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The shooting began at midnight.
Everyone ran toward their home.
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People started hollering.
Children began crying.
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00:00:16,596 --> 00:00:24,058
It was a complex operation,
27 targets were hit simultaneously.
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00:00:25,248 --> 00:00:27,646
I heard some of my family get shot.
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00:00:27,693 --> 00:00:29,920
I don't know nothing else
that has happened.
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00:00:29,954 --> 00:00:33,708
I just was "keep going",
because I was frightened to die.
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I was frightened to die.
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00:00:37,247 --> 00:00:39,952
The goal was not to level the place
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00:00:40,063 --> 00:00:44,119
but to minimize damage to property
and most important of all
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00:00:44,238 --> 00:00:47,483
to minimize casualties.
And that was accomplished.
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00:00:50,194 --> 00:00:55,685
My daughter did not belong to any group.
She had nothing to do with Noriega.
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00:00:56,211 --> 00:01:01,836
She was innocent. She had nothing to do
with all of this. And they killed her!
13
00:01:03,855 --> 00:01:08,883
If I had to do it again, I would do it
again. Because the cost was high.
14
00:01:09,103 --> 00:01:15,214
It was men, women, civilians and military.
They gave their lives. Not for us.
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00:01:15,695 --> 00:01:20,175
They gave their lives for
democracy, for liberty, for freedom.
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00:01:20,483 --> 00:01:24,503
And I don't mind paying any price
under the sun, to be free.
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00:03:13,236 --> 00:03:15,849
On December 19th 1989,
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while Panamanians were getting
ready for the Christmas holidays,
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the United States was secretly mobilizing
26,000 troops, for a midnight attack.
20
00:03:59,347 --> 00:04:03,042
I saw helicopters approaching.
They were close.
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00:04:03,836 --> 00:04:07,435
The lights went out and
the helicopters began to shoot.
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00:04:11,465 --> 00:04:14,874
People were running left and right
without direction
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00:04:15,031 --> 00:04:17,584
without knowing where they were going.
24
00:04:17,718 --> 00:04:23,323
It was not just machine-gun fire. There
were bombs. The noise was frightening
25
00:04:28,124 --> 00:04:30,844
You could hear gunfire
coming from all directions.
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And a strange noise that
we had never heard before.
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People were frightened, running,
wondering what was going on.
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The sky was completely red. And there was a
tremor you could feel throughout the city.
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00:04:52,976 --> 00:04:56,596
The invasion was swift,
intense and merciless.
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00:05:00,280 --> 00:05:05,130
When it was over, thousands lay dead and
wounded and the country was in shambles.
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00:05:07,933 --> 00:05:12,738
Millions of U.S. tax dollars were swallowed
up in three days of brutal violence.
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00:05:24,848 --> 00:05:28,947
The strategy was considered a
stunning military and political success.
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00:05:30,521 --> 00:05:33,081
In many ways, the invasion served
as a testing ground
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for the Persian Gulf war
one year later.
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It is also an indication
of the kinds of intervention
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00:05:41,536 --> 00:05:44,359
the United States may undertake
in the years to come.
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00:05:45,233 --> 00:05:47,983
But still, big questions remain.
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00:05:48,660 --> 00:05:53,243
What exactly happened during
the invasion of Panama? And why?
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00:05:56,289 --> 00:05:59,867
This is the CBS evening news.
Dan Rather reporting.
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00:06:00,816 --> 00:06:03,694
More than 20,000 U.S. soldiers and marines
41
00:06:03,761 --> 00:06:06,736
launched their attack
in the early morning darkness...
42
00:06:07,853 --> 00:06:09,601
As the invasion unfolded
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00:06:09,689 --> 00:06:13,524
Americans stayed glued to their
TV’s and newspapers for coverage.
44
00:06:14,518 --> 00:06:18,195
But how much of the real picture
did the media give them?
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00:06:19,683 --> 00:06:26,145
The performance of the mainstream news
media in the coverage of Panama, has been
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00:06:26,601 --> 00:06:30,742
just about total collaboration
with the administration.
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00:06:30,964 --> 00:06:35,885
Not a critical critical murmur, not a
critical perspective, not a second thought.
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00:06:36,770 --> 00:06:39,645
The story that the White House was pushing
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00:06:39,903 --> 00:06:43,257
was getting this so-called
narco-terrorist in a net.
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00:06:43,669 --> 00:06:47,217
And that was the thrust
of all of the coverage.
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00:06:47,711 --> 00:06:51,110
When are we going to get Noriega?
Have they let Noriega get away?
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00:06:51,188 --> 00:06:54,332
By late today, they had taken
control of much of the country
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00:06:54,399 --> 00:06:57,918
but their chief target general
Manuel Noriega, escaped.
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Manuel Noriega belongs to that special
fraternity of international villains.
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00:07:02,310 --> 00:07:06,090
Men like Gaddafi, Idi Amin
and the ayatollah Khomeini,
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whom Americans just love to hate.
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00:07:08,469 --> 00:07:11,132
The White House announced a
$1 million reward for his capture.
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The justice department set up a hotline
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00:07:13,746 --> 00:07:16,907
taking in tips on Noriega's
possible whereabouts.
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They focused on Noriega to the exclusion of
what was happening to the Panamanian people
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00:07:22,362 --> 00:07:26,062
to the exclusion of the bodies in the street,
to the exclusion of the number dead
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to the exclusion of what happened to
the women and children in that country
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during this midnight invasion.
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In some ways, the 1989 U.S. invasion
of Panama was no surprise
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given the history of relations
between these two countries.
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The United States refused to recognize
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Panama's independence movement
throughout the 1800s.
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But when the U.S. proposal
to build a canal
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across the Isthmus was
turned down by Columbia,
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U.S. policy abruptly changed.
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00:08:05,430 --> 00:08:09,529
In 1903, the United States
provided military backup
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enabling Panama to secede from Columbia.
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By doing so, the United States secure
the rights to take over the canal project
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00:08:18,637 --> 00:08:21,231
that had been abandoned by the French.
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00:08:23,789 --> 00:08:28,899
In a treaty negotiated between the French
canal investors and the United States
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the Americans were granted
sovereign control in perpetuity
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of a 10 mile wide strip of land
they called the Canal Zone.
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Panamanians were not included
in the negotiations
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and no Panamanians signed the treaty.
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The United States immediately placed
the Canal Zone under military control.
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00:08:52,512 --> 00:08:57,956
Teddy Roosevelt was asked by what
right he acquired possession of the canal.
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At least in the honest words
of a thief, he said I took it.
83
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That gives you no right in law.
It never has.
84
00:09:09,243 --> 00:09:11,435
And hopefully never will.
85
00:09:13,693 --> 00:09:16,877
The canal project had
a dramatic impact on Panama.
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The U.S. imported cheap labor
from the Caribbean, India, and Asia
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changing the racial makeup of the country.
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Thousands of these workers died
and those who remained
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lived as part of a new racial underclass.
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00:09:35,416 --> 00:09:41,797
They created an apartheid system in Panama
based on racial segregation.
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00:09:42,253 --> 00:09:44,747
Where black people could
not live in the same home
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where black people could not even
use the same water fountain.
93
00:09:49,978 --> 00:09:53,552
The Jim Crow law that was practiced
in the southern part of the United States
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was implemented in Panama
by the United States government.
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00:10:06,304 --> 00:10:09,425
After the canal was completed in 1913
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the United States continue to
expand its military presence
97
00:10:13,164 --> 00:10:16,293
and tighten its grip
on Panamanians politics.
98
00:10:17,066 --> 00:10:21,068
Violent confrontations between
Panamanians and the U.S. military grew
99
00:10:21,242 --> 00:10:23,133
in the decades that followed.
100
00:10:25,189 --> 00:10:27,564
Tensions peaked in 1964
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when students tried to exercise Panama's
right to fly it's flag in the Canal Zone.
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21 Panamanians were killed and hundreds
were wounded in the confrontation.
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00:10:48,821 --> 00:10:53,487
In 1968, Panama's government
was overthrown in a military coup.
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00:10:54,662 --> 00:10:57,252
Omar Torrijos,
a colonel in the national guard,
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emerged as the new leader of Panama.
106
00:11:00,512 --> 00:11:03,575
Although he used repressive measures
to consolidate his power
107
00:11:03,845 --> 00:11:05,604
he became immensely popular.
108
00:11:06,535 --> 00:11:10,251
Torrijos introduced an unexpected
period of social reform
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that benefited Panama's majority population
of Blacks, Indians and Mestizos.
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00:11:16,692 --> 00:11:22,018
It created a populist reformist process.
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00:11:22,409 --> 00:11:26,300
Humberto Brown, an administrator
at the state university of New York
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00:11:26,633 --> 00:11:29,730
served as the Panamanians diplomat
to the United Nations.
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00:11:30,343 --> 00:11:33,509
He was educated in Panama,
during the Torrijos period.
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00:11:34,044 --> 00:11:37,333
Where, for the first time in Panama,
we had a participation
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00:11:37,565 --> 00:11:40,620
of the non-oligarchical people of nation.
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Where people like myself could go
to university and get a degree, where
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the peasants, where people
from the Mestizos, where
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00:11:49,173 --> 00:11:53,240
all the people were deprived an
opportunity, for once in their life
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were playing an important role
in our nation.
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00:12:02,256 --> 00:12:07,728
In 1978, relations between the United
States and Panama reached a high point.
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00:12:08,409 --> 00:12:13,940
Jimmy Carter and Omar Torrijos negotiated
treaties that abolished the 1903 treaty
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establishing a new relationship
between the two countries.
123
00:12:25,307 --> 00:12:27,146
The Carter-Torrijos Treaties
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required the United State
to vacate its military bases
125
00:12:30,569 --> 00:12:33,233
and withdraw its troops
by the year 2000.
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00:12:33,970 --> 00:12:38,373
Full control of the canal and the Canal
Zone would be turned over to Panama.
127
00:12:40,084 --> 00:12:43,471
Although these new treaties were
a source of pride for Panamanians
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many conservatives in the U.S.
had vehemently opposed them.
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00:12:47,582 --> 00:12:51,267
The Panama Canal Zone
is sovereign United States territory
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just as much as Alaska is
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00:12:53,581 --> 00:12:56,610
as well as the states carved
from the Louisiana purchase.
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00:12:56,799 --> 00:12:58,924
We bought it, we paid for it.
133
00:12:59,096 --> 00:13:02,934
And general Torrijos should be told
we are going to keep it.
134
00:13:03,841 --> 00:13:05,476
In November 1980,
135
00:13:05,572 --> 00:13:09,858
Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter
in a landslide election victory.
136
00:13:15,725 --> 00:13:19,958
8 months later,
on the night of July 31, 1981
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Omar Torrijos was killed
in a fiery plane crash.
138
00:13:26,283 --> 00:13:29,153
The circumstances of the incident
are unclear.
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00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:33,109
Authorities said that his plane crashed
into the side of a mountain.
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00:13:33,262 --> 00:13:36,826
But witnesses said
that the plane exploded in flight.
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00:13:37,850 --> 00:13:40,738
Although his death was
officially declared an accident,
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00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:43,212
many suspected that he was assassinated.
143
00:13:44,718 --> 00:13:48,325
Some think that Manuel Noriega
may have been involved.
144
00:13:48,886 --> 00:13:52,704
But many are convinced it was
the CIA that was responsible.
145
00:13:53,670 --> 00:13:57,492
I'm quite convinced that
the CIA killed Torrijos.
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00:13:57,789 --> 00:14:01,070
This I know because I worked with Torrijos.
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00:14:01,476 --> 00:14:06,440
Jose "Chu chú" Martinez was one
of Torrijos closest aides for many years.
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00:14:06,527 --> 00:14:09,431
They killed him precisely at the
moment they had to kill him.
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00:14:09,551 --> 00:14:14,480
At that moment Torrijos was having
a big influence over Central America.
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Especially among the
revolutionary movement.
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00:14:18,688 --> 00:14:21,349
They killed Torrijos because
Torrijos represented precisely
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the political solution of the
whole Central American problem.
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Waiting in the wings for his chance to
take power, was colonel Manuel Noriega,
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00:14:31,336 --> 00:14:34,327
the CIA's primary contact in Panama.
155
00:14:35,082 --> 00:14:38,080
Noriega was head of
Panama's military intelligence
156
00:14:38,175 --> 00:14:41,309
and had a long standing
relationship with the U.S.
