No comments about Panama: The Truth About the U.S. Invasion.

2 comments about Operation Just Cause.

1. This is an easy read of the story of the 82nd Airborne in the invasion of Panama. Briggs served in this unit as a First Lt, and he describes his experiences in Operation Just Cause. His unit occupied the city of Colon and came into conflict with the PDF and the Dignity Battalions. Since the conflict was not short, that means the book is also short, about 155 pages total.
   The one thing this fails to relate is why the conflict took place. This is purely the experiences of a small unit in this small conflict. If one wants to understand why the United States invaded Panama in 1989, one has to read elsewhere, such as in The Fall of Tyrants. A pleasant read about a small conflict which lasted a few days. I like Briggs description of the evolving roles the military has to play in the conflict from combatant to constable. This is relevant to our present status in Iraq.



2. Good reading on the 1st hand personal account of being in Panama. What is interesting about this book is how the writer expressed his concerns about taking trained fighting soldiers and expecting them to immediately transition into peace keepers in 1989. In 1995 the US sent soldiers into Bosnia as peace keepers. In 2000 many of the lessons learned from the previous 5 years was applied for Kosovo.
   
   Then in 2003 the lessons learned from Panama were not considered, only those from the 1990 Gulf War.
   
   If you ask any of the soldiers who fought in the 2003 ground attack into Iraq, they will tell you the same thing. They were trained to fight a war, not to provide peace keeping. If you ask the field grade officers responsible for the planning they will tell you the same thing, the focus was on fighting, not nation building after the conflict.
   
   The author emphasizes that soldiers require appropriate training to successfully accomplish the mission and return home safely. There is a distinct difference between conventional warfare and peace keeping operations. US Army Europe understood this and required all deploying units to attend realistic exercises based on scenarios previously experienced by those who deployed into Bosnia and Kosovo. Fortunately, those units deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan are currently given more specific training to meet the possible real life scenarios.
   
   This book is less than 200 pages, but worthwhile.

No comments about Battle for Panama: Inside Operation Just Cause (An Ausa Book).

3 comments about Panama: The Whole Story.

1. Having lived in Panama during the Noriega dictatorship, I am an avid reader of books covering this particular period of Panamanian history. While I found Kevin Buckley's book to be generally well written, it tries to cover too much ground in too little space, providing readers with an abbreviated account of major events during the rule of strong men Omar Torrijos and Manuel Noriega. For a more in-depth perspective on Panamanian history, I found that using the names of these two dictators as key words in my search resulted in a better selection of books.



2. Very useful, readable account of the events surrounding the invasion, and vivid details of another example of the age-old American policy of overthrowing foriegn regimes.
   Often critical but never overtly opinionated, Buckley's best section relates to the failed U.S.-backed coup and its tragic aftermath.



3. Buckley shows how America sometimes creates its own problems. This is shown by the rise and fall of Manuel Antonio Noriega (MAN for short). MAN played both sides of the street. He supported the Contras and yet also supported the Marti front in El Salvador. He turned in drug smugglers but also facilitated the mass importation of cocaine to the U.S. from Columbia. Yet the United States supported him until he became an embarassment to U.S. Foreign policy. Bush I met with him twice. MAN was also a killer. He used his PDF to suppress the oposition. MAN was also a drunk most of his waking hours. Why the U.S. ever supported him is beyond me.
   
   Buckley shows the contradictions in U.S. policy. Eventually, the U.S. had to use extreme force in Operation Just Cause to topple MAN's regime. This is a nice read about an embarassment in U.S. Foreign policy. For another nice read on the same subject see "In the Time of Tyrants". The only improvement in this book would be the addition of pictures.

4 comments about Just Cause: The Real Story of America's High-Tech Invasion of Panama.

1. This book is a false report on what went on in Panama. The author's obvious reverence to the men in green obviously indicates his ignorance of the murder that occured during the invasion.



2. This book must be in the arsenals of every warrior in the U.S. military today, for it describes better than any other book how to fight a modern battle correctly. Operation Just Cause was a triumph that resulted in Panamania dictator Manuel Noriega being captured and the PDF disarmed with as minimum as blood shed possible. the secret was to use fast-moving Airborne not slow-moving seaborne forces to simultaneously converge on the enemy's centers of gravity and collapse them with light tracked armored fighting vehicles like the superb M551 Sheridan light tank (parachute airdropped and airlanded by USAF fixed-wing aircraft) and M113 APC could give shielded infantry with firepower superiority at the point of contact. This is why we had such few casualties compared to the October 3, 1993 raid in Somalia described so eloquently in Blackhawk Down! Compare the two battles. If we had wanted to capture Aidid like we did Noriega we should have had light AFVs supporting our 3-D maneuver inserted infantry.

