Panama Canal at stake
Panama is famous because it has a "world bridge" connecting the Pacific and Atlantic-the Panama Canal.
The Panama Canal is located in the middle of Panama, with a total length of 81.3 kilometers, 304 meters at its widest point and 150 meters at its narrowest point. It can pass 40,000 to 50,000 tons of sea vessels. Since its official opening on August 15, 1915, more than 700,000 ships have passed through this canal to and from the Pacific and Atlantic. It has shortened the voyage between the two oceans by more than 10,000 kilometers and has made an indelible contribution to the development of the world economy. Contribution.
However, it was this canal that brought trouble, humiliation and disaster to Panama.
In 1903, as soon as Panama gained independence, the United States forced Panama to sign the unequal "U.S.-Pakistan Treaty" and obtained the right to construct and permanently use, occupy and control the Panama Canal and the Canal Zone.
The United States has contributed the most to the Canal, and has benefited the most, and it has already received far more than it has spent. The United States receives between 280 million and 320 million U.S. dollars from the canal each year. More importantly, the Panama Canal shortened the sea distance from the east coast to the west coast of the United States by 9,900 kilometers. For more than 70 years, the United States has been the main user of the canal, and ships going to and from the ports on the east and west sides of the United States accounted for 2/3 of the total number of ships crossing the river. In addition, 50% of U.S. imported oil and 45% of exported goods pass through here. It is especially important that Panama is located in the throat of South and North America, which is of great strategic significance for the United States to control the two oceans and the entire Western Hemisphere. US warships travel from the mainland to the Mediterranean through the Panama Canal, which is 22 days shorter than through other waterways. This alone suffices to explain that the United States has not spent huge sums of money to build the canal for the benefit of the Panamanian people.
When the Panama Canal was opened for navigation in 1915, the United States, in accordance with the unequal "U.S.-Pakistan Treaty", delineated an area of 8.05 kilometers on both sides of the canal as the so-called canal zone, where the U.S. military established a headquarters. By June 1963, the US military officially named this command "Southern Command." It is composed of the army, navy, and air force and a supporting force, with a total strength of more than 10,000. After years of operation, Southern Command has become the most important military and intelligence center in the Western Hemisphere outside of the United States. It maintains direct contact with the US embassies and military agencies in South America. Its main task is to monitor the situation and trends in Latin American countries. , To take possible military actions as soon as it is necessary, and at the same time to supervise the US military assistance to Latin American countries.
Southern Command has 14 military bases, 4 of which are extremely important to the United States. They are: Caleta Island military base with an electronic communications center, Howard Air Force Base-the largest US air base in Latin America, Southern Command Army Fort Clayton Military Base and Fort Sherman Military Base, where the headquarters are located, are the most important forest training centers in the United States. The United States has established a "country within a country" within this 1432 square kilometer canal area. The American flag is hung here, American laws are enforced, Americans are governors, and Panamanians are not allowed to enter.
The Panama Canal is within Panama’s territory, and sovereignty of course belongs to Panama. In order to regain the sovereignty of the canal, the Panamanians fought a long-term heroic and unyielding struggle. In September 1977, General Torrijos, the head of the Panamanian government, signed a new Panama Canal Treaty with the then U.S. President Carter. The new treaty stipulates that the United States will return all sovereignty over the canal to Panama at 12 noon on December 31, 1999, and withdraw the last American soldier. The treaty entered into force in 1979 after being approved by the two parliaments.
However, the United States did not earnestly implement the New Canal Treaty. When the treaty entered into force, its garrison in the Canal Zone was 9,000. Later, instead of reducing it, it increased to more than 10,000. The Southern Command, one of the seven strategic commands of the US military, has not yet begun to withdraw from the Canal Zone. Not only that, since Reagan, who had always opposed the New Canal Treaty, replaced Carter in the White House, the United States has attempted to amend the treaty, requiring the Panamanian government to agree to the retention of US military bases until 2050 so that it can continue to control the canal; this request was met by Panama The real power figure Noriega firmly refused. Noriega annoyed the United States.
"Brave Nationalists"
On July 31, 1981, General Torrijos, commander of the Panama National Guard and head of government, died in a plane crash. General Flores filled his vacancy. A general named Barrids became the chief of staff. Noriega was promoted to deputy chief of staff and chief of intelligence, leading the rank of colonel. The following year, Barrids launched a coup and became commander himself. Noriega was promoted to chief of staff and soon put on the uniform of a major general. In the struggle for power in Panama, Noriega supported his own strength, kept a low profile, and reaped the profit. General Barides overthrew Flores, who was loyal to Torrijos, and then deposed the then President Royo, causing chaos in Panama's domestic situation, and opposition groups rallied to attack. Barrids was forced to retire in August 1983. As a result, the No. 2 figure of the National Guard, Chief of Staff Noriega, was able to securely ascend the throne of commander on August 15 of this year.
