. control. Manuel Noriega, trapped in Panama City and unable to escape, surrendered on January 3rd of 1990. By the 12th the fighting had ceased, the PDF soldiers killed or surrendered, and by the 31st all U.S. soldiers were home or back on their regular assignments along the Panama Canal. 500 Panamanian civilians had been killed, and the city was partially destroyed, but the invasion was a success. Noriega was indicted by a Miami court and is currently serving a 30 year term for drug trafficking, money laundering, and political fraud, of which he has six years remaining, though he owes an additional 7 years to France upon release from the U.S. prison system. He will become a free man in 2029.
Though the reconstruction of Panama CIty has been relatively successful, the scars of war still remain. Bullet holes in walls, STANAG magazines discarded in a panic of firefights, Javelin rockets, and countless 556x45 NATO mm shells scattered amongst the country. The 556 rounds are the preferred bullet for M4 style weapons, such as the M16 series (which was long used by the US military), the FN SCAR (the assault rifle of choice for much of the US military today), and the HK416 (a very advanced rifle used by certain Spec Ops groups across the world, and the US Marines Corps), largely due to it’s compatibility with the STANAG magazines, used in most rifles in production, except for the AK’s and other less used rifles. From an abandoned ammo cache stacked with magazines and rockets, you can really see just how well equipped the US Army was, especially when compared to that of the PDF, and how much more money the US had at its disposal.
The steel and lead 556 rounds in brass casings were a very light round, lighter than the 762x39 ammo used by the rival AK style weapons, or any other armor piercing round for that matter. The steel tip was to increase penetration, and reduce the weight of the round, allowing it to move faster to a target, and hit moving targets more reliably. These mass produced bullets changed the way the US army operated because it could make it’s soldiers carry more ammunition at less weight.
Operation Just Cause was a chance to try out many new toys the US Army had at its disposal, such as the AT4 rocket and the M16A2 assault rifle, invented in 1987 and 1983, respectively. The At4 at the time was built to be able to hit a long range target, usually a tank or armored truck, but in Panama it was used to take out PDF vans and trucks, and even snipers high up in buildings. The AT4 was very expensive, as it was discarded after each use. Each AT4 shot set the US back about $1,500. The M16A2 ammo was not as expensive, but at about 23 cents, in a 30 round magazine ($6.90 a clip), and the standard soldier carries around 7 magazines (48.30 per soldier), and there were 27,000 soldiers in combat, that is a total bill of 1,304,100 in bullets, not accounting for the countless magazines of ammunition not issued to soldiers sitting in bases or resupplying of soldiers. The money backing the US army was enough to provide the army with a significant advantage, in addition to the manpower advantage, and was critical factor in the success of the operation. The PDF weaponry was far different. It was older, slower, and just outclassed. They were mostly older Russian weapons, such as the AK-47, and other Chinese ripoff variants of these guns. Armament was not uniform, and many soldiers were without weapons of a quality to which they could even compete with a U.S. rifle.
Glen Sierra was a photographer for the U.S. Army that went into combat with soldiers while filming the entirety of his experience. He caught live footage of the battle on video and posted it on Youtube for the public to use. In his footage he captured firefights, conversations, and a glimpse at what the life was for the civilians in Panama City. This provides valuable information on it, because as much as the story behind the invasion is covered, the events that actually took place between the two armies are often looked over. This source begins to fill that gap in a visual way, and was very educational. It shows a lot of the intensity, public hatred of the PDF, and honest joy at being “liberated” by the U.S. Army. It is a valuable primary source for the study of operation Just Cause.
Public view of the invasion was mostly in favor. The polls of then president Bush went up after the invasion in 1989. Public approval of the office of the president went up to the highest point since JFK, reaching 76%, while only 13% disapproved. 74% of people polled (over 1,500), believed the invasion was a good choice.
gaining total power of Nicaragua in 1979 after a bloody 5 sided civil war, CIA director Stansfield Turner reemployed Noriega to oppose the Sandinistas, as Noriega had become the defacto leader of Panama by means of rigging elections and putting his puppets in positions of power, including the presidency. In 1983 he was declared dictator of Panama, to little local dispute. Noriega was very popular to American politicians, due to his willingness to openly cooperate with the U.S. government, and his firm opposition to communism. The relationship Ronald Reagan had built with Noriega and their alliance was, at the time, seen as one of Reagan’s greatest accomplishments, and Panama was seen by the U.S. citizens as an ally. This close relationship allowed him to survive allegations of drug trafficking and election fraud, coming in 1983 and 1984, respectively. Things changed in 1986 when CIA intelligence officers were clued into the fact that Noriega had been working with the Sandinistas and the Castro's in Cuba. With all the new information about the U.S.’s new ally out in the open, the U.S. government began to deny any relationship with Noriega, in an attempt to separate the U.S. from Noriega, tried and convicted him of drug trafficking in two separate courts in 1988.
The PDF, with their leader no longer receiving CIA money and with an enhanced sense of freedom, inched closer to the U.S.
controlled Panama Canal. The U.S decided to bulk up on their defenses of the canal, and 9000 soldiers joined the 12,000 already in Panama in preparation for the oncoming explosion. In the meantime, Noriega nullified an election, keeping him in power indefinitely, in lieu of winner Guillermo Endara. Tempers flared on December 16, 1989, when an off duty marine was shot and killed by PDF forces, The next day, President George H. W. Bush implemented Operation Just Cause, an invasion with the intent of deposing Manuel Noriega, who had gone a bridge too
far.