   Malcolm McConnell's book is so full of important details like how Army AH-64 Apache helicopters fly in ahead and destroyed Panamania anti-aircraft guns for the Rangers to parachute jump at 500 feet lightly opposed. How the 3/73d BN of the 82d Airborne took its M551 Sheridan light tanks from the drop zone and clandestine locations to take down the enemy's main center of gravity--La Comandancia by storm. He also doesn't shy away from the woes the SEALs had at Punta Paitilla airport where they were caught unshielded by enemy fire.

   McConnell's book is THE STANDARD which all other books on Just Cause will be judged---let us hope Hollywood picks up this book and uses it as a basis for an accurate movie depiction.

   Airborne!




3. As a veteran of Operation Just Cause (4/325 Parachute Infantry Regiment 82nd Airborne) I found the detail of the planning and execution fascinating. McConnell did an excellent job of providing the right amount of technical information while still telling the personal stories behind this very successful operation. I found the parts of the operation in which I was involved to be accurately portrayed. I felt the only part that was missing was the sheer excitement from the Panamanian people being delivered from Noriega's dictatorial rule. On Christmas Day, the Panamanian people in the neighboorhood we were patrolling delivered Christmas dinner to our company and each citizen stopped to thank us for our help. This is an excellent account and a well written book!



4. The book is a dramatized account of key operations during Operation Just cause. It still is pretty good as it doesn't exaggerate the facts just to make a sale. A couple of books out there are total garbage and make false reference to the actions taken while hiding the sheer stupidity of certain individuals. As for "GI Joe Wannabe's" review what murders was he talking about? The PDF was responsible for burning down the housing district in an attempt to turn the Panamanians against the military occupational forces. The Battalion 2000 and the Mechanizados were responsible for the destruction of the houses in the Paitilla and Tinajitas area with the exception of one incident. The Marine LAVs that supposedly were responsible for these actions were actually V-300s confirmed by the one disabled by our aircraft during the said attack. The book was given 4 stars because it over dramatized a few incidents and not because they spelled my name (which I was surprised to see printed) wrong. With all that was tolerated the US military forces exercised an immeasurable amount or restraint leading up to the operation and once executed carried out their mission in a professional manner. As with any operation there are incidents that do not conform to standards but they in no way define the actions of the military as a whole and should be addressed as such.

2 comments about The Banana Wars: A History of United States Military Intervention in Latin America from the Spanish-American War to the Invasion of Panama.

1. This excellent title describes in good detail the small wars that the United States Marine Corps was involved in from 1898-1989 in the Caribbean. Mr. Musicant (a former Marine himself) weaves a well-written tale, which is primarily focused in the military situation, but adding just enough of the political background so that one who has little or no knowledge on the subject comes away with a full understanding of our involvement in these "banana wars". Recommended reading!



2. Musicant has worked together a series of small histories of Western Hemisphere campaigns by America during the last 100 years; his is a wonderfully researched and well-told history. He takes us through the various Cuban and Haitian dramas; wars in Nicaragua and Panama, plus the the Dominican Republic emergency and, finally, the Grenada invasion. In every case there is an intiial effort to explain the politics, followed by an accessible description of the campaign. I fine work that enables people to understand both the politics of Western Hemisphere intervention, plus the military realities. I found the Grenada invasion chapter the best.

4 comments about The Noriega Mess: The Drugs, the Canal, and Why America Invaded.

1. This book touches on the history of the United States Government's influence and control of the drug trade in the Americas. Truly honest people must read this book! This is a literary work that touches on critical issues of drugs in the United States and how the US government uses the media to manipulate it's citizens and the world.



2. I had the opportunity to read this book while I was in Panama last year and it's worth reading each of the 900+ pages. This book gives a very detailed and unbiased account of what has transpired in Panama for the last 90+ years since gaining their independce from Colombia, with special emphasis on the 21-year military government and the U.S. reaction (or lack there of) to Panama's situation.

   It gives a very detailed account on the lives and roles of key players in the military government and sheds some light on a lot of things that were happening that were previously unknown by the general public. I would recommend this book to anyone that is eager to learn the truth about what really happened down there.