Panama nominally practices representative democracy, but the real power has always been in the hands of the military. After Noriega took over the military power, he passed the "Military Organization Law" to change the National Guard into the National Defence Force. Since then, he has given orders in Panama as the commander of the National Defense Forces. Noriega is more scheming than his predecessor, Barrids. He is well aware that in order to consolidate his position of power, the Democratic Revolutionary Party created by Torrijos is a social foundation that must not be discarded. Therefore, he repeatedly declared that he was a student of Torrijos and announced that he would inherit the unfinished business of the teacher. In this way, Noriega, who was supported by the Democratic Revolutionary Party, became a real power figure in Panama.
The United States was overjoyed to see Noriega, a partner of the CIA, take power in Panama. The Reagan administration that came to power in 1981 placed high hopes on him, thinking that things would be easier if he was there. The United States first publicly stated its willingness to cooperate closely with the Panamanian military and political authorities, and then sent a message to Noriega to inquire about his views on the New Canal Treaty. The Reagan administration awaited Noriega's reply hopefully. Unexpectedly, the new powerful "does not miss the old feelings" and rejected the United States' intentions. Later, the United States used various methods to do Noriega's work again, but the commander just refused to do it. On the contrary, he also asked the United States to act in accordance with the new treaty. In this way, Noriega seemed too friendless in the eyes of Americans. But the Americans are not good at it. They want to take another look, not wanting to say nothing at once.
Noriega has two faces. With regard to the United States, it has a clear-cut stand, a firm stand, and uncompromising on the restoration of sovereignty over the Panama Canal as scheduled, just like his predecessor Torrijos. He once said: "The historical mission of our generation is to control the Panama Canal, and our enemies are plotting to abolish the canal treaty." In this regard, his actions have won the support of people from all walks of life in China and the international community. Sympathy and support. His image in the public is "a brave nationalist". However, in domestic political life, Noriega is an image of a dictator. A sign hung outside his office, which read: "Your enemy surrendered only because he could not destroy you."
The United States has long disliked Noriega's dictatorship and terrorist policies. But because Noriega can control the domestic situation in Panama, and a politically stable Panama is very important to the United States, the United States' domestic and foreign policies towards Noriega have long been tolerant. And in order to soften his attitude on the issue of revising the Panama Canal Treaty, the United States has helped him from time to time.
However, the hard work of the United States did not pay off. When the US request involved Panama’s internal affairs and the canal treaty, Noriega changed completely and did not buy the US account at all. In order to control the canal, the United States not only closed one eye to Noriega, but also praised him everywhere and got close to him. Noriega actively advocated the recovery of the canal, the realization of democratic independence, and freedom from US interference. The U.S. government said he: “If the bones are hard, I don’t know how hard it is.” It accused him of disrespecting the promise of democratization announced in the Torrijos-Carter Treaty signed in 1977, and it was blatantly advocating that it would be “in 2000”. Return the canal that connects the two oceans to Panama on the first day!"
At the end of 1985, Poindexter, President Reagan’s national security adviser, rushed to Panama and asked Noriega to try to restore the ousted pro-U.S. President Barletta to his post, and to remove a number of things that the United States did not like. The officer was sent abroad. However, no matter how prominent Poindexter’s power in the United States is, and no matter how clever his words are, Noriega will not do it. Poindexter's coercion and coercion did not work. In the end, the U.S. president's stockman returned to Washington in an embarrassing manner. As a result, Noriega, the commander of the Panamanian National Defense Forces, the former "old friend" of the United States, gradually became the most hated figure in Washington.
On June 26, 1987, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution clearly requesting the removal of Panamanian Defense Forces Commander Noriega for the first time, threatening to cease economic and military assistance.
The Panamanian military and political authorities did not show any weakness for such blatant interference and intimidation by the United States. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Staff of the National Defense Forces issued separate statements expressing strong protests. It is believed that the intervention of the United States poses a serious threat to Panama’s sovereignty and national independence. The National Defense Forces announced the cancellation of the joint military exercise with the United States originally scheduled for January 1988, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the closure of the Panamanian office of the United States Agency for International Development. The President of Panama ordered the recall of the Pakistani ambassador to the United States.
On June 30, Panama’s ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party organized a demonstration in the capital of 15,000 people, with 8 cabinet ministers participating. The protesters chanted "Yankee Get Out" and other slogans in front of the US embassy, threw stones and ink bottles at the consulate, and destroyed more than 10 cars in the embassy. The demonstrators also asked the government to expel Davis, the US ambassador to Pakistan. On July 1, US State Department spokesperson Redman accused the Panamanian government of participating in the anti-US demonstration in Panama City on the 30th, announcing the closure of the consular section of the US embassy in Panama, and suspending the response that year on the grounds that the US embassy was attacked. 60 million U.S. dollars in economic aid and 20 million U.S. dollars in military aid to Panama.