157
00:14:42,182 --> 00:14:45,351
He had been on the
CIA payroll since the 60's.
158
00:14:45,863 --> 00:14:50,070
When George Bush became
director of the CIA in 1976,
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00:14:50,253 --> 00:14:54,673
under president Ford,
he inherited Noriega as a contact.
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00:14:57,081 --> 00:15:01,086
Despite evidence that Noriega
was involved in drug trafficking,
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Bush kept Noriega on the payroll.
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00:15:03,644 --> 00:15:09,108
In fact, he increased Noriega's salary
to more than $100,000 a year
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and eliminated a requirement
that intelligence reports on Panama
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00:15:13,535 --> 00:15:16,858
include information on drug trafficking.
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00:15:17,293 --> 00:15:23,858
Over the last 20 years, since Manuel Noriega
was recruited by the CIA to be an asset,
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00:15:24,288 --> 00:15:30,495
he has obviously provided many important
pieces of information to U.S. intelligence.
167
00:15:30,748 --> 00:15:35,285
Peter Cornblue is senior analyst
at the National Security archives.
168
00:15:35,508 --> 00:15:39,668
The archive has assembled 100s of
previously classified government documents
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revealing the details of Noriega's
relationship to U.S. intelligence.
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00:15:44,370 --> 00:15:49,945
They paid him an incredible amount
of American taxpayers money.
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00:15:50,288 --> 00:15:55,077
And obviously decided that his
value to them, was so important
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00:15:55,122 --> 00:15:59,164
that his drug smuggling, and other
illegal activities, could simply be ignored.
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00:15:59,667 --> 00:16:03,218
I, George Herbert Walter Bush,
do solemnly swear
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00:16:03,322 --> 00:16:08,668
that I will support and defend
the constitution of the United States.
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00:16:08,796 --> 00:16:13,836
After George Bush became vice president
under Ronald Reagan in 1981,
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he was named head of the
administrations anti-drug campaign
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00:16:18,097 --> 00:16:20,205
and once again took responsibility
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00:16:20,285 --> 00:16:23,374
for monitoring Noriega's
intelligence activities.
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00:16:25,445 --> 00:16:28,997
Bush in fact seems to
have been instrumental,
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00:16:29,075 --> 00:16:30,752
even according to the
documented evidence
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00:16:30,816 --> 00:16:33,370
the administration itself
has made available,
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00:16:33,615 --> 00:16:36,810
in seeing to it Noriega
was well taken care of.
183
00:16:36,927 --> 00:16:41,899
And in fact, admiral Stansfield Turner, the
former director of the CIA under Carter,
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00:16:42,072 --> 00:16:47,931
claims he cut Noriega off,
that he removed him from the U.S. payroll.
185
00:16:48,121 --> 00:16:52,375
Bush put him back on
and in fact gave him a raise.
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00:16:52,686 --> 00:16:57,098
And developed an even closer
relationship than had existed before.
187
00:16:59,295 --> 00:17:04,147
With support from the CIA,
Noriega was able to outmaneuver his rivals
188
00:17:04,250 --> 00:17:09,380
and in august of 1983, he became
commander of the Panamanian military.
189
00:17:24,044 --> 00:17:27,715
As the Reagan administration
expanded its covert war
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00:17:27,780 --> 00:17:30,528
against the Sandinista government
in Nicaragua,
191
00:17:30,584 --> 00:17:33,479
Noriega became increasingly helpful.
192
00:17:33,602 --> 00:17:36,896
Working with the CIA,
and with Israeli arms dealers,
193
00:17:37,023 --> 00:17:39,930
Noriega helped coordinate
an arms supply network
194
00:17:39,977 --> 00:17:43,868
to provide weapons to contra
bases in northern Costa Rica.
195
00:17:44,241 --> 00:17:51,767
It is by now undeniable that the
same planes that were carrying arms
196
00:17:52,192 --> 00:17:56,178
from Panama into Costa Rica
were also carrying drugs.
197
00:17:56,568 --> 00:18:01,463
And in fact, the people who were
the pilots flying those arms to the contras
198
00:18:01,605 --> 00:18:03,467
and flying drugs on up,
199
00:18:03,990 --> 00:18:07,657
eventually reaching the U.S.,
had been indicted and are now serving time.
200
00:18:08,569 --> 00:18:14,278
This operation essentially gave
Manuel Noriega the assurance
201
00:18:14,435 --> 00:18:19,993
they would turn a blind eye
to his continued brokering of cocaine deals
202
00:18:20,554 --> 00:18:24,114
in return for using his network
203
00:18:24,211 --> 00:18:28,215
to get the arms to the
contras in northern Costa Rica.
204
00:18:29,535 --> 00:18:32,654
Noriega's involvement in the drug traffic
205
00:18:32,719 --> 00:18:37,963
really increased his importance
as a source for the CIA
206
00:18:38,068 --> 00:18:43,933
and as someone who was able to conduct
dirty tricks in the region for the CIA
207
00:18:44,029 --> 00:18:49,346
So, it's no accident that the CIA became
the most prominent defenders of Noriega
208
00:18:49,433 --> 00:18:51,227
against the drug charges,
209
00:18:51,275 --> 00:18:55,920
because that's the sort of thing
which CIA clients tend to do.
210
00:18:56,322 --> 00:19:02,013
Time after time when we install
strong men the third world,
211
00:19:02,133 --> 00:19:05,724
because we want them to be strong,
we want to see them involved
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00:19:05,868 --> 00:19:09,763
with the strongest local economic forces
213
00:19:09,922 --> 00:19:12,975
which, time after time,
are the drug traffic.
214
00:19:33,123 --> 00:19:37,737
Despite Noriega's collaboration
with many U.S. covert operations,
215
00:19:37,870 --> 00:19:43,115
he was becoming increasingly uncooperative
with U.S. objectives in Central America.
216
00:19:44,013 --> 00:19:47,523
In 1984, he angered
the Reagan administration
217
00:19:47,612 --> 00:19:52,046
by hosting Latin American leaders
at the Contadora peace talks.
218
00:19:52,569 --> 00:19:57,635
The talks called for an end to U.S.
intervention in Central American affairs.
219
00:19:58,738 --> 00:20:02,761
Noriega was not the yes-man
that the United States wanted him to be.
220
00:20:06,140 --> 00:20:08,274
He simply didn't like to be pushed around.
221
00:20:08,338 --> 00:20:12,522
He certainly didn't people like
John Poindexter or even William Casey
222
00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:18,018
coming down to his villa and telling
him what he should or should not do.
223
00:20:21,261 --> 00:20:25,561
Then in 1986,
the Iran-contra scandal erupted.
224
00:20:26,217 --> 00:20:29,343
Noriega's primary contacts
in the administration
225
00:20:29,422 --> 00:20:31,873
were now under intense scrutiny.
226
00:20:33,746 --> 00:20:36,980
Oliver North was fired,
Poindexter was forced to resign
227
00:20:37,081 --> 00:20:39,837
and William Casey fell ill
with a brain tumor.
228
00:20:40,182 --> 00:20:44,048
So all 3 of Noriega's major protectors
229
00:20:44,172 --> 00:20:49,301
were out of government and that led
quickly to a shift in U.S. policy.
230
00:20:54,435 --> 00:20:58,792
Sentiments within Panama were
turning against Noriega as well.
231
00:20:59,048 --> 00:21:00,437
For three years
232
00:21:00,462 --> 00:21:06,184
Noriega worked with the DEA in a sting
operation code-named Operation Pisces.
233
00:21:06,591 --> 00:21:12,501
In 1987, with Noriega's assistance,
authorities arrested hundreds of suspects
234
00:21:12,558 --> 00:21:15,664
and froze millions of dollars
in Panama's banks,
235
00:21:15,766 --> 00:21:18,790
severely disrupting the
money-laundering business.
236
00:21:18,977 --> 00:21:23,755
The financial community was outraged and
Noriega's opponents mobilized against him.
237
00:21:26,673 --> 00:21:31,030
Back in Washington, Noriega's opponents
lobbied and testified against him,
238
00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:34,593
accusing him of murder,
corruption and drug running.
239
00:21:34,678 --> 00:21:38,003
The U.S. media quickly
turned it into a major story.
240
00:21:38,390 --> 00:21:42,433
But relations with Panama are under a new
cloud tonight because of news reports...
241
00:21:42,484 --> 00:21:46,042
Senator Jesse Helms charged today
that the military strongman of Panama,
242
00:21:46,074 --> 00:21:50,235
Manuel Noriega, is the number one
drug trafficker in the Americas.
243
00:21:51,415 --> 00:21:56,388
Reports from U.S. intelligence have also
led to new investigations on Capitol Hill.
244
00:21:58,581 --> 00:22:02,277
Faced with increased pressure,
both in the U.S. and Panama,
245
00:22:02,543 --> 00:22:05,581
Noriega introduced
a wave of brutal repression,
246
00:22:05,651 --> 00:22:09,702
attacking protesters in the streets
and jailing hundreds of opponents.
247
00:22:14,668 --> 00:22:17,932
The Reagan administration now
openly called for his removal.
248
00:22:19,058 --> 00:22:24,342
We do want Noriega out of there and a
return to a civilian democratic government.
249
00:22:25,125 --> 00:22:30,082
But behind the scenes, the administration
was secretly negotiating with Noriega,
250
00:22:30,267 --> 00:22:32,606
promising not to indict him
on drug charges,
251
00:22:32,631 --> 00:22:36,424
if you would cooperate with
U.S. objectives in Central America.
252
00:22:37,330 --> 00:22:38,651
Gabrielle Gemma,
253
00:22:38,707 --> 00:22:43,135
director of the independent commission
of inquiry on the U.S. invasion of Panama,
254
00:22:43,183 --> 00:22:46,516
spoke to Noriega about
his negotiations with the U.S.
255
00:22:47,342 --> 00:22:52,764
General Noriega told us there were
a number of demands placed on him
256
00:22:52,898 --> 00:22:56,371
directly both through Poindexter
and other meetings, where
257
00:22:56,473 --> 00:22:59,778
the state department
pressured him to change
258
00:22:59,803 --> 00:23:02,619
the Panamanian governments
policy on several issues.
259
00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:09,189
He said that by far the most pressing
was the demand by the U.S. that Noriega
260
00:23:09,322 --> 00:23:11,550
and the Panamanian government,
allow the U.S.
261
00:23:11,575 --> 00:23:14,211
to expand their military
presence in Panama
262
00:23:14,351 --> 00:23:18,130
and to renegotiate the treaties
to allow them to keep control
263
00:23:18,236 --> 00:23:22,239
over the 14 military bases
that presently exist in Panama.
264
00:23:23,189 --> 00:23:26,162
Noriega refused to agree
to the U.S. demands
265
00:23:26,218 --> 00:23:28,544
or to relinquish his power in Panama.
266
00:23:30,238 --> 00:23:35,905
In February 1988, two U.S. federal
grand juries in Florida, indicted Noriega,
267
00:23:35,954 --> 00:23:39,997
accusing him of drug trafficking,
money-laundering and racketeering.
268
00:23:40,223 --> 00:23:42,297
It was the first time
a foreign head of state
269
00:23:42,392 --> 00:23:45,261
had ever been indicted
in the United States.
270
00:23:46,832 --> 00:23:51,158
The U.S. now undertook a systematic
effort to overthrow Noriega.
271
00:23:51,316 --> 00:23:53,084
Economic sanctions were stepped up
272
00:23:53,172 --> 00:23:56,027
and additional troops
were dispatched to Panama.
273
00:23:56,860 --> 00:23:59,003
The United States tonight
declared in effect that
274
00:23:59,068 --> 00:24:03,730
Panama's general Manuel Noriega is a
threat to this country's national security.
275
00:24:03,804 --> 00:24:11,404
Mr. Noriega, the drug indicted,
drug-related, indicted dictator of Panama.
276
00:24:11,518 --> 00:24:14,710
We want to bring him to justice.
We want to get him out
277
00:24:14,905 --> 00:24:18,769
and we want to restore
democracy to Panama.
278
00:24:18,914 --> 00:24:21,557
So when you read
these outrageous charges
279
00:24:21,582 --> 00:24:25,525
by a drug-related,
indicted dictator,
280
00:24:25,881 --> 00:24:28,152
discount them.
They are total lies.
281
00:24:31,294 --> 00:24:33,938
Still unable to force Noriega from power,
282
00:24:34,022 --> 00:24:36,773
the United States turned
its efforts to influencing
283
00:24:36,869 --> 00:24:40,914
the upcoming 1989
Panamanian national elections.