3. Noriega -- what a scourage on a hapless little country about to
   become truly independent. How did it happen? Why did he reign so long? What went wrong and why? Panama has long been ruled by its "fifty families" but it never had a harsh dictator. How then did the complex, cruel and vindictive Noriega seize and retain such absolute power?

   Professor Murillo's careful documented slice of reality provides useful answers. His vivid and accurate rendering presents a very bizarre and tragic story. As usual "the little people" paid with blood and suffering for events beyound their control. We should all ponder how drugs, mis-guided politics and lack of decisive leadership inevitably leads to corruption and suffering.

   Have we learned our lesson? Probably not. We could were we to study and heed the lessons in this carefully written and accurate book.




4. I read this book while in Panama and found it very good. I see now where the names for so many of the streets in Panama come from. For a 900 page history book it is a surprisingly fast read. It is very comprehensive on the subject, dating back to the founding of Panama in the early 1900s. And living here I recognized the places and names described in the book right away. The author gives very detailed descriptions of his sources and I recommend the reader read these because good information is included. There is also some very good extra information included in the back that help put subjects in the book in context (ie, list of all previous Panamanian presidents, US ambassadors to Panama, what the Gini coefficient is, etc).
   
   However, the books tone is a bit to sarcastic at times, reading like a mob novel. I would prefer a more nuetral approach. The way its written the author`s bias is strong. However, this does not mean his views are not warranted.
   
   Also there are some editing errors along with the design of the book that make it seem less legitimate.
   
   Overall, its probably one of the better books on the subject. I would read also Path Between the Seas by David McCullough to complete the story of Panamanian recent history.

5 comments about The U.S. Invasion of Panama: The Truth Behind Operational 'Just Cause'.

1. Everyone does deserve a word to be heard, but I do have a problem with people who lie just to be heard. Like the other people who reviewed the book, I too was also there on the ground and doing something for which I believed. I was not only there for the invasion but I was there 5 months prior to the invasion. I saw how Noriega treated the people of Panama if they spoke out. They were lucky to see the next day or they just lived in fear.
   "Yes", innocent people were killed, but not even close to the numbers that the book reports. Not even that many people were killed for the whole invasion. I am in no way saying that accidental killing of innocent people is acceptable in any way in a military action (people are held accountable), but it is a reality. Entire areas and neighborhoods being burned? We saw first hand of how Noriega's Dignity Battalion (nothing but a bunch of thugs who were already criminals) PDF, and other members of Noriega's little "Gestapo Like" units burn down their own countrymen's houses even BEFORE the invasion.
   What reason did the US have for invading the country from within? Well, other than the drug shipments that moved freely through the canal going unchecked because Noriega was lining his pockets with Drug money, US citizens being harassed, beaten and killed by Noriega's hench men, Panamanian citizens being rapped, harassed, beaten and killed for speaking out, basic Human rights being violated for a long time by the Panamanian Govt., your right... we didn't have a reason to invade. War [stinks], and no matter what reason we had to go in, good people are going to lose their lives because of one person.



2. I am sorry so many people were offended by the book, but the truth is the truth. My family lives in Panama- not on a military base- but as Panamanian nationals and they have witnessed these things first hand that the media doesn't cover. Of course the US media is not going to display it's military killing civilians- innocent poor people- they targeted the poorest areas. There are plenty of PANAMANIANS with missing limbs who can tell you all about it. Wake up!



3. Stationed on Howard AFB 1yr before, during and 1yr after Just Cause. This book is completely true. If you were not there and only came in for the invasion you have no idea what really went on leading up to the invasion, during the invasion, and after the invasion. There is a little thing called propoganda that the U.S. likes to use to display "Just Cause".



4. Great insights. But can we have views a review from the other perspective. The folks that were in bed when the invasion started. Looking for any views here.



5. I've known a lot of Panamanians who experienced the invasion first hand, and I'm married to one. I have been to Panama many times. Sorry to all those who hate the US and the US military, but the invasion was pretty innocuous...as invasions go. One Panamanian told me the worst part afterwards was the curfew because some people got stuck in discos overnight. My wife said the soldiers were very nice, and they gave a lot of their MREs away. She also said a lot of babies were conceived during the occupation because many of the women wanted an American father. Not exactly the sort of thing that happens when a populace hates the occupiers. Sure some people died in the invasion, but if anyone cares to recall, Noriega declared war on the US! Our soldiers are brave people, and they aren't the Viking barbarians who pillage, plunder, and kill innocent civilians. On the other side, I have yet to meet one Panamanian who doesn't despise Noriega and his Batallones de la Dignidad.