On July 27, the Panamanian National Defense Forces announced the arrest of Diaz, the former Chief of Staff of the Panamanian National Defense Force, on the charge of "Ritong Foreign". Diaz is a politician and soldier who is good at speculating and drilling camps. When Torrijos was alive, he was only a low-ranking officer and served as Torrijos's secretary. Later, he went straight up and went all the way to the high position of the Chief of Staff of the National Defense Forces. This person is ambitious and eager to be the leader. According to reports, in August 1985, Diaz took the opportunity of Noriega’s visit to France in an attempt to seize Noriega’s military power. Later, thanks to the US Southern Command Commander Galvin, he promptly informed Noriega of the information. Liejia, and asked him to return quickly, finally stopped Dias's desire for power from expanding. On May 27, 1987, Diaz was forced to "vacate" and was formally dismissed from the post of chief of staff on June 2. Angrily, Dias held a press conference at his home on June 6. In contrast to the usual way of praising Noriega in the past, he exposed Noriega's fraud in the 1984 election, saying that he was playing tricks on the ballot box. , Defeating the victorious leader of the opposition party, Anulfo Aria. Diaz also revealed how Noriega, the current chief of staff Justines, and himself forced the then pro-American President Barletta to step down in 1985, and sensationally said that Noriega had been involved in the murder General Rehos.
Diaz's press conference set off a political storm in Panama. The 26 opposition factions moved quickly, organizing 3,000 people to stage various protests such as marches, rallies, and strikes, demanding that Noriega step down and oppose military intervention in politics. For a time, Panamanian social order was in chaos and the political situation was violent. The government was forced to declare a state of emergency on June 11. The United States also used this opportunity to force Noriega to step down, and what Dias did caused great chaos in Panama. During the detention, Dias pretended to be crazy, cried and laughed, said for a while that he "has no evidence for Noriega's accusation," and then said that he was "unhealthy." 179 officers of the Wehrmacht issued a statement in support of Noriega, accusing Diaz of "betraying" the army. The court sentenced him and his seven entourages to five years in prison for "crimes against the country", and was later pardoned by President Del Valle. On December 24, on Christmas Eve, Dias was deported by the government. The US's first campaign to oust Noriega from power was unfavorable and completely failed.
The failure of this "pour promise" campaign has caused differences of opinion between the US military and political circles on the specific approach to Noriega. What is puzzling is that members of Congress and some politicians in the US Embassy in Panama are tough, "advocating greater pressure on Panama's dictator," while officials in the Pentagon and intelligence agencies mostly opposed it.
Non-violent "pour promise"
Under the instruction of the Pentagon, a Panamanian named Brandon produced a document entitled "Opinions on a Political Solution to the Panama Problem" on October 27, 1987, referred to as the "Brandon Plan". Brandon, the creator of the plan, worked in the Panamanian military intelligence department and worked with Noriega for many years. He was known as a theoretician of the Democratic Revolutionary Party. In early 1987, due to factional struggles within the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party, Brandon was dismissed from the post of director of the Panamanian National Water and Electricity Commission and changed to Panama’s consul general in New York. In his plan, he proposed to "realize Panama's democracy" in four steps: (1) Forcibly reorganizing the current government. (2) Reform the National Defense Forces and appoint a new commander of the National Defense Forces. (3) Organize a transitional government. (4) Ensure that general elections are held in 1989. Brandon detailed the steps to transition to a civilian government in his plan. Among them, General Noriega and his closest officers should voluntarily step down in the first week of April 1988; they have served for more than 25 years. The officers retired; the members of the National Defense Forces withdrew from the airport and port. Important agencies such as customs and immigration have improved election procedures. Under this plan, Noriega and other senior officers of the staff will enjoy immunity to ensure that they are not legally persecuted after they leave the army.
The plan was sent to the Pentagon. The U.S. military was very satisfied after seeing it. It considered that Panama’s "democratization" was also considered and Noriega was able to accept such a "decent resignation." At the end of 1987, just after Christmas, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Armitage hurriedly flew to Panama City. Accompanied by Pentagon official Stolino and U.S. Ambassador Davis, he held talks with General Noriega. They talked all afternoon. Armitage repeatedly explained to Noriega during the meeting that he was thinking about the Panamanian nationals, and even more for Noriega, and how the "Brandon Plan" was feasible. Persuaded Noriega to act decisively and make up his mind quickly. Noriega listened carefully. In the end, Noriega said to Armitage: "I have understood the message you conveyed very clearly. Please wait for the good news."
On January 8, 1988, senior officers of the National Defense Forces held a full-day meeting in the field. Noriega made careful arrangements at the meeting. The next morning, two planes full of luggage and parcels flew towards Santo Domingo, the capital of Dominica. In the afternoon, the capital Panama City held a grand commemorative event for the 24th anniversary of the struggle to safeguard the sovereignty of the canal. Noriega deliberately did not show up, and took a few attendants quietly to Santo Domingo by a military plane.
There are various signs that Noriega has "departed". The opposition was ecstatic and announced that "the dictatorship has fallen." Armitage also felt "successful"! However, just as they were celebrating Noriega's departure, Noriega returned to Panama from Santo Domingo the next morning and explained nonchalantly that he had gone to Santo Domingo. But it was to "visit my daughter and uncle". People were dumbfounded, knowing that Noriega had been teased.