284
00:24:46,556 --> 00:24:49,489
The Bush administration,
working through the CIA
285
00:24:49,559 --> 00:24:52,230
and the national endowment
for democracy,
286
00:24:52,643 --> 00:24:57,073
funneled more than $10 million into
the opposition slate of candidates,
287
00:24:57,268 --> 00:24:59,636
presidential candidate Guillermo Endara,
288
00:24:59,721 --> 00:25:02,969
a wealthy corporate lawyer
educated in the United States
289
00:25:03,031 --> 00:25:05,138
and his vice-presidential running mates
290
00:25:05,232 --> 00:25:08,845
Guillermo Billy Ford and
Ricardo Arias Calderón.
291
00:25:09,786 --> 00:25:12,538
If the same scenario of those elections
292
00:25:12,689 --> 00:25:16,139
occurred and had taken place in the United
States, they would have been illegal.
293
00:25:16,232 --> 00:25:20,341
In the U.S. accepting money
from a foreign government
294
00:25:20,427 --> 00:25:24,847
for the purpose of influencing
a domestic election, is illegal.
295
00:25:25,731 --> 00:25:29,493
Those elections were
irregular from the beginning.
296
00:25:29,689 --> 00:25:32,177
How can you call it a fair election?
297
00:25:32,442 --> 00:25:36,565
This strategy was applied in Panama.
They applied it in Nicaragua.
298
00:25:36,647 --> 00:25:40,059
They will apply it to every government
who disagrees with the U.S. foreign policy.
299
00:25:40,181 --> 00:25:42,309
They use economical sanctions
300
00:25:42,380 --> 00:25:46,534
to starve people and then to
impose a vote on these people.
301
00:25:46,622 --> 00:25:49,939
Because people vote to get
bread when they are hungry.
302
00:25:50,026 --> 00:25:52,096
I don't think that is democracy.
303
00:25:52,857 --> 00:25:55,699
The elections were held,
the counting of the votes began,
304
00:25:55,873 --> 00:25:59,973
and it became clear that the PRD
would lose the election.
305
00:26:00,534 --> 00:26:02,563
At that point,
306
00:26:02,788 --> 00:26:05,198
and not for the first time
in the history of Panama,
307
00:26:05,301 --> 00:26:07,905
or many other countries
in Central America,
308
00:26:08,145 --> 00:26:12,310
the military rulers halted
the electoral process.
309
00:26:14,055 --> 00:26:18,144
The country erupted in violence.
As ballot boxes were seized.
310
00:26:22,020 --> 00:26:25,384
The U.S. supported candidates,
who had been leading in vote-tallies,
311
00:26:25,470 --> 00:26:28,019
were brutally beaten
on the streets of Panama City
312
00:26:28,084 --> 00:26:30,591
in front of rolling TV cameras.
313
00:26:51,832 --> 00:26:55,603
The assailants were alleged
to be Noriega's dignity battalions,
314
00:26:55,954 --> 00:26:58,170
although none were ever identified.
315
00:26:58,429 --> 00:27:04,086
It was a photo opportunity that crystallized
world public opinion against Noriega.
316
00:27:08,409 --> 00:27:12,149
The violence in Panama escalated sharply
this evening when government goons
317
00:27:12,245 --> 00:27:15,115
attacked candidates opposed
to general Manuel Noriega.
318
00:27:15,206 --> 00:27:17,998
Were attacked and beaten up
on the streets of Panama City
319
00:27:18,250 --> 00:27:19,531
Guillermo Endara
320
00:27:19,588 --> 00:27:21,548
One of the opposition
presidential candidates
321
00:27:21,635 --> 00:27:25,105
was beaten and injured during the day,
by backers of military strongman...
322
00:27:25,161 --> 00:27:28,877
Later the presidential candidate Endara
was released from the hospital.
323
00:27:28,950 --> 00:27:32,218
It has been confirmed that
he was attacked by goons.
324
00:27:35,030 --> 00:27:40,960
The following day, president Bush ordered
2000 additional troops into Panama.
325
00:27:42,313 --> 00:27:47,519
I will do what is necessary to protect
the lives of American citizens
326
00:27:47,616 --> 00:27:51,887
and we will not be intimidated
by the bullying tactics,
327
00:27:52,114 --> 00:27:56,197
brutal though they may be,
of the dictator Noriega.
328
00:27:57,085 --> 00:28:01,637
After the election fiasco,
the Panamanian National Assembly
329
00:28:01,745 --> 00:28:05,470
declared a state of emergency and
appointed Noriega head of state.
330
00:28:08,872 --> 00:28:11,376
George Bush, now openly encouraged
331
00:28:11,469 --> 00:28:14,943
the Panamanian military
to revolt against Noriega.
332
00:28:15,697 --> 00:28:19,233
We'd love to see him get him out.
We would like to see him out of there.
333
00:28:22,309 --> 00:28:25,690
With support and encouragement
from the United States,
334
00:28:25,783 --> 00:28:30,093
a group of officers from the
Panamanian Defense Forces (the PDF)
335
00:28:30,312 --> 00:28:33,684
began planning a military coup
to overthrow Noriega.
336
00:28:34,835 --> 00:28:38,192
They secretly met several times
with the U.S. southern command
337
00:28:38,319 --> 00:28:40,923
to coordinate support for the overthrow.
338
00:28:41,958 --> 00:28:45,392
The role to be played
by the United States army
339
00:28:46,083 --> 00:28:47,858
was to block certain roads
340
00:28:48,025 --> 00:28:51,505
and make sure that certain airfields
were not made available for use
341
00:28:51,609 --> 00:28:54,901
by elements potentially
loyal to general Noriega.
342
00:28:56,116 --> 00:29:00,133
With these assurances, the insurgent
troops launched a coup attempt.
343
00:29:00,629 --> 00:29:02,792
They quickly overpowered Noriega's guards,
344
00:29:03,085 --> 00:29:06,332
seized the PDF headquarters
and captured Noriega.
345
00:29:07,236 --> 00:29:10,480
But the Americans did not
carry through on the promises.
346
00:29:10,878 --> 00:29:14,985
Forces loyal to Noriega were allowed to
gain entrance and crushed the rebellion,
347
00:29:15,143 --> 00:29:17,059
freeing general Noriega.
348
00:29:21,981 --> 00:29:25,735
President Bush later denied any
U.S. involvement in the operation.
349
00:29:26,555 --> 00:29:31,150
.. that this is some American operation.
I can tell you: That is not true.
350
00:29:31,502 --> 00:29:39,375
I would repeat we have no argument
with the Panamanian Defense Forces.
351
00:29:40,187 --> 00:29:41,761
We have no argument with them.
352
00:29:41,882 --> 00:29:45,379
We have good relations with
the Panamanians Defense Forces.
353
00:29:45,505 --> 00:29:47,880
But investigative journalist Dough Vaugn
354
00:29:47,990 --> 00:29:52,541
who was in Panama during the
failed coup attempt, disputes Bush's claims
355
00:29:52,734 --> 00:29:58,345
The idea, at least on the American side,
was to lead these coup plotters along,
356
00:29:58,902 --> 00:30:02,360
to seduce them into believing that
they had the support of the United States
357
00:30:02,449 --> 00:30:05,422
and then, at a critical moment,
abandon them,
358
00:30:05,502 --> 00:30:09,849
So that then excuse could be made that
we had to smash the PDF completely.
359
00:30:09,930 --> 00:30:12,534
That we couldn't rely anymore on
360
00:30:12,613 --> 00:30:15,971
disgruntled officers
inside the Panamanian army
361
00:30:16,033 --> 00:30:19,850
to rise up against Noriega and we
would have to do this job ourselves
362
00:30:23,163 --> 00:30:25,228
After the October coup attempt,
363
00:30:25,321 --> 00:30:28,920
1300 additional U.S. troops
were flown into Panama,
364
00:30:29,030 --> 00:30:32,309
and offensive military equipment
was secretly deployed.
365
00:30:36,488 --> 00:30:41,495
The U.S. military stepped up its campaign
of intimidation and provocation.
366
00:30:42,044 --> 00:30:45,940
Setting up roadblocks,
confronting PDF forces
367
00:30:46,232 --> 00:30:50,539
and conducting offensive military
maneuvers outside of U.S. jurisdiction.
368
00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:04,985
They have blocked passage here. Calling
it a security problem. What security?
369
00:31:05,063 --> 00:31:08,653
The Panamanian people would never threaten
them. They are the ones threatening.
370
00:31:08,686 --> 00:31:11,972
They are the ones who charge at us with
a weapon. What is wrong with them?
371
00:31:16,127 --> 00:31:20,442
They charge at us with bayonets
in order to scare us.
372
00:31:20,803 --> 00:31:23,004
They said not to step onto that area.
373
00:31:23,090 --> 00:31:26,212
But they are on our side,
it's Panama jurisdiction,
374
00:31:26,308 --> 00:31:28,098
so what the hell is with them?
375
00:31:31,104 --> 00:31:35,830
It came to an inch that that day
the killing didn't started.
376
00:31:36,026 --> 00:31:40,525
Because the tanks and everything were ready
to go and to kill the Panamanian people.
377
00:31:52,854 --> 00:31:55,104
In the final months before the invasion,
378
00:31:55,251 --> 00:32:00,751
the army special operations command sent
a highly secret Delta Force team to Panama.
379
00:32:01,475 --> 00:32:05,238
There were numerous actions
undertaken by that Delta Team,
380
00:32:05,414 --> 00:32:09,591
which were reported in the
United States press as provocations
381
00:32:09,656 --> 00:32:12,690
undertaken by Panamanians
against the United States.
382
00:32:13,151 --> 00:32:17,649
Infiltrations of the United States
position, shots fired in the direction of
383
00:32:18,065 --> 00:32:21,510
of the United States
perimeters and positions.
384
00:32:21,808 --> 00:32:25,200
Roughing up of the United States
citizens in the street.
385
00:32:30,017 --> 00:32:33,020
Sabina Virgo, a national labor organizer,
386
00:32:33,108 --> 00:32:36,011
was in Panama just weeks
before the invasion.
387
00:32:36,898 --> 00:32:42,095
Provocations against the Panamanian people
by the United States military troops
388
00:32:42,287 --> 00:32:45,355
were very frequent in Panama and
389
00:32:46,091 --> 00:32:49,861
they had several results and in my opinion
probably a couple of different intents.
390
00:32:50,198 --> 00:32:53,265
One, I think, was to create
an international incident,
391
00:32:53,421 --> 00:32:57,590
was to have United States troops
just hassle the Panamanian people
392
00:32:57,786 --> 00:32:59,682
until an incident resulted
393
00:32:59,872 --> 00:33:02,774
and from that incident
the United States could then say that
394
00:33:02,799 --> 00:33:05,419
they were going into Panama
for the protection of American life,
395
00:33:05,465 --> 00:33:08,069
which is in fact
exactly what happened.
396
00:33:11,488 --> 00:33:13,327
On the night of December 16th,
397
00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:17,805
a group of U.S. marines ran a military
roadblock in front of PDF headquarters
398
00:33:17,883 --> 00:33:20,332
and were fired on by Panamanian guards.
399
00:33:25,353 --> 00:33:30,595
Lieutenant Robert Bolivar Paz, a U.S.
marine intelligence officer, was killed.
400
00:33:32,112 --> 00:33:36,053
The marines were reported to be part
of a group called the Hard Chargers,
401
00:33:36,205 --> 00:33:39,585
known for provoking
confrontations with PDF forces.
402
00:33:40,170 --> 00:33:42,994
The Pentagon claims the marines
were unarmed and lost.
403
00:33:43,597 --> 00:33:46,174
But local witnesses said they were armed
404
00:33:46,364 --> 00:33:51,308
and exchanged fire with the PDF headquarters,
wounding a soldier and two civilians.
405
00:33:51,359 --> 00:33:54,574
An American serviceman has been killed,
in a weekend shooting incident.
406
00:33:55,158 --> 00:33:59,481
...what US officials called: An example of
general Noriega's cruelty and brutality.
407
00:33:59,506 --> 00:34:04,101
The death of an American officer which
pres. Bush condemned today as an outrage.
408
00:34:06,002 --> 00:34:08,286
A navy officer and his wife were detained.
409
00:34:08,382 --> 00:34:11,582
He beaten and threatened with death.
