First off, hard evidence of Noriega's drug connections was lacking,
contrary to what Americans were told. General Fred Woerner, chief of the
Southern Command, and Admiral William Crowe, chairman of the Joint Chiefs,
both opposed the invasion and were both dismissed. In order to convict
Noriega in court, 26 felons testified at his trial in exchange for leniency.
(This trial caught prosecutors by surprise because Noriega wasn't expected
to survive the invasion; he now had to be convicted at any cost.) Finally,
Eisner sums up three reasons for the invasion: 1) the wimp factor -- Bush
had to counteract a growing perception of presidential weakness; 2) Panama's
failure to help the U.S. with Iran-Contra; and 3) vague worries from the
right that the loss of U.S. control over the canal would be a setback.
ISBN 0-679-43227-2
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