No comments about Operation Just Cause: The Storming of Panama.

5 comments about America's Prisoner:: The Memoirs of Manuel Noriega.

1. I have to admit the book is rather enjoyable to read, incredibly interesting and hard to put down. Noriega comes across as very charismatic, but thats how Eisner intended to write him up. While one might see that there was some erroneous CIA propaganda in the whole Panamanian-Noriega Affair, it isn't nearly as prevalent as Noriega would have you believe. The CIA's timing is suspect, but what better time to air out the bad laundry of a drug-dealing dictator than when you want to bring him down. Moreover, Manuel Noreiga and Eisner are no less apt to making propaganda of their own. The Panamanian demagogue would have you believe he is wholly a victim of the evil American imperial capitalists. Eisner more or less tries to portray poor Noriega as the hapless and 'innocent' victim of American imperialism. Noriega, the pox-marked dictator, derided as "Pineapple Face" by his detractors, may never have amassed the massive fortune alleged by the CIA... but he was on the take so to speak. He has always been for sale to the highest bidder whether the Medellin drug cartel or the CIA. Since his early days as a CIA spy, he was selling out intel on his fellow students at a Peruvian Military Academy in the 1950's. Noriega mastered the art of double-dealing... and can fairly be described as a double-agent, if not a "triple" or "quadruple" agent. He was taking payoffs from drug dealers (as most politicians in the region do) and this isn't just CIA propaganda. He essentially crossed Bush one time to many... making one too many overtures to the Sandinistas and the Soviets. Bush Senior pulled the Potomac two-step on Noriega and Noriega reaped the whirlwind for having asked for a divorce. Regardless of what you think about the Panamanian intervention in 1989, Noriega isn't the "patron saint of Panama" that he'd have you believe he is. Nonetheless, I find his biography too be very intriguing.

   If you care about Central American politics, you might like "A Twillight Struggle" by Robert Kagan.




2. This book is of interest because it tells another side of the story of Panama in the 80's. There's a lot of interesting information here. But while I find it almost unavoidable to conclude that American intervention in Panama was guided as much by political expediency and diplomatic incompetence as it was by noble ideals, that doesn't imply Noriega was clean. Sure, Bush, Cheney, Oliver North, Eliot Abrams, etc. were all crooked politicians. But Noriega's portrayal as himself as simply a Panamanian patriot who was destroyed by the USA for standing up to them doesn't hold water. Many controversial aspects of Noriega's reign are not mentioned (Noriega's superstition or alcohol abuse), glossed over (Spadafora killing) or implausibly denied (the fate of the Giroldi coup plotters). He very seldom admits mistakes and even then only half-heartedly ("We should have just cancelled the elections outright instead of waiting until the results were in to anull them") and never shows a trace of regret. The subject of democracy seldom comes up; all opposition to Noriega is characterized simply as the white power elite ("rabiblancos") and their status as pawns of the USA.

   In short, the book is disappointing as it appears Noriega has not used his time in jail for serious, thoughtful introspection and analysis. It's not a truthful confession, or even an intersting autobiography; it's basically a defensive essay on the American invasion of 1989. Still it's worth reading as no doubt some of his accusations against the "wimp" Bush bear examination.




3. "The Memoirs of Manuel Noriega: America's Prisoner" by Manuel Noriega with commentary and analysis by Peter Eisner is an important story. It holds lessons about U.S. imperialism and the demonization of its supposed enemies -- lessons that, unfortunately, appear to have been largely overlooked by the American public. Indeed, the template for the exercise of U.S. power by the elder Bush against Noriega in Panama as described in this book seems to have been knowingly employed by the younger Bush against Saddam in Iraq.

   Given the demonization of Noriega in the U.S. media, one may be surprised but nonetheless impressed with Noriega's personal values as they are expressed in this book. Noriega's support of policies that began with the Torrijos administration on raising living standards among the nation's poor seems to be sincere; no doubt this is connected with his Catholic faith and his familiarity with the Bible, which is quoted in several places in the book. Noriega also writes fondly about his career in the Panamanian military and the honor, discipline and professionalism associated with this career and the duties he performed on behalf of his country. Overall, while Noriega does not appear to be a saint he does seem to be a healthy, balanced and moral person.