She threatened sexually.
410
00:34:11,662 --> 00:34:15,436
Another American serviceman,
also threatening that man's wife.
411
00:34:15,713 --> 00:34:19,867
Strong public support for a reprisal
was all but guaranteed.
412
00:34:22,152 --> 00:34:26,951
Four days later on December 20th,
U.S. troops invaded Panama.
413
00:34:42,456 --> 00:34:46,063
The invasion was code-named
operation Just Cause.
414
00:34:46,903 --> 00:34:51,808
Shortly after midnight, U.S. troops
simultaneously attacked 27 targets,
415
00:34:52,055 --> 00:34:54,918
many of which were in
densely populated areas.
416
00:34:56,037 --> 00:34:58,544
One of the primary targets in Panama City
417
00:34:58,663 --> 00:35:01,519
was the headquarters of
the Panamanian Defense Forces,
418
00:35:01,612 --> 00:35:04,743
located in the crowded
neighborhood of El Chorrillo.
419
00:35:05,354 --> 00:35:10,690
U.S. troops shelled the area for four hours
before moving in and calling for surrender.
420
00:35:11,793 --> 00:35:13,528
We ask you to surrender.
421
00:35:13,944 --> 00:35:18,903
If you do not, we are prepared
to level each and every building.
422
00:35:20,107 --> 00:35:21,501
Surrender now.
423
00:35:22,142 --> 00:35:26,173
About 10 minutes after, they've been
speaking this "surrender, surrender"
424
00:35:26,558 --> 00:35:29,444
we sawed here the helicopters.
425
00:35:30,394 --> 00:35:32,162
Start to bomb the quartel.
426
00:35:32,969 --> 00:35:36,355
And start to use their laser ray.
427
00:35:36,452 --> 00:35:39,151
And things like that so we hit the ground.
428
00:35:46,811 --> 00:35:51,959
It soon became clear that the objectives
were not limited only to military targets.
429
00:35:52,366 --> 00:35:53,722
According to witnesses,
430
00:35:53,824 --> 00:35:56,390
many of the surrounding
residential neighborhoods
431
00:35:56,452 --> 00:35:59,124
were deliberately attacked and destroyed.
432
00:36:00,611 --> 00:36:02,943
The helicopters were heavily armed,
433
00:36:03,079 --> 00:36:08,861
firing powerful machine guns and rockets,
and they were firing indiscriminately.
434
00:36:10,071 --> 00:36:12,490
They weren't just looking
for military targets.
435
00:36:12,632 --> 00:36:15,393
They were firing at many civilians.
436
00:36:15,825 --> 00:36:18,234
People were running all over.
Trying to escape.
437
00:36:25,733 --> 00:36:27,799
They shot at everything that moved,
438
00:36:27,958 --> 00:36:30,650
without mercy and without thinking
whether there were children
439
00:36:30,726 --> 00:36:32,249
or women or people fighting.
440
00:36:32,980 --> 00:36:34,974
Instead, everything that moved they shot.
441
00:36:40,278 --> 00:36:42,819
We thought that they
would just take Noriega.
442
00:36:43,086 --> 00:36:47,857
They said that's what they wanted. They
would take him and respect everyone else.
443
00:36:52,683 --> 00:36:54,669
After the bombing been start
444
00:36:55,267 --> 00:36:57,437
been going on for a few hours.
445
00:36:58,518 --> 00:37:02,409
The soldiers say: Tell everybody to come
out with their hands on their head.
446
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:04,709
They direct us to the church.
447
00:37:10,715 --> 00:37:14,176
When we were in the church
about 6:00 in the morning,
448
00:37:14,935 --> 00:37:16,217
all of a sudden,
449
00:37:17,289 --> 00:37:19,598
the building started to burn
in front of the church.
450
00:37:20,853 --> 00:37:25,101
The people, the only thing they had
was inside that place,
451
00:37:25,368 --> 00:37:28,273
they tried to run out
to get water to hose it.
452
00:37:28,583 --> 00:37:32,107
The American soldiers told them to get out.
453
00:37:32,251 --> 00:37:37,155
Some people are stubborn.
The Americans soldiers shot up in the air.
454
00:37:38,352 --> 00:37:40,690
The people got scared and ran back.
455
00:37:41,717 --> 00:37:46,395
We saw that the North Americans were
denying people access to their homes.
456
00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:50,877
They sent people back and threatened
them with their machine guns
457
00:37:50,981 --> 00:37:53,355
and forbid anyone to get
close to the houses.
458
00:37:53,380 --> 00:37:56,845
All walked in all around the
alleys leading to the houses
459
00:37:57,163 --> 00:37:59,967
Then they began to set the houses on fire.
460
00:38:01,112 --> 00:38:05,197
The Panamanian soldiers know each ally,
461
00:38:05,455 --> 00:38:07,989
how to go in and come out and where to go
462
00:38:08,146 --> 00:38:10,616
and from one street to another street
463
00:38:10,737 --> 00:38:12,825
climb up and go onto a balcony.
464
00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:18,099
The only way the American soldiers
could get could get rid of that danger
465
00:38:18,791 --> 00:38:20,769
was to burn down the buildings there.
466
00:38:20,925 --> 00:38:24,993
That way the Panamanian soldiers
would have nowhere to hide.
467
00:38:26,268 --> 00:38:30,358
I am unaware of any operations
by U.S. military to go through and
468
00:38:30,494 --> 00:38:32,826
systematically burn down buildings.
469
00:38:34,430 --> 00:38:37,500
You get fires that are started by weapons.
470
00:38:37,554 --> 00:38:40,823
But I havn't seen any reports
of U.S. military folks
471
00:38:40,917 --> 00:38:43,390
going through and setting
buildings on fire.
472
00:38:45,798 --> 00:38:50,803
The North Americans began burning down
El Chorrillo at about 6:30 in the morning.
473
00:38:54,004 --> 00:38:58,036
They would throw a small device into
a house and it would catch on fire.
474
00:39:02,769 --> 00:39:05,374
They would burn a house
and then move to another
475
00:39:05,550 --> 00:39:07,954
and begin the process all over again.
476
00:39:10,288 --> 00:39:12,959
They burned from one street to the next.
477
00:39:13,348 --> 00:39:16,180
They coordinated the burning
through walkie-talkies.
478
00:39:34,378 --> 00:39:38,702
And from there, the whole of
El Chorrillo went to nothing.
479
00:40:00,875 --> 00:40:05,766
The Pentagon used Panama as a testing
ground for newly developed hightech weapons
480
00:40:06,141 --> 00:40:07,886
such as the Stealth fighter,
481
00:40:08,994 --> 00:40:10,931
the Apache attack helicopter,
482
00:40:12,366 --> 00:40:14,049
and laser guided missiles.
483
00:40:17,727 --> 00:40:20,222
There are also reports
that can't be explained
484
00:40:20,303 --> 00:40:23,893
indicating the use of experimental
and unknown weaponry.
485
00:40:29,661 --> 00:40:33,031
We have testimony about
combatants who died literally
486
00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:36,297
melted with their guns
as a result of a laser.
487
00:40:37,538 --> 00:40:41,570
We know of automobiles that
were cut in half by these lasers.
488
00:40:41,652 --> 00:40:48,523
Of atrocities committed by weapons that fire
poison darts which produce massive bleeding.
489
00:40:49,702 --> 00:40:54,153
I think there is a probability
there was a use of
490
00:40:54,772 --> 00:40:58,003
sophisticated weaponry, merely to test it.
491
00:40:58,585 --> 00:41:01,280
Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general,
492
00:41:01,398 --> 00:41:04,605
has conducted extensive research
into the invasion.
493
00:41:05,218 --> 00:41:07,763
Above all though, there was
494
00:41:08,513 --> 00:41:14,765
a use beyond any conceivable necessity
of just sheer firepower.
495
00:41:15,221 --> 00:41:20,927
Just an excessive use of force
beyond any possible justification.
496
00:41:21,589 --> 00:41:24,980
President Bush wanted to make certain
that this was going to be a success.
497
00:41:25,067 --> 00:41:27,610
This was going to be his vindication,
498
00:41:27,699 --> 00:41:30,601
denial of the wimp factor in spades.
499
00:41:31,216 --> 00:41:34,996
So they sent down a force that wasn't going
to encounter any effective resistance
500
00:41:35,020 --> 00:41:37,357
but simply overwhelm the opposition
501
00:41:37,514 --> 00:41:42,360
and the fact that it would cause
tremendous peripheral damage,
502
00:41:42,432 --> 00:41:48,289
damage to innocent civilians on a wide
scale, was not of concern in the planning.
503
00:41:49,310 --> 00:41:52,877
What we intended to do was
to reduce collateral damage.
504
00:41:54,237 --> 00:41:57,255
Collateral damage, it means
if the target is right here,
505
00:41:57,294 --> 00:42:00,429
you are trying not to have
damage to other places.
506
00:42:00,856 --> 00:42:04,623
You are trying to have damage to a specific
target. Because that's a military target.
507
00:42:04,655 --> 00:42:07,669
And you are trying to minimize damage
outside of the military target.
508
00:42:08,832 --> 00:42:10,131
And they worked.
509
00:42:16,963 --> 00:42:21,917
My God, we were sending in
artillery and air strikes
510
00:42:22,084 --> 00:42:24,951
against a very heavily
populated urban area.
511
00:42:25,351 --> 00:42:26,788
There was absolutely no question
512
00:42:26,835 --> 00:42:30,415
that there were going to be
immense numbers of civilian casualties.
513
00:42:44,029 --> 00:42:49,383
We walked among the dead and saw
the tanks run over and crush our dead.
514
00:42:53,508 --> 00:42:58,399
We saw a great number of civilian
cars with whole families inside,
515
00:42:58,854 --> 00:43:04,111
kids, women, and the driver torn to pieces
and crushed by the tanks.
516
00:43:07,682 --> 00:43:13,150
The soldiers passed the tanks
over the people's bodies.
517
00:43:13,324 --> 00:43:16,722
Some of them dead, some of them wounded.
518
00:43:16,807 --> 00:43:21,885
And there were cases that we know,
for example the case of Manuel Carro,
519
00:43:22,198 --> 00:43:29,114
the case of Alexander Hubert, and some
others whose bodies were totally destroyed.
520
00:43:34,119 --> 00:43:36,946
During the days and weeks
following the invasion,
521
00:43:37,087 --> 00:43:41,377
the U.S. policy of applying
overwhelming deadly force continued.
522
00:43:41,923 --> 00:43:47,023
There were many reports of indiscriminate
killings and executions of unarmed civilians.
523
00:43:48,329 --> 00:43:52,490
We have eye witness accounts on the
part of a number of Panamanians
524
00:43:52,663 --> 00:43:56,170
where soldiers took Panamanians
who had been captured
525
00:43:56,365 --> 00:44:00,046
after the invasion and executed
them on the street.
526
00:44:00,790 --> 00:44:06,670
I have seen no reports of U.S. soldiers
executing anyone in Panama.
527
00:44:07,343 --> 00:44:10,843
We have carefully checked out
every such report
528
00:44:11,070 --> 00:44:16,070
and if we think there is evidence that
a U.S. soldier murdered a Panamanian,
529
00:44:16,538 --> 00:44:18,872
we will court-martial that soldier.
530
00:44:19,379 --> 00:44:22,191
That sort of behavior would be absolutely
531
00:44:22,255 --> 00:44:25,294
unprofessional, totally
unacceptable and illegal.
532
00:44:26,031 --> 00:44:29,758
Rafael Olivardia, a community
leader from El Chorrillo,
533
00:44:29,790 --> 00:44:34,549
was taken to the Balboa High School
detention camp the morning after the attack.
534
00:44:39,210 --> 00:44:43,462
There were many Panamanian troops
at the Balboa concentration camp.
535
00:44:44,183 --> 00:44:47,026
They didn't seem to know what was going on.
536
00:44:47,258 --> 00:44:52,557
They were sitting on the grass with their
arms and feet tied with plastic bands.
537
00:44:53,268 --> 00:44:56,614
I, along with many other
people from El Chorrillo,
538
00:44:56,919 --> 00:45:00,160
witnessed their execution
right in front of us.
539
00:45:00,568 --> 00:45:06,153
Eight of the soldiers at the entrance
were executed by U.S. troops.
540
00:45:09,123 --> 00:45:13,061
There were many reports of
unprovoked killings at U.S. roadblocks.