Shortly thereafter, Brandon was declared a "traitor" and "traitor" by the Democratic Revolution Party, and was relieved of his post as consul general in New York. The famous "Brandon Project" was dead.
Being deceived and fooled by Noriega time and time again has made the United States angry and embarrassed. President Reagan couldn't help it anymore. He made up his mind, "At all costs, get rid of Noriega!"
"Noriega was abolished," this time the political and military reached a consensus. However, there are still slight differences in the specific methods. "Persuasion" fails, so naturally there are other tricks. Anyway, the Americans will not give up unless Noriega is taken off.
While the United States was in a dilemma about whether to use force or force against Noriega, a gratifying message suddenly came from Panama: President Del Valle is preparing to part ways with General Noriega and is planning to "arrange" this Commander of the National Defense Forces. "Good news!" Abrams, Assistant Secretary of State for Americas Affairs, jumped out of his seat with joy after hearing the news. He immediately instructed Davis, the US ambassador to Panama, to maintain close contact with President Del Valle.
On January 6, 1988, Del Valle traveled to Miami and New York under the name of "physical examination" to have private meetings with American political and financial circles. At that time, the United States did not understand his intentions, did not pay special attention to it, and the reception standards were low. In mid-February of the same year, Del Valle went to the United States again. This time the United States seemed to have seen some signs, and its attitude had undergone a 180-degree change. It welcomed Del Valle's relegation and welcomed them warmly. Assistant Secretary of State Abrams and his secret business in Miami how to "arrange" Noriega's plan. Del Valle intends to establish a Ministry of Defense in the Cabinet to replace the headquarters of the National Defense Forces and allow Noriega to “retire in a decent way”. Abrams appreciates Del Valle’s “arrangement” and encourages him to let it go when he goes back. You can contact Ambassador Davis at any time if you have anything to do. On February 25th, Delva returned to Panama with joy but without showing up. At this time, night fell, and Panama City was brightly lit. Del Valle had forgotten the dinner, and he couldn't bear to worry about it, and he immediately found Justis, Chief of Staff of the Wehrmacht. He opened the door and told the chief of staff: "I plan to dismiss Noriega and you will become the commander of the Wehrmacht." Justines felt suddenly surprised and panicked. After thinking about it calmly, he felt that the matter was better. Therefore, he did not immediately accept the president's "goodwill", but asked Del Valle to "wait a little longer." But how can the President wait! The United States wants him to act quickly. It is said that Abrams originally wanted him to announce the dismissal of Noriega at the meeting of the Organization of American States. Because it was too late to prepare, and because he had to say hello to Justines in advance, Del Valle said: "Not this week." On February 24, Reagan quietly told the Senate group investigating the Noriega issue: Del Valle Immediately "surgery to release pus." It means that Del Valle is about to clean up Noriega. Del Valle felt that the eyes of the United States were always on him, the heavy responsibility was on his shoulders, and he did not dare to slack off. After his meeting with Justines, just 10 minutes later, he hurriedly announced on the TV station: Resign Noriega and appointed Justines as the commander of the Wehrmacht.
After this shocking decision was announced, the whole country of Panama was astonished. Senior officers of the Wehrmacht flocked to the headquarters to express their opposition to the president's decision. They yelled: "The commander stays, the president gets out!" Chief of Staff Justines also publicly refused to serve as the commander of the Wehrmacht. The Panamanian parliament called an emergency meeting, and 10 hours later, the parliament passed a resolution: to depose President Del Valle. The cabinet meeting immediately elected the Minister of Education Solis Palma as acting president. At the same time, the police surrounded Del Valle’s private residence and blocked the nearby roads. The "court d'état" meticulously planned by the United States is a bit of a fight.
The United States wanted to take a shortcut and instigated Del Valle to engage in a court coup and get rid of Noriega, but Noriega instigated the parliament to remove Del Valle. It can be described as "losing his wife and breaking down." Washington gritted his teeth with hatred of Noriega and decided to exert maximum pressure on Noriega on political, economic, and military aspects.
On February 28, 1988, Del Valle, who was deposed by Parliament, cleverly avoided police surveillance and fled from his home to the canal area controlled by the US military. The United States then admitted that he was still the "legitimate president" of Panama. With the support of the United States, Del Valle also commanded the country as president, and confronted the President of Palma, forming a chaotic situation of one country and two "lords".
On March 2, the U.S. State Department issued a notice to major U.S. banks announcing the freezing of Panama’s 50 million U.S. dollars deposited in U.S. banks and prohibiting any loans to this country. Then, the United States decided to suspend payment of the 6.5 million U.S. dollar canal operating fee that was paid to Panama on March 15. In addition, the US court also ruled to freeze US$10 million that the new Panamanian government intends to transfer from the Bank of New York to the country.