   I think that Noriega's contention that he became a marked man due to his insistence on Panamanian soveriegnty is credible. To his credit, Noriega never bought into Cold War ideology, choosing instead to provide safe haven for political refugees of all stripes and to open up channels of communication with Fidel Castro and others. Yet despite years of friendly relations with the U.S. and cooperation with the CIA, his decision to open talks with the Japanese about a new canal combined with his refusal to cooperate with Ollie North's illegal "contra" war in Nicaragua proved to be too much for the White House.

   If Noriega ever did commit a crime that could possibly justify a full-scale invasion, it is also true that the drug conviction against him is highly suspect. The chapters that discuss the dirty dealings with Colombian drug cartels in securing the conviction is very disturbing. On the other hand, the fact that drug shipments increased in the absence of Noriega provides credence to the author's contention that the Panamanian Defense Forces cooperated in the war on drugs during Noriega's tenure.

   Last but certainly not least, the horrible consequences of the war on the innocent Panamanian people are discussed. Clearly, it was unneccesary to use such overwhelming force against a peaceful country in the midst of its Christmas celebrations. Noriega's blistering comments about the leading protagonists of the war -- including Colin Powell and George Bush Sr. -- may cause consternation among some Americans; but on balance the General's narrative is remarkably restrained. Indeed, the book is a cautionary tale of powerlessness and how a small nation and its leaders have few options available once regime change has been deemed desirable by the U.S. government. The sad part, of course, is that thousands of innocent civilians had to pay for these policies with their lives (not to mention the countless others who have been left with the shattered remains of their bombed-out communities).

   In my view, recent events in Iraq, Venezuela, Colombia and elsewhere makes it more important than ever for Americans to gain greater perspective on the consequences of U.S. foreign policy. To that end, "America's Prisoner" is a superbly readable, provocative and informative book that deserves a wide audience. I highly recommend it to all.




4. I still have not read the book, and I was very young during Noriegas year. However, judging by other comments in here, is easy to note that most if not all of them are simply supporters of our famous criminal, assasin and dictator.
   What happened in Panama was not "american propaganda" as other poster clame. I saw things with my own eyes: I do rememeber the brutality of the police squads, beating people who simply went to protest on the streets; I remember hearing of people getting arreested and brutally tortured, just because they critized, precisely, the burtality of Noriega; I remember my father coming home after a two days arrest, covered with bruises all over the body because of such treatment while in jail. I remember my uncle hiding in friends house beacuse it was known that he was on a "arrest and kill" list. All of those brutal acts where by direct order of Noriega.

   Noriega was a saddist, cruel, despotic assasin.

   If you would like to read "Osamas's memoirs", and support his "cause" by buying his book, do it. Same if you want to read about Noriega. In my opinion, I wish he rotts in prison, the same opinion shared by every panamanian who today can enjoy freedom and democracy.




5. After reading this book, I come away with a deep sense of sorrow for my fellow Americans. Clearly Manuel Noriega is no saint. However, compared to Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush and their henchmen, Manuel Noriega smells like a rose in comparison.
   
   I have worked with Latin Americans long enough to know that honor and respect are very important to these people. Noriega clearly was a man of honor and respect among his fellow rulers in Latin America. The history of Panama is that of a client state of the United States. Manuel Noriega just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush were intent on murdering Salvadorans and Nicaraguans to re-establish colonial rule in these countries. Ollie North, their boy, was convicted of obstruction of justice in pursuit of their mission (defying the US Congress' ban on support for the Contras). Manuel Noriega was caught between a rock and a hard place. Being a Latin American he was loyal to his fellow Latin Americans who opposed US rule by fiat. As a client of the United States, Noriega did everything he could to make the US rulers happy. However, in the end, he denied US permission for their covert operations in Nicaragua and El Salvador. This led to his downfall. He chose loyalty to his fellow Latin Americans over being bought off and disposed of by the United States.
   
   I'm sure Noriega withheld a great deal in this book. However, the conclusion I draw is that Noriega chose to stand and defend his position rather than accept the $2 million offer by Eliot Abrams (yes the same Eliot Abrams that urged us that there were WMDs in Iraq) to leave Panama quietly and then be murdered in some dark alley.
   
   If anything Manuel Noriega is a political survivor and not a scumbag in the league of Saddam Hussein or Pap Doc Duvalier.
   
   I, for one, would welcome an appeal of his case to the World Criminal Court in the Hague.