541
00:45:13,694 --> 00:45:16,749
One woman told human rights
investigators how her brother
542
00:45:16,889 --> 00:45:20,296
and four friends were killed at
a roadblock on December 23rd,
543
00:45:20,508 --> 00:45:22,975
three days after the initial attack.
544
00:45:24,396 --> 00:45:29,043
All five of the passengers were forced out
of the car and put facedown on the ground.
545
00:45:29,559 --> 00:45:31,625
They were riddled with bullets.
546
00:45:32,082 --> 00:45:34,268
They were simply going
to visit family members
547
00:45:34,337 --> 00:45:37,211
when they were detained
and killed in the street.
548
00:45:38,708 --> 00:45:42,406
Although 19 cases of homicide
and alleged executions
549
00:45:42,478 --> 00:45:44,523
were filed with the Southern Command,
550
00:45:44,593 --> 00:45:48,913
all but two of these cases were
internally reviewed and dismissed.
551
00:45:58,636 --> 00:46:02,245
During the invasion, and throughout
the days and weeks that followed,
552
00:46:02,365 --> 00:46:05,590
access by the news media
was tightly controlled.
553
00:46:06,311 --> 00:46:11,616
The Pentagon flew in a 16 person press pool
from the major U.S. media.
554
00:46:12,146 --> 00:46:17,494
The pool did not reach Panama however until
after the crucial first 4 hours of the attack
555
00:46:17,574 --> 00:46:21,479
and were restricted to U.S. military bases
for the next day and a half.
556
00:46:22,496 --> 00:46:26,861
Our regret is we were not able to use
the media pool more effectively.
557
00:46:26,949 --> 00:46:29,355
The goal was to get reporters down there
558
00:46:29,513 --> 00:46:32,479
so that they could to see from themselves
the early hours of the operation.
559
00:46:32,504 --> 00:46:37,567
Now once they got there, we had a breakdown
in our ability to move them around.
560
00:46:37,667 --> 00:46:41,033
Helicopters that we thought were
gonna be available had to be pulled off.
561
00:46:41,088 --> 00:46:43,580
They were needed for the operation itself.
562
00:46:44,832 --> 00:46:48,725
The press pool that went down there
was managed from the day they arrived.
563
00:46:48,906 --> 00:46:53,711
They were only taken to see what the government,
what the military, wanted them to see.
564
00:46:53,860 --> 00:46:56,492
And there has been continuous
565
00:46:56,594 --> 00:47:02,162
suppression and denial of the extent of damage
which was inflicted during that invasion.
566
00:47:03,205 --> 00:47:06,511
Many journalists who tried
to investigate on their own
567
00:47:06,614 --> 00:47:10,394
were stopped by U.S. troops
from entering areas that were attacked.
568
00:47:10,847 --> 00:47:13,182
Can I see your credentials please?
569
00:47:17,105 --> 00:47:21,271
One of the few journalists who was able
to penetrate the military's restrictions
570
00:47:21,405 --> 00:47:24,326
was a Panamanian photographer Julio Guerra.
571
00:47:28,836 --> 00:47:32,016
I had already taken photographs
in the Chorrillo area.
572
00:47:35,070 --> 00:47:38,739
I'd also taken photos of some dead bodies
in the street
573
00:47:39,098 --> 00:47:42,745
when a North American soldier told me
I couldn't walk any further.
574
00:47:43,535 --> 00:47:47,207
They wanted to take my camera away.
But I didn’t let them.
575
00:47:52,418 --> 00:47:54,808
So, they made me open the camera
576
00:47:54,957 --> 00:47:59,254
and expose the role of film with the shots
of the dead bodies I had taken.
577
00:48:01,110 --> 00:48:03,626
Military folk shouldn't be
taking film out of cameras.
578
00:48:03,697 --> 00:48:07,213
You get young guys in combat,
they get concerned,
579
00:48:07,268 --> 00:48:10,267
they do that sometimes.
I don't think that was the norm.
580
00:48:11,633 --> 00:48:14,588
Another Panamanian journalist,
Manuel Becker,
581
00:48:14,650 --> 00:48:17,212
a cameraman
for a London based news service,
582
00:48:17,275 --> 00:48:19,343
was covering the attack
on the night of the invasion
583
00:48:19,392 --> 00:48:21,922
when he was stopped by U.S. troops.
584
00:48:26,546 --> 00:48:29,040
We almost got to
the edge of El Chorrillo.
585
00:48:30,057 --> 00:48:33,202
As soon as we were able to,
we started videotaping.
586
00:48:35,631 --> 00:48:38,154
The North American troops took our tapes
587
00:48:38,342 --> 00:48:42,178
and placed us virtually under arrest
until the bombing was over.
588
00:48:45,414 --> 00:48:49,632
A Spanish news photographer who,
in the early moments,
589
00:48:49,663 --> 00:48:53,249
was able to get a picture
of bodies lined up in the morgue
590
00:48:53,366 --> 00:48:57,929
was subsequently shot
under very strange circumstances.
591
00:48:58,390 --> 00:49:03,358
There was not a conflict but
according to the reports of colleagues,
592
00:49:03,578 --> 00:49:08,315
an American soldier just
took aim and shot him down.
593
00:49:14,554 --> 00:49:18,475
The U.S. military also
targeted the Panamanian media.
594
00:49:18,757 --> 00:49:22,358
Radio stations were immediately
taken over and destroyed.
595
00:49:22,912 --> 00:49:27,585
U.S. forces occupied TV stations
and began transmitting their own signal.
596
00:49:28,581 --> 00:49:31,247
Many journalists were either
arrested or fired.
597
00:49:32,666 --> 00:49:36,909
One of Panama's largest daily newspapers,
La República, was raided,
598
00:49:37,291 --> 00:49:40,235
ransacked, and closed down
by American troops.
599
00:49:41,981 --> 00:49:46,226
The U.S. military's control
over all of the media was so effective,
600
00:49:46,288 --> 00:49:50,131
that there is almost no video footage
of the first three days of the invasion
601
00:49:50,219 --> 00:49:53,641
other than what was shot
by the military's own camera crews.
602
00:49:53,936 --> 00:49:58,262
It's so ironic that the kind
of very tight press control
603
00:49:58,365 --> 00:50:02,217
that you used to see in
Russia under Stalin and under Brezhnev
604
00:50:02,396 --> 00:50:06,999
and which was finally ending
under Gorbachev with Glasnost,
605
00:50:07,110 --> 00:50:11,157
that we've seen in the United States
exactly the opposite phenomenon.
606
00:50:11,204 --> 00:50:15,375
A new degree of press control,
which we never had in Vietnam.
607
00:50:15,633 --> 00:50:19,805
So that the American people
didn't really know what had happened
608
00:50:19,877 --> 00:50:22,863
until it was all over and it was too late.
609
00:50:30,099 --> 00:50:31,732
During the week of the invasion,
610
00:50:31,802 --> 00:50:35,543
more than 18,000 people
who fled from the areas of attack
611
00:50:35,653 --> 00:50:39,778
were forced into temporary detention
centers created by the U.S. forces.
612
00:51:32,665 --> 00:51:34,657
It was a war, it was a battle.
613
00:51:34,752 --> 00:51:36,853
And the way you get it over with
614
00:51:36,946 --> 00:51:40,165
is to find the people who are most likely
to keep shooting at you
615
00:51:40,229 --> 00:51:43,846
and try to detain them.
And that was the goal of that operation.
616
00:51:47,610 --> 00:51:51,455
We arrived at the concentration camp
of Balboa, a school.
617
00:51:51,582 --> 00:51:56,158
It was surrounded by a barbed wire fence
and full of heavily armed soldiers.
618
00:51:56,924 --> 00:52:02,197
When we arrived, they picked all the men
between the ages of 15 and 55
619
00:52:02,472 --> 00:52:04,472
and put us on an army truck.
620
00:52:06,806 --> 00:52:09,056
The women were crying, shouting.
621
00:52:09,706 --> 00:52:13,330
They were pushing us around and
we didn't know where they were taking us.
622
00:52:13,767 --> 00:52:18,952
They took us to a secret place and we were
submitted to an intense interrogation.
623
00:52:21,350 --> 00:52:24,733
Then they put a card in front of us
and took our picture.
624
00:52:28,362 --> 00:52:35,986
So all men between 15 and 55 had this card
with their ID number and refugee number.
625
00:52:40,506 --> 00:52:42,109
As part of the invasion,
626
00:52:42,208 --> 00:52:46,241
the U.S. forces worked with
newly installed Panamanian officials
627
00:52:46,305 --> 00:52:50,202
to institute repressive measures
that continue in Panama today.
628
00:52:51,577 --> 00:52:54,349
American forces took control
of the public buildings,
629
00:52:54,422 --> 00:52:56,734
government ministries,
and the universities.
630
00:52:57,772 --> 00:53:01,623
Almost every organization opposed
to the United States policy
631
00:53:01,718 --> 00:53:04,189
had its offices raided and destroyed.
632
00:53:04,808 --> 00:53:07,230
Thousands of individuals were arrested.
633
00:53:09,803 --> 00:53:15,190
Aries Calderon, Endara
and the attorney general Rogelio Cruz
634
00:53:15,340 --> 00:53:20,239
effectively wrote down the names
of their political enemies,
635
00:53:20,379 --> 00:53:23,144
gave them to U.S. military personnel,
636
00:53:23,285 --> 00:53:27,253
who, going around like stormtroopers,
would break down doors,
637
00:53:27,348 --> 00:53:31,977
drag people out of their houses,
take them to detention centers.
638
00:53:32,522 --> 00:53:37,891
Only because their name was given
by one of these officials.
639
00:53:38,266 --> 00:53:42,754
And that there was no legal case
against these people whatsoever.
640
00:53:43,527 --> 00:53:45,918
I got it, I got it, I got you covered.
641
00:53:48,465 --> 00:53:50,128
Get the door.
642
00:53:52,248 --> 00:53:53,953
Open the door.
643
00:53:55,231 --> 00:53:57,616
Get down on the floor,
U.S. marines.
644
00:54:05,176 --> 00:54:07,902
Government officials had to go underground,
645
00:54:08,012 --> 00:54:12,347
many of them, in order not be arrested,
including university professors.
646
00:54:12,450 --> 00:54:16,110
There were former government and
diplomatic officials that were arrested
647
00:54:16,157 --> 00:54:19,613
and interned at refuge camps
and some of them prisons.
648
00:54:19,720 --> 00:54:21,808
The list runs into the thousands.
649
00:54:28,020 --> 00:54:29,784
Why are they taking you?
650
00:54:34,538 --> 00:54:38,834
They say I have weapons,
I don't no have no weapons
651
00:54:40,910 --> 00:54:43,711
Why are they after him?
Why aren't they after Bush instead?
652
00:54:43,768 --> 00:54:46,167
He's the one who's
killing people all over the place.
653
00:54:46,192 --> 00:54:49,052
Why are they harassing a worker
who's defending other workers?
654
00:54:58,557 --> 00:55:02,307
26 times the U.S. troops were here
searching my house.
655
00:55:02,409 --> 00:55:05,718
They would surround everything with tanks
and would take books,
656
00:55:05,954 --> 00:55:09,047
personal documents.
Posters of Torrijos.
657
00:55:09,976 --> 00:55:12,561
They would search it
whenever they felt like it.
658
00:55:12,932 --> 00:55:17,155
Balbina Herrera de Perinan
was the mayor of San Miguelito
659
00:55:17,267 --> 00:55:19,915
and a member of the National Assembly.
660
00:55:20,094 --> 00:55:21,445
After the invasion,
661
00:55:21,501 --> 00:55:25,853
she was subjected to a relentless
campaign of slander and harassment.
662
00:55:27,783 --> 00:55:31,508
The Southern Command put up
wanted posters with my photo.
663
00:55:32,026 --> 00:55:36,123
If you see her, please call such and such
a number at Southern Command.
664
00:55:36,840 --> 00:55:39,975
They interrogated my children,
my three little ones.
665
00:55:40,110 --> 00:55:43,316
They would ask them where their mother was
where their father was.
666
00:55:43,420 --> 00:55:46,552
They would ask them
for information about us.
667
00:55:51,305 --> 00:55:55,443
Escolastico Calvo,
the editor of La Rebública newspaper,
668
00:55:55,593 --> 00:55:59,411
had been openly critical
of the new government and U.S. invasion.