This trick is quite powerful. Panama is a peculiar country. Although its capital, Manama City, is a world-famous financial center like Tokyo and New York, it does not have a central bank. Its currency, the Balboa, is nominally equivalent to the U.S. dollar, and both currencies are in circulation at the same time. In fact, Panama does not issue national banknotes, only minor currencies less than 1 yuan. Due to the freezing of funds, the Bank of America was unable to allocate any cash in US dollars to the Bank of Panama, which immediately cut off its financial avenues for Panama, which uses US dollars as its currency. On the day the United States imposed this sanction, Panama was not allowed to close the domestic banks and 110 foreign banks that belonged to the International Financial Center. Depositors cannot withdraw funds, and companies have no working capital. Stores and companies have no cash flow in dollars, and people can't buy anything with checks and credit cards. Commercial activities are paralyzed. The crowd took to the streets to demonstrate, and the voice of protest was endless.
Since then, there has been a mutiny of middle and lower-level officers. Noriega purged the army immediately after quelling the mutiny, arrested a group of senior officers who hesitated and wavered during the coup, and promoted a group of middle-ranking officers who were successful in countering the rebellion. To improve his position in the military. In addition, some wartime economic policies were adopted. Political analysts believe that after this attempted coup, it has become more difficult for the United States to overthrow Noriega's rule.
Going naked, the United States implements "just cause action"
In early October 1989, Generals Powell and Thurman succeeded Generals Crowe and Galvin, who had expired, as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commander of the Southern Command, respectively. As a result, the two paired up, and without the president's explicit authorization, they began to secretly draft an action plan to invade Panama. After repeated research, they finally formulated a battle plan code-named "Justice Cause Action". This plan includes three programs.
The first plan is to use only more than 10,000 troops belonging to the U.S. Southern Command in the Panama Canal Zone. Taking advantage of these favorable conditions, such as familiarity with Panama’s terrain, adaptation to Panama’s climate, understanding of the characteristics of the Pakistani army, and proximity to the Pakistani military camp, the US forces launched a surprise attack on the headquarters of the Pakistani Defense Forces in Panama City, quickly occupying and destroying the highest command body of the Pakistani army. This is relatively easy to do. The problem is that the troops stationed outside the city but loyal to Noriega have not been attacked by the US military and their combat effectiveness has not been affected. They may launch a counterattack against the US military, or use the jungle to drag the US military into a guerrilla warfare or a protracted war, which constitutes a canal zone. Threatened.
The second plan is to send a specially trained special operations force from the United States to launch a surprise attack on several targets that Noriega may be in and out of and capture Noriega with the cooperation of the US military in Panama. Special forces are flexible in combat operations and are good at sneak attacks and night battles. But the problem is that accurate information on Noriega's whereabouts must be obtained in advance, and the CIA cannot complete this task. If Noriega is not caught, the entire operation will fail in a small amount, and the whole world will laugh at it, which is extremely detrimental to the United States.
The third plan is to urgently transport a large number of airborne troops, marines and other rapid deployment forces from the United States, and together with the US troops stationed in Panama, with absolute superior force, carry out a full-scale attack on all barracks, major facilities, bases, and airports of the Panama Defense Force , Destroy it in one fell swoop. Regardless of whether Noriega is captured or not, the Panamanian National Defense Forces will lose their combat effectiveness in a very short period of time. Even if Noriega is at large, he is a polished commander. If the skin does not exist, how will Mao be attached? Of course, we still have to do everything possible to catch Noriega. However, doing so will take a great political risk, which will not only cause a large number of casualties, but will also arouse strong condemnation from all countries in the world. But Powell and Thurman strongly favor this plan.
According to the third plan, all the 13,000 people of the Southern Command went into battle, and another 11,000 people were dispatched from the United States, forming an absolute advantage of 2:1 over the Pakistani army in terms of strength. According to the intelligence held by the United States, the Panamanian National Defence Force has 5,200 personnel, including 4,500 in the army, 500 in the navy, 200 in the air force, and more than 8,000 militiamen in the “dignity” camp of the paramilitary force. The weapons and equipment of the Pakistani army cannot be compared with the US army. Thurman confidently believes that with the absolute superiority of the number of troops and technical equipment, the US military can succeed in one fell swoop and completely eradicate Noriega's strength foundation. Make it desperate if he is not captured or killed.
Various plans are ready to stop, ready for the president to choose.
It is now "everything is ready, only the east wind." Bush is anxious to find an excuse to send troops to Panama.
The generals of the Pentagon also stared with round eyes, catching the best fighter...
The opportunity came.
At 21:05 on the evening of December 16, four U.S. military officers clashed with IDF soldiers when they passed through Avenue A in Panama City, where the headquarters of the Panamanian National Defense Forces are located. The United States said afterwards that the vehicle "was intercepted by Panamanian armed militias and soldiers of the National Defense Forces." A US Marine Corps captain on board was hit by a bullet and died, and another officer was injured. However, the Pakistani military said that “the car drove past the headquarters of the National Defense Forces at high speed and fired on the headquarters and civilians”, injuring three Panamanians, including a girl. Who fired the gun first? Entangled for a while, but this incident turned out to be an excuse and fuse for a large-scale military invasion.
