Activity 6, The Press and the Military
Background
In 1903, the United States government encouraged Panamanian nationalists to revolt against Colombia. With the assistance of the United States Navy, the revolt succeeded and a new nation of Panama was formed. The United States immediately signed a treaty with Panama gaining control over a narrow zone from the Pacific to the Caribbean. The Panama Canal was constructed in the territory which became know as the Canal Zone. Ever since the United States has been closely connected with Panama.
General Manuel Noriega, the commander of the National Guard, took control of Panamanian government in 1981. He had been recruited by the American Central Intelligence Agency to help uncover drug trade passing through from Colombia. Once in power, Noriega made huge profits from the drug trade. He retained power through extreme brutality. In 1988 Noriega was indicted for drug trafficking in the United States. In the Panamanian elections held in May 1989, Guillermo Endara, the leader of the opposition, was elected President, but Noriega falsified the election returns and retained power. Relations between the Noriega government and the United States grew worse. The objectives of the American intervention in Panama were obvious: protection of U.S. citizens; and the installation of a friendly, democratic government. But the question was how to achieve these goals.
The American Invasion
President George Bush decided to overthrow the Panamanian government and arrest Noriega. The mistakes of previous military campaigns were to be avoided. Unlike the Vietnam War, more than enough military force was to be sent in to overwhelm Noriega's Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF). Communications systems were agreed upon in advance to avoid the problems in Grenada intervention. The air force sent in its new Stealth Fighters, and more than sufficient troops to accomplish their objectives without getting bogged down as in Vietnam. More than 24,000 highly experienced and trained forces invaded Panama from the U.S. controlled Canal Zone or were flown in from the United States. The PDF was quickly over powered and Noriega was apprehended after a few days. The United States installed Endara as the President of Panama.
The Consequences of the War
There were only 23 U.S. military casualties during the invasion. The estimate of Panamanian casualties varies from 202 to more than 4,000 dead. A CBS poll showed that 92% of the Panamanians supported the invasion. Noriega was brought to the United States, where he was tried and convicted of drug trafficking. Despite the hope that the American invasion would eliminate the Panamanian drug trade, trafficking in Panama since the invasion increased over pre-invasion levels.
The Press and the Military during the Invasion
The Sidle guidelines remained in effect during the American invasion of Panama in December 1989. The U.S. Secretary of Defense, Richard Cheney, was deeply worried about leaks in the pending invasion. He decided not to notify the media pool, a group of sixteen reporters who would cover the invasion for all the news organizations, until it would be impossible for reporters to make it to Panama in time for the start of the invasion. After the invasion had begun, the military flew the reporters to Panama. They arrived four to eight hours after the invasion had begun. Despite their presence in Panama, pool members were consistently delayed from covering the fighting, and were only escorted to the areas of the conflict after the fighting was already over. Later, the Pentagon's spokesperson Pete Williams conceded that it took too long to get reporters to the scene of action. Reporters in Panama were only able to provide telephone reports from the hotel. Two reporters ventured forth and both were wounded, one of whom later died. The military reviewed pool stories, but there were no censorship problems.
In an official Pentagon inquiry, Cheney was faulted for an "excessive concern for secrecy." As the invasion was generally a low-cost victory, the media had little alternative but to declare it a success. However, media precedents established in Grenada and Panama later caused problems in the Gulf War.
Student Questions
Why was the press excluded the first few hours during the American intervention in Panama?
Why were the press and media prevented from witnessing areas of conflict once they arrived in Panama?
Why was the military deeply suspicious of the media?
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