669
00:56:02,782 --> 00:56:05,835
What I don't understand is that
they've been holding me here 30 days
670
00:56:05,907 --> 00:56:08,915
and no one has talked to me about my case.
About my charge.
671
00:56:08,994 --> 00:56:13,153
This is what we want a decision on.
Is there justice here or not?
672
00:56:13,719 --> 00:56:18,769
Calvo was imprisoned for 18 months.
No charges were ever filed against him.
673
00:56:20,586 --> 00:56:24,656
They arrested close to
7,000 Panamanian individuals.
674
00:56:24,797 --> 00:56:27,953
They arrested almost
every trade union leader
675
00:56:28,047 --> 00:56:30,647
the leaders of the nationalist parties,
676
00:56:31,156 --> 00:56:34,497
of progressive parties,
of left parties in Panama.
677
00:56:34,645 --> 00:56:37,329
They arrested people
who were cultural leaders.
678
00:56:37,467 --> 00:56:41,465
There are still hundreds of Panamanians
who remain in jail,
679
00:56:41,544 --> 00:56:44,873
with no due process,
with no formal charges against them.
680
00:56:52,647 --> 00:56:54,878
As a result of the U.S. invasion,
681
00:56:54,974 --> 00:56:58,622
an estimated 20,000 Panamanians
lost their homes.
682
00:57:00,241 --> 00:57:02,860
Hardest hit were residents
in the poor neighborhoods
683
00:57:02,949 --> 00:57:08,197
of San Miguelito, Colon,
Panama Viejo and El Chorrillo,
684
00:58:17,579 --> 00:58:20,383
The survivors of the invasion
received little assistance
685
00:58:20,478 --> 00:58:24,758
from either the newly installed
Panamanian government or the United States.
686
00:58:25,469 --> 00:58:29,308
Many moved into bombed out buildings
and makeshift shelters.
687
00:58:30,569 --> 00:58:32,874
Several thousand were moved to
Albrook Airfield
688
00:58:32,899 --> 00:58:35,421
and housed in 2 large airplane hangers.
689
00:58:35,446 --> 00:58:37,789
Where many languished
for more than a year.
690
00:58:38,752 --> 00:58:42,848
In hanger nr. 1,
we constructed 506 cubicles.
691
00:58:43,747 --> 00:58:49,528
It's a 10 by 10 foot cubicle
where we host each of the families.
692
00:58:51,106 --> 00:58:56,707
In each cubicles we can put as much as 4
camps and small mattresses for the kids.
693
00:58:58,823 --> 00:59:03,279
Although the Albrook refugee camp was
administered by the Panamanian Red Cross
694
00:59:03,413 --> 00:59:06,707
and the United States agency
for international development,
695
00:59:06,768 --> 00:59:10,049
U.S. military police would
frequently enter the grounds
696
00:59:10,145 --> 00:59:12,394
restrict access to make arrests.
697
00:59:13,590 --> 00:59:16,431
With explicit permission
from the directors of the camp,
698
00:59:16,500 --> 00:59:18,157
our camera crew entered
699
00:59:18,245 --> 00:59:22,376
to interview refugees about their experience
of the invasion and its aftermath.
700
00:59:26,761 --> 00:59:28,807
Even though we had authorization,
701
00:59:28,893 --> 00:59:33,462
U.S. military police and the criminal
investigation division of the U.S. army
702
00:59:33,588 --> 00:59:36,255
tried to stop our crew
from videotaping.
703
00:59:37,236 --> 00:59:42,048
The Marshall's Office just called me and
they said to detain anybody from filming.
704
00:59:44,258 --> 00:59:48,422
I don't think that's right. I think the
world has the right to know the truth.
705
00:59:48,595 --> 00:59:53,782
Sir please, we are the victims.
We lose everything. We lose our families.
706
00:59:54,718 --> 00:59:57,498
So now why the world is not
supposed to know the truth, sir?
707
01:00:01,178 --> 01:00:03,129
I cannot allow you to film.
708
01:00:10,975 --> 01:00:15,119
We are the victims sir. And we want
the world to know the truth.
709
01:00:15,441 --> 01:00:16,441
I do too.
710
01:00:17,416 --> 01:00:19,283
Then why are you against it?
711
01:00:19,921 --> 01:00:22,296
You come in and arrest me
but we have the right to be here.
712
01:00:22,368 --> 01:00:26,038
Were shooting here a Panamanian project
and we have the right of the director.
713
01:00:26,808 --> 01:00:29,413
I'm not stopping, we are not slowing down.
714
01:00:29,515 --> 01:00:33,670
So if you have to bring someone in
to forcibly do that, that's your business.
715
01:00:38,997 --> 01:00:43,017
Why do they want to throw out the
reporters? They came to talk to us.
716
01:00:43,113 --> 01:00:48,925
They want to know the truth. They won't
let them interview us. Why? Why?
717
01:00:53,380 --> 01:00:56,357
Hundreds of angry refugees
surrounded the camera crew
718
01:00:56,516 --> 01:00:58,715
forcing the military to withdraw.
719
01:00:59,685 --> 01:01:02,934
Finally, the refugees were
able to tell their stories.
720
01:01:12,194 --> 01:01:17,686
We are tired of being stuck inside
this hanger. Many old people are sick.
721
01:01:18,249 --> 01:01:20,936
There is no medical attention.
And the children!
722
01:01:21,085 --> 01:01:24,094
When? When are they going
to put an end to this?
723
01:01:25,887 --> 01:01:30,139
We are the victims of Endara's presidency.
Why did it have to be us?
724
01:01:30,468 --> 01:01:33,216
Why didn't they choose
the rich neighborhood?
725
01:01:33,301 --> 01:01:36,971
If they had picked 50th street,
it would have been repaired by now.
726
01:01:37,154 --> 01:01:40,574
Since it was El Chorrillo,
they have forgotten about us!
727
01:01:44,182 --> 01:01:48,138
The people are in bad shape.
They have no clothes, nothing to wear.
728
01:01:48,451 --> 01:01:51,686
I buy them clothes sometimes and
sometimes food out of my own pocket.
729
01:01:51,788 --> 01:01:53,989
But one can't do that every day.
730
01:01:56,446 --> 01:01:59,101
We need to avoid a problem
with the Corrilleros,
731
01:01:59,217 --> 01:02:02,396
in the state they're in
they're liable to start a riot.
732
01:02:03,277 --> 01:02:05,167
There could be more shootings
and more thefts
733
01:02:05,246 --> 01:02:08,066
because the people of El Chorrillo
are very riled up.
734
01:02:10,714 --> 01:02:14,471
If they want us to close up all the streets
in the country, we're gonna do it!
735
01:02:14,725 --> 01:02:18,457
But we want answers!
We wanna get out of this goddamn place.
736
01:02:18,565 --> 01:02:21,900
We are tired of this.
This is not no democracy.
737
01:02:21,979 --> 01:02:26,072
They said they get rid of Noriega, and they are
worse than Noriega, they are plenty worse!
738
01:02:26,183 --> 01:02:30,890
Because with Noriega we used to eat our 3
meals a day, now we're not even eating one!
739
01:02:35,998 --> 01:02:38,768
More than 60 Panamanians are reported
to have died in that...
740
01:02:38,888 --> 01:02:43,519
More than 50 Panamanians were killed. A
doctor at a government hospital in Panama...
741
01:02:43,918 --> 01:02:49,573
..casualties, but we've only had one report
today so we don't know how extensive...
742
01:02:50,620 --> 01:02:54,080
there's no reason to doubt the reports obviously
that we are getting from the Pentagon,
743
01:02:54,105 --> 01:02:57,196
and yet all the information we are getting
from the Pentagon, seems to conflict
744
01:02:57,221 --> 01:03:00,601
with all the eye-witness information that
we were are able to get out of Panama city.
745
01:03:01,706 --> 01:03:05,172
How many people were killed in Panama
and who were they?
746
01:03:05,868 --> 01:03:08,155
These questions may never be answered.
747
01:03:08,288 --> 01:03:12,077
Because the United States military
undertook elaborate efforts to conceal
748
01:03:12,140 --> 01:03:16,865
the number of dead, how they died,
and the location of their bodies.
749
01:03:20,596 --> 01:03:23,517
Children died, pregnant women died,
750
01:03:23,986 --> 01:03:27,056
seniors died, adolescents died,
soldiers died,
751
01:03:29,056 --> 01:03:34,176
victims who had nothing to do with politics,
the invasion or the Noriega regime.
752
01:03:41,930 --> 01:03:45,191
What happened in Panama is a hidden horror.
753
01:03:45,606 --> 01:03:49,038
Many of the bodies were
bulldozed into piles
754
01:03:49,109 --> 01:03:52,468
and immolated in the slumps
where they were collected.
755
01:03:52,734 --> 01:03:57,891
Other bodies were left in the garbage shoots
at the poor projects, in witch they died
756
01:03:57,970 --> 01:04:02,882
from the shooting, from the artillery, from
the machine guns, from the airborne attacks.
757
01:04:03,047 --> 01:04:06,376
Others were said to
have been pushed into the ocean.
758
01:04:11,952 --> 01:04:15,988
When we went down to El Chorrillo,
there were still dead bodies inside cars.
759
01:04:16,207 --> 01:04:20,515
There was a man and a woman with a child,
all of them burned up inside a car.
760
01:04:20,547 --> 01:04:23,583
People from El Chorrillo never thought
they would see some many dead bodies.
761
01:04:23,608 --> 01:04:27,385
See them being burned on the beach,
right on the beach, they're being burned.
762
01:04:30,249 --> 01:04:32,303
In the early hours of the invasion,
763
01:04:32,437 --> 01:04:35,829
U.S. troops took control
of the hospitals and morgues
764
01:04:36,363 --> 01:04:39,277
Many of the doctors and hospital
personnel were detained
765
01:04:39,340 --> 01:04:42,191
and thousands official documents
were confiscated.
766
01:04:48,816 --> 01:04:53,658
The truth of the matter is that we don't even
know how many Panamanians we have killed.
767
01:04:54,158 --> 01:04:59,779
But we should have more information on what
happened. How many civilians were killed?
768
01:05:01,018 --> 01:05:05,475
The national human rights commission of
Panama interviewed hundreds of people
769
01:05:05,585 --> 01:05:08,451
in an effort to determine
how many had died.
770
01:05:08,627 --> 01:05:15,468
What we have is different testimonies
that help us arrive to the conclusion
771
01:05:15,560 --> 01:05:21,408
that for sure there were more
than 4000 people who died.
772
01:05:22,147 --> 01:05:28,951
You have the U.N. human rights commission
estimating 2500 deaths
773
01:05:29,334 --> 01:05:32,984
you have the two major
independent human rights organizations
774
01:05:33,109 --> 01:05:37,655
in the region estimating
2500, 3000, 3500.
775
01:05:38,326 --> 01:05:41,849
You have Isabel Corro
and her organization
776
01:05:42,396 --> 01:05:45,519
estimating probably about 4000
777
01:05:46,301 --> 01:05:48,903
That's an enormous human toll
778
01:05:49,881 --> 01:05:54,049
The U.S. military said
250 civilians were killed.
779
01:05:54,558 --> 01:05:58,533
There isn't a credible source in Panama
that believes that's true.
780
01:05:59,057 --> 01:06:02,361
Whether it is ambulance drivers,
human rights monitors
781
01:06:02,705 --> 01:06:08,274
Doctors who worked in hospitals.
Neighbors of bombed out blocks,
782
01:06:08,444 --> 01:06:10,209
It's just clearly false.
783
01:06:10,350 --> 01:06:14,934
That story would be so easy
to tell for any journalist,
784
01:06:15,052 --> 01:06:17,803
worth his or her salt.
But they are not telling it.
785
01:06:19,276 --> 01:06:23,349
I made a point of reading the European
press as well as the American press
786
01:06:23,452 --> 01:06:28,646
when the invasion occurred. And
immediately I could see that where as the
787
01:06:28,764 --> 01:06:33,191
American press was talking about maybe
a couple hundred civilian casualties,
788
01:06:33,324 --> 01:06:35,949
from the very beginning
the European press was talking about
789
01:06:35,973 --> 01:06:39,682
a 1000 civilians dead
or 2000 civilians dead.
790
01:06:40,383 --> 01:06:42,062
So, the real facts are that
791
01:06:42,086 --> 01:06:46,812
the American people didn't really know
what had happened in Panama.
