Fact Sheet on the U.S. Invasion of Panama

by Executive Intelligence Review

January 5, 1990

Fact Sheet on U.S. Invasion of Panama

by Executive Intelligence Review

January 5, 1990

At 7:30 on the morning of December 20, 1989, President Bush delivered a short statement on nationwide television justifying the massive invasion by 25,000 U.S. troops of the nation of Panama which had begun just over six hours before. The justifications mentioned by Mr. Bush, and subsequent clarifications and additions by other top officials later during the same day, establish beyond doubt that the United States is in violation of international law, and that the cited "justifications" were no more than pretexts for undertaking a knowingly lawless act of aggression to remove the government of a foreign, sovereign nation, just because the United States government didn't happen to like that government.

The following fact sheet identifies the chief assertions, the Big Lies, by President Bush and other top officials, followed by the truth, based on the undisputed facts as published in the U.S. press, or other public record documentation.

Assertion: That Panama declared war on the United States in a December 15 resolution. President George Bush's December 20 early morning televised statement: "Last Friday, Noriega declared his military dictatorship to be in a state of war with the United States." Other officials referred to it as "Panama's declaration of war on the United States."

Truth: It was the United States which declared war on Panama. On April 6, 1989, President George Bush notified Congress that he had invoked the National Emergencies Act and the International Emergency Act to declare "a state of national emergency" in the United States, because of "an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the U.S." posed by the Republic of Panama.

In his notification to Congress, Bush announced that he was renewing the harsh economic warfare measures against Panama that were initiated on March 2, 1988. U.S. officials also announced repeatedly over the past 20 months that they would take military action to remove the lawfully constituted government of Panama, and Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) chief General Manuel Noriega, if other methods failed to accomplish that. On May 17, 1989, the Bush administration leaked to the Washington Times, that it had changed the rules of engagement for U.S. military forces in Panama. Henceforth, U.S. troops in Panama were to seek a confrontation, countermanding earlier orders to avoid a confrontation with the PDF."

This was confirmed the very next day in an article in the May 18, 1989 Washington Post which reported that the U.S. military Southern Command based in Panama "was preparing to test Noriega's forces by running convoys through the outskirts" of Panama City, Bush administration officials said. "The underlying intention is to rattle Noriega's PDF and possibly to spark a confrontation."

On July 8, 1989, the commander of U.S. Army South in Panama, General Marc Cisneros, dismissed efforts by the Organization of American States (OAS) to settle the Panamanian crisis. The OAS will not act "firmly" to carry out U.S. demands to dislodge Noriega, he said. "Speaking for myself. I believe this is the moment for a military intervention in Panama," said Cisneros. When asked how he would go about an attack, Cisneros told his interviewers that he would issue an ultimatum to the Panamanian Defense Forces saying that they had 30 minutes to surrender. "I believe most of the officers of the PDF will accept" the ultimatum, he said.

The December 15 resolution of the National Assembly of Panama cited by Bush and Fitzwater, merely refers to these measures of war against Panama: "The Republic of Panama has for the last two years suffered a cruel and constant harassment by the U.S. government, whose President has made use of the powers of war to try to subject the will of Panamanians. The Republic of Panama is living under a genuine state of war, under the permanent hounding of the U.S. government, whose soldiers not only daily violate the integrity of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, but trample our sovereign rights in open, arrogant and shameless violation of the pacts and norms of international law. Therefore be it resolved that the Republic of Panama be declared in a state of war, for as long as the aggression unleashed against the Panamanian people by the U.S. government continues." The resolution was worded to state that a state of war existed, in order to legally "offer special powers to the head of government" to respond to these threats. Moreover, the U.S. stated publicly on December 16 that it did not regard the Panamanian statement as dangerous. Only when the decision was taken for other reasons to invade. did the U.S. make a 180-degree change the next day, Sunday, and reverse its public view of the statement. On Saturday, December 16, White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said, "I don't think anybody here considers it [the Panamanian statement on being in a state of war, important enough in terms of impact. Today's action is another hollow step in an attempt to force his (Noriega's) rule on the Panamanian people."

Assertion: That the invasion was launched to "protect American lives." According to Secretary of State James Baker at a news conference December 20. "Noriega was considering launching an urban commando attack on American citizens in a residential neighborhood."

Truth: Secretary Baker went on to concede that "I can't prove to you that this report was absolutely reliable," and also admitted that this alleged report only reached President Bush after he had made the decision to invade. Not a single piece of evidence purporting to be from this report has been released to the public in substantiation of this charge, and so far there is not a shred of evidence to back it up.

Assertion: That the invasion was ordered in response to the developments occurring several days before. President Bush on Dec. 20: "General Noriega's reckless threats and attacks upon Americans in Panama created an imminent danger to the 35,000 American citizens in Panama." Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, asked why he had reversed his opposition to U.S. intervention, which he had expressed after the failure of an Oct. 3 coup attempt, said that "after General Noriega had had himself declared maximum leader and then indicated a state of war existed between Panama and the U.S. government, it was clear that General Noriega had created an environment in which his troops felt free to terrorize and brutalize Americans who had every right to be in Panama."