That night, US President Bush listened to a report on the shooting and believed that the time had come for Noriega. At noon the next day, Bush invited Vice President Quill, Secretary of State Baker, and Assistant to the President's National Security Affairs Scocrocorow at the White House. Swift, Secretary of Defense Cheney, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Powell and other key officials had lunch. During the dinner, Bush solemnly told those present that he had made up his mind to take action against Noriega. Quill and others were not surprised by this. After lunch, they came to Bush’s Oval Office and once again studied the specific plan of action for the invasion of Panama. Finally decided to adopt Powell's third action plan, concentrate the absolute superiority of the troops, make a quick fight, capture Noriega, strive to resolve the battle before Christmas, and the class will return to the court.
On December 20, 1989, at 0:30 in the morning, following President Bush’s order, 24,000 US troops were divided into 5 routes and started the "Just Cause Operation" to invade Panama.
In the "Justice Cause" action plan, there are five temporary task forces dedicated to the Southern Command. These 5 task forces were named: "Atlantic" Task Force, "Forever Faithful" Task Force, "Pacific" Task Force, "Red" Task Force, and "Knife" Task Force.
Catch the thief first and catch the king. The first to set out was the "Sharp Knife" task force, which was responsible for the task of "catching the king".
The "Knife" task force is composed of the 5th Battalion of the 87th Infantry Regiment, a light tank platoon of the 193rd Infantry Brigade, the 4th Battalion of the 6th Regiment of the 5th Mechanized Infantry Division, and the Navy SEAL detachment.
Their task is to take the attention of the Pakistani army to Rio Alto and capture the headquarters of the Panamanian Defense Forces. According to the information provided by the Central Intelligence Agency, Noriega was still in the headquarters building of the National Defense Forces defended by the 5th Company of the Pakistani Army until late at night on the 19th. If the information is accurate, Noriega will be captured in one fell swoop, and then disarming the Panamanian Defense Forces in Fort Amador will be a simple task.
Unexpectedly, he almost came home unfailingly just after he was appointed as a teacher.
In order to slow the advance of the U.S. "Sharp Knife" task force, the Pakistani army set fire to houses along the street. The wooden huts ignited when they caught fire. Smoke billowed over the entire Chorio District, and residents fled.
After finally getting to the headquarters of the National Defense Forces, but suddenly from behind the sandbags and diamond-shaped rebels in front of the building, a shower of bullets was shot, and several of the American soldiers who were in the lead were immediately knocked down.
When the U.S. military saw that the sneak attack failed, it immediately switched to a forced attack in accordance with the regulations of the warfare, and used radio to summon the Army aviation and armored forces to come to support.
The Southern Command immediately dispatched combat helicopters and armored units from the base. Within a few minutes, the U.S. Army Aviation gunship and 17 "Sheridan" light tanks from a tank company of the 82nd Airborne Division arrived as scheduled and came to the resistance. The block was followed by a fierce rocket and smoothbore shells.
The 17 "Sheridan" tanks used by the US military this time are old-fashioned light tanks used in the Vietnam War, weighing only 16 tons; the current "Abrams" tank weighs 60 tons and cannot be transported quickly by air. Panama had to use this to recharge.
Guarding the headquarters of the National Defense Forces is the 5th Company of the Panamanian Army. They do not have heavy weapons in their hands, but they still resist stubbornly. The anti-aircraft machine gun outside the building burst into flames, and a U.S. helicopter was hit in the air and ignited a fire. It fell to the ground and turned into a ball of fire.
But the Pakistani army was outnumbered after all. Under the combined siege of armed helicopters, tanks and artillery, the fifth company of the Pakistani army was killed in battle, one was captured, and the entire army was wiped out. The National Defense Command Building fell into the hands of the US army.
The US commandos with sharp swords surrounded the building layer by layer and rushed into General Noriega's headquarters, but there were already people inside the room, and he did not even see Noriega's shadow.
While the fighting was still intense, the other two squads belonging to Task Force "Sharp Knife" marched toward two heavily guarded places on the outskirts of Panama City. They were all assaults from the US Navy's "Sea Leopard" special forces. Players.
One of the "Sea Leopards" squad, rushed into the small private airport of General Noriega-Patila Airport.
This squad consisting of 20 "sea leopards" commandos fumbled into Patilla Airport in the dark. According to the intelligence prompts, they will only encounter slight resistance from the Panamanian guards. What is expected, the Pakistani army guarding the small airport actually drove out the armored vehicles, and the firepower was very fierce. 11 US troops were shot in the fierce battle, and 4 of them died of serious injuries.
The U.S. army fought hard to kill the guards, but did not find General Noriega, but the plane was still parked at the airport. It is estimated that Noriega did not escape from the air-the team members then blew up this American-made "Lilje" specially prepared for Noriega. "Special" transport aircraft cut its way back in the air.
At the same time, another "Seal Team" detachment attacked the guards guarding Noriega's special ship on the bank of the canal, and was discovered by the guards and a battle was triggered. Although it finally defeated the guards of the guards and sank the ship, It also caused the casualties of two commandos, and General Noriega has not yet been seen.