792
01:06:49,775 --> 01:06:53,303
You would think from the video clips
that we had seen
793
01:06:53,343 --> 01:06:55,632
that this whole thing
was just a Mardi Gras,
794
01:06:55,874 --> 01:07:00,311
that the people of Panama was just
jumping up and down with glee.
795
01:07:00,523 --> 01:07:05,903
And that all forces had just moved in the air
and without taking any lives at all,
796
01:07:06,130 --> 01:07:10,137
had brought liberty and freedom
to these oppressed people.
797
01:07:13,436 --> 01:07:14,936
Does it feel like intervention?
798
01:07:14,983 --> 01:07:20,045
No, it's not intervention.
They came to save us, I thank them.
799
01:07:21,002 --> 01:07:24,445
I love them,
I love the North Americans right now.
800
01:07:26,561 --> 01:07:29,834
When they interviewed people in Panama
about what they thought of it,
801
01:07:29,889 --> 01:07:34,527
they invariably were interviewing white,
middle class people who could speak English.
802
01:07:34,833 --> 01:07:38,262
They didn't really go into the poor
neighborhoods where people had been bombed.
803
01:07:38,333 --> 01:07:42,394
Did you see one media actually going to the
bombed areas and talked to people
804
01:07:42,484 --> 01:07:46,106
who had lost their family or
lost everything they had in the bombings?
805
01:07:46,927 --> 01:07:51,098
They focused totally on the invasion
as a tactical event.
806
01:07:51,208 --> 01:07:55,832
Was it effective? Did it work well?
Are we losing many American lives?
807
01:07:57,676 --> 01:08:00,941
15 American service men have died
in the combat today
808
01:08:01,660 --> 01:08:06,065
Not all the news is good.
American casualties are now put at 15 dead.
809
01:08:06,415 --> 01:08:11,195
The Pentagon also announced 1 American
civilian has been killed to make a total of 16.
810
01:08:11,705 --> 01:08:19,937
is a schoolteacher, apparently hit by stray
gunfire. She is the 20th American to die.
811
01:08:20,099 --> 01:08:24,488
They focused utter ethno-centrism
only on American lives.
812
01:08:24,645 --> 01:08:26,375
The only life that was precious,
813
01:08:26,429 --> 01:08:28,342
the only life that one could report on,
814
01:08:28,382 --> 01:08:32,765
the only life that one could consider
as a serious loss, was an American life.
815
01:08:33,517 --> 01:08:37,187
Tonight, as we end this program
we hear from president Bush
816
01:08:37,422 --> 01:08:41,901
on the high price these young men paid.
We say goodbye to them.
817
01:08:50,818 --> 01:08:52,709
Every human life is precious.
818
01:08:55,341 --> 01:09:00,648
And yet I have to answer:
Yes, it has been worth it.
819
01:09:14,159 --> 01:09:16,506
In the month following the invasion,
820
01:09:16,592 --> 01:09:21,639
Panamanians were shocked to discover the
existence of mass graves, where hundreds,
821
01:09:21,829 --> 01:09:26,883
perhaps thousands of bodies were hastily
dumped into pits and buried by U.S. troops.
822
01:09:28,497 --> 01:09:32,301
There was a report of
what some were calling a mass grave,
823
01:09:33,192 --> 01:09:37,432
which I think is a term that is
imprecise.
824
01:09:42,924 --> 01:09:45,947
No, I didn't say we had any mass burials.
825
01:09:46,651 --> 01:09:51,337
There was one case of some number,
826
01:09:53,273 --> 01:09:55,929
I cannot quote to you that number.
827
01:10:22,515 --> 01:10:27,335
Today, there have been 50 mass graves that
have been identified throughout Panama.
828
01:10:27,531 --> 01:10:31,712
Th U.S. military was directly responsible
for the killings of
829
01:10:31,907 --> 01:10:36,055
the men, women, and children that are
in these mass graves, and for their burial.
830
01:10:36,567 --> 01:10:38,980
These mass graves exist throughout Panama
831
01:10:39,027 --> 01:10:41,870
and some are believed to be on
U.S. military bases,
832
01:10:41,894 --> 01:10:45,574
which create the difficulty in terms of
access to these mass graves.
833
01:10:48,959 --> 01:10:54,264
Among these corpses
we found many young people,
834
01:10:54,835 --> 01:10:57,695
15, 16, 18 years old.
835
01:10:58,741 --> 01:11:02,356
We found people
in their 60's and in their 70's.
836
01:11:02,762 --> 01:11:06,566
We found people killed by a shot
to the back of their heads.
837
01:11:07,167 --> 01:11:09,307
Dead, with their hands tied.
838
01:11:10,683 --> 01:11:13,623
Dead, with casts on their legs or arms.
839
01:11:15,363 --> 01:11:20,786
Although the Pentagon insists that
no more than 516 Panamanians were killed,
840
01:11:20,943 --> 01:11:26,062
they do conceive that
over 75% of those killed were civilians.
841
01:11:29,681 --> 01:11:31,178
Families of the victims
842
01:11:31,210 --> 01:11:35,021
continue to demand the full accounting
of the missing and the dead.
843
01:11:41,197 --> 01:11:44,092
Who has the right to determine
844
01:11:45,303 --> 01:11:48,310
how many people
should be killed in an invasion?
845
01:11:48,809 --> 01:11:51,400
I think if one person got killed
846
01:11:52,027 --> 01:11:58,386
in an invasion that is illegal
and violates all principles of human rights
847
01:11:59,081 --> 01:12:01,494
the number of people, the quantity
848
01:12:02,448 --> 01:12:03,448
the figures
849
01:12:04,206 --> 01:12:07,329
if it's 10.000
or it's just one, is irrelevant
850
01:12:07,884 --> 01:12:10,815
the issue that innocent people were killed!
851
01:12:27,046 --> 01:12:29,146
A lot of people died.
852
01:12:30,655 --> 01:12:32,335
Too many people died.
853
01:12:41,838 --> 01:12:47,066
Although the U.S. media created a perception
of support for the invasion within the U.S.,
854
01:12:47,575 --> 01:12:51,660
the invasion was overwhelmingly condemned
in the international community.
855
01:12:52,394 --> 01:12:57,459
If you look at any document in
international law, any numerous treaties,
856
01:12:57,929 --> 01:13:01,747
it's clear that this invasion was illegal.
It's not debatable.
857
01:13:02,628 --> 01:13:06,657
The Panama invasion violates
the U.N. charter and the OAS charter
858
01:13:06,688 --> 01:13:12,659
which have specific prohibitions against
invasions of a sovereign country.
859
01:13:12,792 --> 01:13:16,597
And invasions of the territorial integrity
of other countries.
860
01:13:17,027 --> 01:13:20,698
These prohibitions are very strict and
clear, under international law.
861
01:13:21,393 --> 01:13:26,862
The U.S. actions are in violation of human
rights also violates the Geneva conventions
862
01:13:26,980 --> 01:13:30,713
which protects civilians from
indiscriminate acts of violence
863
01:13:30,776 --> 01:13:34,541
as had occurred against
civilian victims in Panama.
864
01:13:35,437 --> 01:13:38,314
The four biggest, most important papers
in this country
865
01:13:38,416 --> 01:13:42,775
all endorsed the rightness
of the Panama invasion.
866
01:13:43,045 --> 01:13:46,779
That's the Washington Post,
the Los Angeles Times, strong endorsements.
867
01:13:46,811 --> 01:13:50,575
The New York Times and
The Wall Street Journal. Everyone of them.
868
01:13:51,177 --> 01:13:56,060
Now, a little body known as
the United Nations had a vote about this.
869
01:13:56,475 --> 01:14:00,763
On December 29 they voted
by an overwhelming majority
870
01:14:00,809 --> 01:14:06,694
to condemn the invasion as, in their words,
a flagrant violation of international law.
871
01:14:07,322 --> 01:14:16,290
So, I was interested to see that night on
the NBC nightly news with Deborah Norville,
872
01:14:17,295 --> 01:14:21,355
absolutely no mention what so ever
of this vote.
873
01:14:21,634 --> 01:14:26,328
Turning to CBS,
the bastion of responsible broadcasting,
874
01:14:26,462 --> 01:14:30,893
I found a full 10 seconds
lavished on that story.
875
01:14:31,041 --> 01:14:34,477
At the United Nations today, the general
assembly adopted a resolution deploring
876
01:14:34,502 --> 01:14:38,453
the U.S. invasion of Panama as a, quote,
flagrant violation of international law.
877
01:14:38,477 --> 01:14:41,396
The vote 75 to 20 with 40 abstentions.
878
01:14:42,324 --> 01:14:45,408
The media was so cooperative
with the government.
879
01:14:45,518 --> 01:14:49,822
Because the media are owned
by the same interests
880
01:14:49,901 --> 01:14:53,557
that are being defended in Central America
by that government policy.
881
01:14:53,966 --> 01:14:56,865
The media are not close
to corporate America.
882
01:14:57,457 --> 01:14:59,988
They are not favorable
to corporate America.
883
01:15:00,074 --> 01:15:04,182
They are corporate America. They are
an integral part of corporate America.
884
01:15:04,728 --> 01:15:10,948
We are a Plutocracy. We out to face it.
A country in which wealth controls.
885
01:15:10,987 --> 01:15:14,964
Maybe true of all countries more or less.
But it is uniquely to of ours,
886
01:15:15,019 --> 01:15:19,187
because of our materialism
and the concentration of wealth here.
887
01:15:20,132 --> 01:15:23,799
Even our democratic processes,
are hardly that,
888
01:15:23,862 --> 01:15:27,189
because money dominates politics,
and we all know it.
889
01:15:27,251 --> 01:15:33,128
And through politics it dominates
government. And it dominates the media.
890
01:15:33,668 --> 01:15:41,589
We really need desperately to find new ways to
hear independent voices and points of view.
891
01:15:42,259 --> 01:15:45,701
It's the only way
we're gonna find the truth.
892
01:15:46,685 --> 01:15:51,373
The truth about the invasion of Panama
remains hidden from most Americans.
893
01:15:51,796 --> 01:15:53,892
Those who have studied
the official accounts
894
01:15:53,970 --> 01:15:59,034
have discovered many contradictions and
have arrived at disturbing conclusions.
895
01:15:59,682 --> 01:16:03,809
I have studied everything
that the president has said,
896
01:16:03,865 --> 01:16:07,139
as to reasons why he ordered the invasion.
897
01:16:08,029 --> 01:16:12,919
And none of those things,
singly or collectively
898
01:16:12,974 --> 01:16:17,051
makes any legal, moral
or constitutional sense.
899
01:16:17,849 --> 01:16:20,223
One of the reasons for the invasion
900
01:16:20,364 --> 01:16:23,885
was to take the 'wimp' image
of president George Bush.
901
01:16:24,365 --> 01:16:27,599
He had had the, what now seems to be,
the necessary 'blooding'
902
01:16:27,646 --> 01:16:32,668
of a United States president to show
his forcefulness, and his 'machismo'.
903
01:16:33,309 --> 01:16:36,550
This was chance for the military
to show what it could do.
904
01:16:37,424 --> 01:16:41,176
If they kill an American marine,
that is real bad.
905
01:16:41,301 --> 01:16:47,732
And if they threaten and brutalize
the wife of an American citizen,
906
01:16:48,186 --> 01:16:51,280
sexually threatening the
907
01:16:51,382 --> 01:16:55,216
lieutenant's wife, while kicking him
in the groin, over and over again
908
01:16:55,355 --> 01:16:57,750
this president is
gonna do something about it.
909
01:16:58,031 --> 01:17:03,507
When he would say that the loss
of American life was the last straw,
910
01:17:03,803 --> 01:17:06,872
sure there must be something
we could have done.
911
01:17:06,990 --> 01:17:09,888
Certainly there must have been papers
we could've filed.
912
01:17:10,014 --> 01:17:13,848
We could've gone to the world court.
We could've gone to the United Nations,
913
01:17:13,872 --> 01:17:16,944
or maybe the
organizations of American states,
914
01:17:17,184 --> 01:17:22,706
but invade a country because of this?
Is absolutely ridiculous.
915
01:17:23,866 --> 01:17:26,513
The excuse of the invasion
916
01:17:26,608 --> 01:17:30,028
was to protect American lives,
is the one that is always given.
917
01:17:30,154 --> 01:17:35,036
The fact is there are 35,000 American citizens
there, and none of them were in any danger.
918
01:17:35,114 --> 01:17:39,062
I was there 3 weeks before the invasion.
