Manuel Noriega's Operation Just Cause

The center of international debate in 1989: Manual Noriega. The Panamanian dictator and drug lord was the focus of President George H.W. Bush, and as such, a center of controversy and debate. Though none can deny that he must answer for his crimes, many still pondered, “Is he really worth all it will cost us to bring him to justice?” The general, pre-1989 consensus was no, however, after the Panama Defense Forces (PDF) under Noriega killed a Marine, captured and brutalized a Navy Lieutenant along with his wife, as well as threats of sexual abuse, President Bush could no longer turn a blind eye. Operation Just Cause was thrust into effect, citing the US’s right to protect its citizens and its right to protect the waterway (Panama Canal) via the 1979 Panama Canal Treaties as justification for the invasion, and the reasoning behind the name. A full-scale invasion was on the horizon, but what was the plan? What was the price? What was the …show more content…
Well the looming problem that comes with Manuel Noriega is that it is incredibly difficult to build a strong case against him, even more difficult to capture him, and you can forget about a legal capture, because it was going to take force or a covert abduction, and not a lawful arrest. Then, on top of the claims of an unconstitutional arrest, there is also the inherent problem that it will be nearly impossible to find 12 people who are unbiased and have not heard the stories of Manuel Noriega, and have yet to build an opinion about him either way. Lastly, the list of witnesses against Noriega can hardly make a case for being reliable, seeing as they are convicted drug dealers in their own right, and another possible witness, Noriega himself, is someone that nobody wants on the stand. Unfortunately, it seems that even with the capture of Manuel Noriega, the accompanying question of what to do with him presents an even grander