When the news reported to the Southern Command, General Thurman found it strange. According to the previous deduction, at this point, General Noriega should have been captured. Whether it is dead or alive, there should be a whereabouts. Now there is not even a shadow. So, is it because General Noriega got the news in advance and ran away
This speculation was immediately ruled out: the U.S. Air Force F16 tactical fighter squadron and air radar search unit cruising over Panama reported to the headquarters that no Panamanian aircraft had been found to lift off since the launch of Operation Just Cause. In order to prevent Noriega from escaping from the air and sea, the Ministry of Defense specially transferred these two squadrons from Hill Air Force Base in the United States, and they are responsible for monitoring the air and sea areas of Panama.
If General Noriega wanted to escape Panama from the sea and the air, he would simply seek his own way.
Although the "Sharp Knife" task force eventually captured the Panama Defense Forces headquarters building and Fort Amador military camp, it did not capture General Noriega, and there were casualties. This news was immediately transmitted by the US Southern Command. At the Pentagon, the top U.S. military officials waiting there were sinking.
Before the start of the "Justice Cause" operation on December 19, the intelligence department provided information to the special forces that General Noriega was most likely at the headquarters of the Pakistani Defense Forces. Yu Changli speculated that Noriega should stay in his command position since he declared a state of war with the U.S. Army. This is his nest again. He has turned evils into good fortune here many times, and he is most likely to be here. Therefore, the U.S. military is counting on him to be caught in the headquarters building of the National Defense Forces.
Unexpectedly, General Noriega was not here that night.
The Pentagon had no choice but to look forward to finding the whereabouts of General Noriega from the other 4th Army.
The second U.S. army rushed towards Rio Alto, west of Panama City.
The "Red" Task Force is composed of the 2nd Commando Battalion of the US 75th Infantry Regiment and 1 Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Special Operations Group. It has two missions: East Road is responsible for seizing Torrijos International Airport and carrying heavy weapons. The U.S. transport plane lands in the United States; West Road surrounds and disarms the Rio Alto Panama Garrison.
The West Division of the "Red" Task Force used the bombing effects of stealth fighter-bombers to quickly parachute at low altitude and fanned out the 6th and 7th companies of the Panamanian Defense Forces stationed in Rio Alto City.
When the assault reached the position, it was discovered that the bombing effect of F-117A was not as ideal as originally imagined. The two companies of the Panamanian garrison had gradually awakened from the shock of the mysterious bombing and used the remaining fortifications to resist.
The East Division of the "Red" Task Force quickly landed around the Torrijos International Airport, which is only 30 kilometers away from Panama City. On the way to Torrijos Airport, in the San Miguelito district where the low-income people live, there is a barracks of the Panamanian Defence Forces Infantry Regiment.
The Panamanian soldiers used the light weapons in their hands to slightly resist the attack of the US army. Due to the large difference in firepower, they were soon defeated. The U.S. army surrounded the Pakistani air force, disarmed the soldiers of the National Defense Forces without much effort, seized the airport, and ensured the safe landing of U.S. transport planes carrying heavy weapons. At the same time, they sent troops to blockade the crossing of the Pacora River. Bridge.
At this point, the East and West Divisions of the "Red" Task Force have achieved their missions.
There is a female contingent in the composition of the third U.S. Army.
As soon as the battle started, light armored vehicles full of special forces slammed along the highway towards the Pan-American Highway Bridge.
Soon, the "Always Faithful" task force also completed its mission, encountering only sporadic resistance from the Pakistani army on the way.
The mission of the 4th U.S. Army is the most complicated. Its final destination is Panama’s second largest city, Cologne, but along the way, it will also capture the dams and hydroelectric power stations in Madden and Gatun, control important facilities in the Panama Canal, and capture the Gamboa prison. And release the political prisoners held there.
Undertaking this task is the "Atlantic" task force.
Although the tasks of the "Atlantic" task force are complicated, they are not as laborious as the previous "Knife" and "Red" task forces. Under the guidance of special forces, the 7th Light Infantry Division and the 82nd Airborne Division are elites. The task force formed a contingent to cut through the pass all the way, defeated the 8th company of the Pakistani army along the way to Cologne, successively seized the dam, hydroelectric power station and power supply center, conquered the prison of Gamboa, and released the 48 former detainees here. Wehrmacht officers, they are all key criminals who participated in the military coup against Noriega.
Soon, the "Atlantic" task force successfully captured Cologne and held the entrance to the sea on the northern side of Panama.
Compared with the other 4 units, the 5th unit is only a strengthened unit used on strategic points that the US military considers important. Their main targets are the Torrijos Airport and the nearby Pakistan Army "Brath of 2000" and the base of Castel Smarron.