There's simply no evidence.
919
01:17:39,117 --> 01:17:44,162
I don't think the administration has ever bothered
to even give any evidence to that statement.
920
01:17:45,301 --> 01:17:49,908
The goals of the United States have been
to safeguard the lives of Americans,
921
01:17:50,330 --> 01:17:53,197
to defend democracy in Panama.
922
01:17:53,667 --> 01:17:58,079
Then president Bush said we had to go
to restore democracy in Panama.
923
01:17:58,353 --> 01:18:02,031
How is the world do you restore that
which has never existed?
924
01:18:02,337 --> 01:18:08,595
Panama has never been a democracy since we
created Panama for our own purposes in 1903.
925
01:18:08,720 --> 01:18:14,540
And all we did was go down to restore
American control and dominance in Panama.
926
01:18:16,181 --> 01:18:18,722
The new government
installed by the invasion,
927
01:18:18,832 --> 01:18:23,097
was headed by the U.S.-backed candidates
from the aborted national election.
928
01:18:23,262 --> 01:18:26,168
Endara, Calderon
and Ford.
929
01:18:26,394 --> 01:18:30,123
Hours before the invasion
they were taken to a U.S. military base
930
01:18:30,241 --> 01:18:33,859
where they were sworn in
as the president and vice presidents.
931
01:18:35,471 --> 01:18:39,838
But the new government has enjoyed
little popular support within Panama.
932
01:18:41,729 --> 01:18:44,977
Anti-government demonstrations
occur regularly
933
01:18:45,103 --> 01:18:48,439
and there have been numerous attempts
from within the Panamanian police force
934
01:18:48,463 --> 01:18:51,391
to seize military control
of the government.
935
01:18:57,413 --> 01:19:01,936
U.S. troops were mobilized several times
to crush these insurrections.
936
01:19:22,555 --> 01:19:25,795
Every time there is a crisis,
the U.S. military takes over.
937
01:19:25,911 --> 01:19:28,992
They give orders,
they subordinate that military,
938
01:19:29,023 --> 01:19:31,428
because they don't trust
that military force.
939
01:19:31,546 --> 01:19:35,046
The conflict is still there.
The oligarchy...
940
01:19:35,101 --> 01:19:39,495
knows that if the United States were not
there, they could not rule this country.
941
01:19:40,793 --> 01:19:47,238
But pres. Endara minimizes the significance
of America's military occupation in Panama.
942
01:19:47,763 --> 01:19:53,691
I think we are very normalized now.
943
01:19:53,926 --> 01:20:00,407
We practically have no occupation at all.
You don't see them in the streets.
944
01:20:00,486 --> 01:20:03,830
I don't see them in Panama.
945
01:20:04,720 --> 01:20:09,780
However, there are a few, here and there,
but it's not really an occupation.
946
01:20:10,507 --> 01:20:15,342
Of course he is not going to say
that Panama is occupied,
947
01:20:15,380 --> 01:20:18,867
in fact he might not even
call it an invasion.
948
01:20:19,092 --> 01:20:23,489
It wasn't his kind that were killed,
or massacred.
949
01:20:23,901 --> 01:20:28,881
He lives in the nice area.
In the oligarchical area.
950
01:20:30,606 --> 01:20:34,403
His interest was protected.
He is not running Panama.
951
01:20:34,489 --> 01:20:39,695
He is a puppet of the U.S. government.
The U.S. government is running Panama.
952
01:20:39,782 --> 01:20:42,445
They are running all of the ministers
in Panama.
953
01:20:42,532 --> 01:20:47,140
He is only abiding by
what he is told to do.
954
01:20:49,928 --> 01:20:54,605
The Bush administration claimed that another
reason for the invasion was to remove Noriega
955
01:20:54,637 --> 01:20:58,262
in order to stem the flow of drugs
into the United States.
956
01:20:59,058 --> 01:21:02,159
But according to
a U.S. general accounting office report,
957
01:21:02,253 --> 01:21:07,088
cocaine traffic through Panama may have
doubled in the 2 years following the invasion.
958
01:21:08,453 --> 01:21:12,694
There is also considerable evidence that
key members of Panama's new government,
959
01:21:12,733 --> 01:21:14,724
including president Endara,
960
01:21:14,787 --> 01:21:19,541
have been tied to the drug trade through banks
and front companies that launder drug money.
961
01:21:20,909 --> 01:21:25,906
The involvement of the
Panamanian economy as a whole
962
01:21:26,054 --> 01:21:28,777
in drug trafficking, arms running,
963
01:21:28,903 --> 01:21:33,129
various questionable banking practices,
964
01:21:33,247 --> 01:21:36,738
in fact involves
most of the Panamanian elite.
965
01:21:36,879 --> 01:21:42,511
Involves most of the people who now run this
new U.S. approved Panamanian government.
966
01:21:43,587 --> 01:21:48,670
Endara and Ford, we all know,
and Panamanians know,
967
01:21:49,132 --> 01:21:52,100
that they are the real drug traffickers.
968
01:21:53,241 --> 01:21:56,355
They have been,
because Panama has had a history
969
01:21:56,453 --> 01:22:00,297
of the oligarchy
being involved in drug trafficking.
970
01:22:02,037 --> 01:22:05,068
In the years preceding
and throughout the invasion,
971
01:22:05,162 --> 01:22:07,364
the U.S. government and the major media
972
01:22:07,388 --> 01:22:12,252
consistently portrayed Manuel Noriega
as America's most hated and evil enemy.
973
01:22:14,552 --> 01:22:17,900
General Noriega became a mythic figure.
974
01:22:18,228 --> 01:22:23,938
There was an attempt to personify in Noriega
all that was evil.
975
01:22:24,134 --> 01:22:29,954
It is very interesting. That, when general
Noriega, when office was captured,
976
01:22:30,157 --> 01:22:34,292
we discovered the red pyjamas,
the voodoo equipment
977
01:22:34,449 --> 01:22:38,433
and the alleged cocaine
that he was using.
978
01:22:38,771 --> 01:22:42,113
And the pornographic
pictures in his desk.
979
01:22:42,262 --> 01:22:45,583
Now, I happen to have been in
Chile with United Nations
980
01:22:45,623 --> 01:22:48,707
at the time of the overthrow
of president Allende.
981
01:22:49,411 --> 01:22:54,014
It is interesting that
that same desk appeared in Chile
982
01:22:54,109 --> 01:22:58,748
with the pornographic pictures,
the red pajamas, and the cocaine.
983
01:22:59,785 --> 01:23:03,561
The whole propaganda against him
was to build up a pretext
984
01:23:03,593 --> 01:23:08,010
in order to invade Panama, and to say:
We invaded Panama because of Noriega.
985
01:23:08,293 --> 01:23:15,938
I don't know how Americans can be so stupid,
to believe this. How can you be so stupid?
986
01:23:17,000 --> 01:23:19,362
Like for example, at one time,
987
01:23:19,504 --> 01:23:24,237
they had Noriega at gunpoint.
They could have taken Noriega then.
988
01:23:24,339 --> 01:23:26,623
But the Americans didn't want Noriega.
989
01:23:26,725 --> 01:23:30,151
What they really wanted is
to destroy the Panamanian army.
990
01:23:30,245 --> 01:23:35,088
In order to do with the treaty what they
wanted. Which is what is happening now.
991
01:23:35,525 --> 01:23:38,293
Although the U.S. governments
reasons for the invasion
992
01:23:38,333 --> 01:23:42,067
make no mention of eliminating
the Panamanian Defense Forces,
993
01:23:42,191 --> 01:23:47,759
U.S. officials later admitted that destroying
the PDF was a central part of the plan.
994
01:23:48,726 --> 01:23:53,103
It was not only Mr. Noriega
but his accomplices and underlings.
995
01:23:53,243 --> 01:23:58,708
Who stood for a reprehensible government
at the time. And therefor
996
01:24:00,051 --> 01:24:02,371
you had to take down, not only Mr. Noriega
997
01:24:02,396 --> 01:24:05,422
but take down the elements
of his supporting entity
998
01:24:05,493 --> 01:24:08,621
in order to reduce the PDF to nothing.
999
01:24:17,610 --> 01:24:21,613
One of the objectives of the invasion.
The main objective,
1000
01:24:21,933 --> 01:24:24,959
was to destroy the PDF.
Why?
1001
01:24:25,349 --> 01:24:32,304
The treaty, the Panama Canal Treaties.
It states clearly that the year 2000
1002
01:24:32,617 --> 01:24:38,498
Panama will be responsible for
the security, the safety, of the canal.
1003
01:24:39,327 --> 01:24:44,027
To be responsible for the safety of
a nation you need to have an army.
1004
01:24:44,882 --> 01:24:48,924
The elimination,
the liquidation of the PDF,
1005
01:24:49,056 --> 01:24:52,349
means the extension, the continuity
of the United States presence
1006
01:24:52,466 --> 01:24:55,012
as the only military force, in our nation.
1007
01:24:55,125 --> 01:24:57,976
Which historically is
the United States position.
1008
01:25:03,148 --> 01:25:07,429
What they really want is to stay in Panama
after the year 2000.
1009
01:25:07,468 --> 01:25:09,639
And that is what they have achieved.
1010
01:25:09,718 --> 01:25:12,400
To destroy the Panamanian Defense Forces,
1011
01:25:12,494 --> 01:25:15,713
to impose a government
complacent with U.S. interests,
1012
01:25:15,783 --> 01:25:20,194
and to make Panama the control center
for all of Latin America.
1013
01:25:22,703 --> 01:25:30,546
The invasion sets the stage for the wars
of the 21st century in South America.
1014
01:25:31,013 --> 01:25:34,560
The 2000 mile invasion
from Washington to Panama City
1015
01:25:34,606 --> 01:25:37,840
took place primarily with bases
from the United States.
1016
01:25:37,865 --> 01:25:40,422
The essential value of the Southern Command
1017
01:25:40,494 --> 01:25:44,276
is to get another 2000 miles
of intervention capability,
1018
01:25:44,361 --> 01:25:48,446
which takes us right into the heart
of the Andean coca producing region.
1019
01:25:48,526 --> 01:25:54,236
Where the wars of the next decade
are entirely likely to take place.
1020
01:25:54,809 --> 01:25:58,729
Panama is another example
of destroying a country to save it.
1021
01:25:59,353 --> 01:26:02,387
And it's another case of how the U.S.
1022
01:26:02,659 --> 01:26:06,705
has exercised a 'might make right' doctrine
1023
01:26:06,800 --> 01:26:09,182
among the smaller countries
of the third world.
1024
01:26:09,246 --> 01:26:12,992
It has long been U.S. practice
to invade these countries,
1025
01:26:13,110 --> 01:26:16,797
get what we want, and leave the people
that live there to kind of rot.
1026
01:26:19,457 --> 01:26:22,025
Our country has been ruined,
our homes have been destroyed,
1027
01:26:22,065 --> 01:26:24,220
and we still have no real answers.
1028
01:26:24,275 --> 01:26:26,641
So what's left but to take to the streets.
1029
01:26:26,728 --> 01:26:31,006
Since we didn't lose our lives in the war,
we're willing to risk fighting for our rights.
1030
01:26:33,267 --> 01:26:37,661
George Bush, may his children be spared
what my daughter has been subjected to.
1031
01:26:37,794 --> 01:26:40,028
My daughter who doesn't want to live.
1032
01:26:40,122 --> 01:26:43,974
May his generation be spared
what our generation is living through.
1033
01:26:44,077 --> 01:26:48,609
He should ask God for forgiveness for all
the damage caused to many families down here.
1034
01:26:57,029 --> 01:27:02,075
One year ago the people of Panama lived
in fear under the thumb of a dictator,
1035
01:27:02,217 --> 01:27:06,802
today democracy is restored.
Panama is free.
1036
01:27:32,254 --> 01:27:37,871
In march 1991, president Guillermo Endara,
proposed a constitutional amendment,
1037
01:27:37,980 --> 01:27:41,557
that would for ever abolish
Panama's right to have an army.
1038
01:27:41,582 --> 01:27:46,432
Later that year,
a law was passed by the U.S. Congress
1039
01:27:46,552 --> 01:27:49,305
to renegotiate the Panama Canal Treaties
1040
01:27:49,400 --> 01:27:53,582
to ensure
continued U.S. military presence in Panama,
1041
01:27:53,718 --> 01:28:00,227
on the grounds that Panama was no longer
capable of defending the canal.
100810
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