unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (08/14/89)
number of exercises in Panama. I don't assume this one has any great differen planning mechanism than any of the others. Q: How long ago was it planned for today? A: I don't know. That's the same question I had earlier. SOUTHCOM is going to have to answer that one, if they get into it at all. Q: Yesterday in an interview the President said that the United States was willing to consider seizing Noreiga in order to bring him to trial in the United States. How does this exercise yesterday and the exercise last Friday in which 200 troops moved into Amador by helicopter correlate with what the President had to say? A: I can't comment on anything the President may have said. You will have to ask Marlin Fitzwater or the President about that. I'm certainly not going to rise to that bait, but I nonetheless appreciate the opportunity. Wha I would say is that this is part of a series of exercises intended to exercise our treaty rights in Panama. This is nothing unusual. We've been doing this since May 11th, since we deployed forces. This is part of our continuing exercise of rights of treaties. Q: To what extent does the Secretary of Defense feel that using U.S. military personnel to seize a foreign individual to bring him to trial in the United States to be a proper use of U.S. military personnel? A: I have no idea. Q: In this exercise, was there any discussion or notification of the PDF is there a mechanism for that...these types exercises in the past or was that exercise... A: There is a mechanism, however, I am told by SOUTHCOM that in this particular exercise, because this isn't a joint exercise area, we're not forma required to notify the PDF, nonetheless we did before the exercise. Q: Is there a reason why the Panamanian was asked to surrender his weapo A: I can't think of any reason other than the obvious one. Q: Did he point it at someone? A: Just to let them come through the gate. Q: He was guarding the gate, why did... A: He was guarding the gate, that's right. They wanted to come through the gate. (Laughter) Q: That was a serious question... A: I realize that. Q: ...through the gate without requiring them to surrender their weapon. A: I'll have to refer to SOUTHCOM. Where does that causeway go to? I see those small islands down there. A: It goes to those islands -- it connects the islands with Fort Amador. Q: What are on those islands, military facilities? A: There are four islands, it looks like three, but there's actually fou because one of them is a little tiny one. There are some U.S. facilities down there -- boat launch facility on Naos Island and a signal station on Flamenco Island. Of the two mile long causeway and roadway south from the southern tip of Fort Amador is labeled by the Panama Canal Treaty as part of the Panama Canal operating area, as are the Naos Island boat launch facility and the Flamenco Island signal station, both Panama Canal Commission facilities locate on two of the four islands at the end of the causeway. Under provisions of th treaty, U.S. forces have the right to use any portion of the canal operating area through military training when such use is determined by the United State to be compatible with continued efficient operation of the Panama Canal. In addition, the United States has the primary responsibility to protect and defend the Canal and the freedom to move freely throughout the Republic of Panama in accomplishment of that responsibility. Q: Is there anything on those other islands? A: There are other facilities, other PDF facilities. As for the gate, I'm told that Panama Defense Forces established the gate at that point to control traffic at night in view of their facilities on the islands. Q: Pete, the headquarters of the Special Operations Forces, the Panamani Defense Forces, are located on one of those other islands. Yesterday, the U.S operation interferred with an exercise by that group to go down town and opera in a bank as part of an antiterrorist practice. Was there any interference today in this operation with the exercise by those forces? A: Not that I'm aware of. Q: Was there any confrontation with those forces? * Origin: UNITEX --> Toward a United Species (1:107/501) -- unitex - via FidoNet node 1:107/520 UUCP: ...!rutgers!rubbs!unitex ARPA: unitex@rubbs.FIDONET.ORG --- Patt Haring | UNITEX : United Nations patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information patth@ccnysci.BITNET | Transfer Exchange