This reinforced unit is the "Pacific" task force that invaded Panama from the Pacific side. Its vanguard consisted of a company from the 1st Commando Battalion of the US 75th Infantry Regiment and the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Special Operations Group, after the Red Task Force East Commando took control of the Torrijos International Airport , They landed at Torrijos International Airport in two batches of 20 C-141 transport planes, and used a reinforcement to block the US Army "Red" Task Force East Road members that blocked the Pacora River Bridge to block the base in Fort West Malone. The Panamanian "2000 Battalion" and other Pakistani troops entered Panama City for reinforcements; the other stayed in place to help strengthen the defense of Torrijos International Airport and welcome the safe landing of the 1st Brigade of the US 82nd Airborne Division.
After the main force of the 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army landed, it immediately marched into Fort Cimaron via the Pacora River Bridge in preparation for the settlement of the "2000 Camp."
But when the unit arrived at Fort Cimarron, the "2000 Camp" had already collapsed.
The U.S. Army won without a fight.
The "Justice Cause" operation started only 30 minutes, except for the "Knife" Task Force and the "Red" Task Force West Road Unit, the "Red" Task Force East Road Unit. Task Forces "Pacific", Task Forces "Atlantic" and Task Force "Forever Faithful" all successfully completed their scheduled tasks; at approximately 1:50 am local time, patrols appeared in the most important Obario district of the capital. U.S. soldiers, the hydroelectric power station in Panama City was occupied, the whole city was cut off, there were no pedestrians on the street, and the Panamanian National Television 2 was also occupied.
Before dawn on the 20th, with the support of air and ground firepower, Task Force "Sharp Knife" and Task Force "Red" also wiped out the resistance of the Panamanian army and occupied the intended target.
By noon and afternoon, the main battlefield had moved to the outskirts. But General Noriega was not captured. As long as Noriega, an iron-fisted figure, is not captured, Panamanians will gather around him anytime, anywhere. For the United States, the situation will become particularly "serious." The United States may be caught in a protracted Vietnam-style jungle war with the guerrillas headed by Noriega. This will be a major disaster for the United States.
"Voice of America" has repeatedly broadcast from the 20th that the United States will offer a reward of $1 million for anyone who provides clues that can catch Noriega. This move immediately paid off. For several days, those who wanted to make a fortune provided clues about Noriega's whereabouts. Based on these clues, the U.S. military continued to send people out to search and pursue them, but they repeatedly fought out.
Where is Noriega? Noriega, who has worked in the intelligence department for more than 10 years, is not an idler, and he is not unfamiliar with anti-interception and anti-tracking. He neither used the radio nor moved with the brigade, but, together with his captain of the guard, Captain Ellier Gaitan, he changed five hiding places. Since the US military cut off his escape from the air, sea and land, his only way to survive is to seek political asylum at foreign embassies in Pakistan. The scheming Noriega unexpectedly picked the Vatican Embassy by accident. On December 24, 1989, he first had a phone call with the Vatican Embassy. He told Ambassador Lavoya that if he did not agree to go to the embassy, he would go up the mountain to fight guerrillas. Lavoya agreed to go. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon that day, Noriega escaped the pursuit of 24,000 US troops. He drove into the Vatican Embassy in Panama without knowing it, asking for political asylum.
On December 25, the Pope’s envoy Jose Sebastian Lavoia in Panama told the EFE reporter, “For the benefit of the country, he accepted General Noriega’s stay at the Vatican’s diplomatic residence in Panama. ", but he said that he did not give Noriega political asylum. After hearing the news, the United States immediately surrounded the residence of the Pope’s envoy, and the armored vehicles blocked all the way out of the residence.
With the loss of the army, power, family and friends, Noriega had no choice but to agree to a safer but rather humiliating solution to the United States for trial. He proposed to Ambassador Lavoya 3 conditions for "voluntary" surrender: let him surrender to an officer in the United States in military uniform; let him call relatives and friends; before he was arrested, he should surrender to the United States. Decided to keep it secret. Lavoya immediately relayed these conditions to the U.S. negotiator, General Thurman, who immediately agreed.
At 4:30 pm on January 3, the Vatican Embassy notified the US military authorities in Panama that Noriega agreed to leave the embassy that night. The United States is naturally very happy. At around 8:30 in the evening, Major General Cisr Ross, deputy commander of the Southern Command of the US Army in Panama, drove to the front of the Vatican Embassy to accept Noriega's surrender. At 8:50, the large black iron door of the Vatican Embassy in Panama opened, and General Noriega, the former commander of the Panamanian National Defense Forces, wearing a general uniform, walked out of it, accompanied by several priests. The heavily armed American soldiers immediately went up and arrested him. Noriega said nothing. He was short, thin, with a hunchback, and looked tired and depressed. Noriega was immediately escorted into a helicopter and flew to the Howard Air Force Base of the United States, about 10 kilometers away from Panama City. He stayed there for about half an hour, and then people asked him to leave. He lowered his head, holding the "Bible" in his left hand and the rosary in his right hand, and was escorted heavily on a "Hercules" C-130 military transport plane.
Noriega was eventually sentenced to 145 years in prison by the U.S. Federal Court, and was then taken to an uninhabited island.
The prominent Noriega will spend the rest of his life alone in this hell on earth.