By the 20th of December all 21,000 U.S. troops had been briefed and deployed. The goal of the Operation was clear, and speed would be essential to the mission's success, as if Noriega was allowed to escape U.S. custody and escape to another country, such as Nicaragua, chances were high there would be nothing the U.S. could do to bring him back. The invasion, orchestrated by General Maxwell Thurman, focused on 24 main points of attack, designed to cripple the PDF, find Noriega, and do minimal damage to the civilian population. He positioned the 193rd infantry outside of Panama city, to infiltrate the city and attack key locations within Panama City. The 7th Infantry was designated to control the exits to the city, envelop it, and cut off any way for Noriega to escape. The 82nd Airborne paratroopers, who achieved infamy from their role in Operation Overlord (Allied invasion of Normandy in WWII), were assigned to attack certain targets outside of the city, such as other known Noriega residences than his palace, PDF defense outposts, and airfields. The attacks were an overwhelming success. Of the 27,000 American and Panamanian soldiers in combat with the PDF, only 23 were killed, and 325 wounded. The PDF, on the other hand, of their 13,000 soldiers, 205 were killed and 2000 were captured. By December 24th, after only four days of fighting, the PDF was all but destroyed, and the entirety of Panama CIty was under U.S. control. Manuel Noriega, trapped in Panama City and unable to escape, surrendered on January 3rd of 1990. By the 12th the fighting had ceased, the PDF soldiers killed or surrendered, and by the 31st all U.S. soldiers were home or back on their regular assignments along the Panama Canal. 500 Panamanian civilians had been killed, and the city was partially destroyed, but the invasion was a success. Noriega was indicted by a Miami court and is currently serving a 30 year term for drug trafficking, money laundering, and political fraud, of which he has six years remaining, though he owes an additional 7 years to France upon release from the U.S. prison system. He will become a free man in 2029.
Though the reconstruction of Panama CIty has been relatively successful, the scars of war still remain. Bullet holes in walls, STANAG magazines discarded in a panic of firefights, Javelin rockets, and countless 556x45 NATO mm shells scattered amongst the country. The 556 rounds are the preferred bullet for M4 style weapons, such as the M16 series (which was long used by the US military), the FN SCAR (the assault rifle of choice for much of the US military today), and the HK416 (a very advanced rifle used by certain Spec Ops groups across the world, and the US Marines Corps), largely due to it’s compatibility with the STANAG magazines, used in most rifles in production, except for the AK’s and other less used rifles. From an abandoned ammo cache stacked with magazines and rockets, you can really see just how well equipped the US Army was, especially when compared to that of the PDF, and how much more money the US had at its disposal.
The steel and lead 556 rounds in brass casings were a very light round, lighter than the 762x39 ammo used by the rival AK style weapons, or any other armor piercing round for that matter. The steel tip was to increase penetration, and reduce the weight of the round, allowing it to move faster to a target, and hit moving targets more reliably. These mass produced bullets changed the way the US army operated because it could make it’s soldiers carry more ammunition at less weight.
Operation Just Cause was a chance to try out many new toys the US Army had at its disposal, such as the AT4 rocket and the M16A2 assault rifle, invented in 1987 and 1983, respectively. The At4 at the time was built to be able to hit a long range target, usually a tank or armored truck, but in Panama it was used to take out PDF vans and trucks, and even snipers high up in buildings. The AT4 was very expensive, as it was discarded after each use. Each AT4 shot set the US back about $1,500. The M16A2 ammo was not as expensive, but at about 23 cents, in a 30 round magazine ($6.90 a clip), and the standard soldier carries around 7 magazines (48.30 per soldier), and there were 27,000 soldiers in combat, that is a total bill of 1,304,100 in bullets, not accounting for the countless magazines of ammunition not issued to soldiers sitting in bases or resupplying of soldiers. The money backing the US army was enough to provide the army with a significant advantage, in addition to the manpower advantage, and was critical factor in the success of the operation. The PDF weaponry was far different. It was older, slower, and just outclassed. They were mostly older Russian weapons, such as the AK-47, and other Chinese ripoff variants of these guns. Armament was not uniform, and many soldiers were without weapons of a quality to which they could even compete with a U.S. rifle.
Glen Sierra was a photographer for the U.S. Army that went into combat with soldiers while filming the entirety of his experience. He caught live footage of the battle on video and posted it on Youtube for the public to use. In his footage he captured firefights, conversations, and a glimpse at what the life was for the civilians in Panama City. This provides valuable information on it, because as much as the story behind the invasion is covered, the events that actually took place between the two armies are often looked over. This source begins to fill that gap in a visual way, and was very educational. It shows a lot of the intensity, public hatred of the PDF, and honest joy at being “liberated” by the U.S. Army. It is a valuable primary source for the study of operation Just Cause.
Public view of the invasion was mostly in favor. The polls of then president Bush went up after the invasion in 1989. Public approval of the office of the president went up to the highest point since JFK, reaching 76%, while only 13% disapproved. 74% of people polled (over 1,500), believed the invasion was a good choice.