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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lessons about U.S. imperialism, October 18, 2003
This review is from: America's Prisoner: The Memoirs of Manuel Noriega (Hardcover)
"The Memoirs of Manuel Noriega: America's Prisoner" by Manuel Noriega with commentary and analysis by Peter Eisner is an important story. It holds lessons about U.S. imperialism and the demonization of its supposed enemies -- lessons that, unfortunately, appear to have been largely overlooked by the American public. Indeed, the template for the exercise of U.S. power by the elder Bush against Noriega in Panama as described in this book seems to have been knowingly employed by the younger Bush against Saddam in Iraq. Given the demonization of Noriega in the U.S. media, one may be surprised but nonetheless impressed with Noriega's personal values as they are expressed in this book. Noriega's support of policies that began with the Torrijos administration on raising living standards among the nation's poor seems to be sincere; no doubt this is connected with his Catholic faith and his familiarity with the Bible, which is quoted in several places in the book. Noriega also writes fondly about his career in the Panamanian military and the honor, discipline and professionalism associated with this career and the duties he performed on behalf of his country. Overall, while Noriega does not appear to be a saint he does seem to be a healthy, balanced and moral person. I think that Noriega's contention that he became a marked man due to his insistence on Panamanian soveriegnty is credible. To his credit, Noriega never bought into Cold War ideology, choosing instead to provide safe haven for political refugees of all stripes and to open up channels of communication with Fidel Castro and others. Yet despite years of friendly relations with the U.S. and cooperation with the CIA, his decision to open talks with the Japanese about a new canal combined with his refusal to cooperate with Ollie North's illegal "contra" war in Nicaragua proved to be too much for the White House. If Noriega ever did commit a crime that could possibly justify a full-scale invasion, it is also true that the drug conviction against him is highly suspect. The chapters that discuss the dirty dealings with Colombian drug cartels in securing the conviction is very disturbing. On the other hand, the fact that drug shipments increased in the absence of Noriega provides credence to the author's contention that the Panamanian Defense Forces cooperated in the war on drugs during Noriega's tenure. Last but certainly not least, the horrible consequences of the war on the innocent Panamanian people are discussed. Clearly, it was unneccesary to use such overwhelming force against a peaceful country in the midst of its Christmas celebrations. Noriega's blistering comments about the leading protagonists of the war -- including Colin Powell and George Bush Sr. -- may cause consternation among some Americans; but on balance the General's narrative is remarkably restrained. Indeed, the book is a cautionary tale of powerlessness and how a small nation and its leaders have few options available once regime change has been deemed desirable by the U.S. government. The sad part, of course, is that thousands of innocent civilians had to pay for these policies with their lives (not to mention the countless others who have been left with the shattered remains of their bombed-out communities). In my view, recent events in Iraq, Venezuela, Colombia and elsewhere makes it more important than ever for Americans to gain greater perspective on the consequences of U.S. foreign policy. To that end, "America's Prisoner" is a superbly readable, provocative and informative book that deserves a wide audience. I highly recommend it to all.
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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Noriega, just another Bush discard..., August 14, 2004
This review is from: America's Prisoner: The Memoirs of Manuel Noriega (Hardcover)
After reading this book, I come away with a deep sense of sorrow for my fellow Americans. Clearly Manuel Noriega is no saint. However, compared to Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush and their henchmen, Manuel Noriega smells like a rose in comparison. I have worked with Latin Americans long enough to know that honor and respect are very important to these people. Noriega clearly was a man of honor and respect among his fellow rulers in Latin America. The history of Panama is that of a client state of the United States. Manuel Noriega just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush were intent on murdering Salvadorans and Nicaraguans to re-establish colonial rule in these countries. Ollie North, their boy, was convicted of obstruction of justice in pursuit of their mission (defying the US Congress' ban on support for the Contras). Manuel Noriega was caught between a rock and a hard place. Being a Latin American he was loyal to his fellow Latin Americans who opposed US rule by fiat. As a client of the United States, Noriega did everything he could to make the US rulers happy. However, in the end, he denied US permission for their covert operations in Nicaragua and El Salvador. This led to his downfall. He chose loyalty to his fellow Latin Americans over being bought off and disposed of by the United States. I'm sure Noriega withheld a great deal in this book. However, the conclusion I draw is that Noriega chose to stand and defend his position rather than accept the $2 million offer by Eliot Abrams (yes the same Eliot Abrams that urged us that there were WMDs in Iraq) to leave Panama quietly and then be murdered in some dark alley. If anything Manuel Noriega is a political survivor and not a scumbag in the league of Saddam Hussein or Papa Doc Duvalier. I, for one, would welcome an appeal of his case to the World Criminal Court in the Hague.
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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Superficial and self serving, April 10, 2003
This review is from: America's Prisoner: The Memoirs of Manuel Noriega (Hardcover)
This book is of interest because it tells another side of the story of Panama in the 80's. There's a lot of interesting information here. But while I find it almost unavoidable to conclude that American intervention in Panama was guided as much by political expediency and diplomatic incompetence as it was by noble ideals, that doesn't imply Noriega was clean. Sure, Bush, Cheney, Oliver North, Eliot Abrams, etc. were all crooked politicians. But Noriega's portrayal as himself as simply a Panamanian patriot who was destroyed by the USA for standing up to them doesn't hold water. Many controversial aspects of Noriega's reign are not mentioned (Noriega's superstition or alcohol abuse), glossed over (Spadafora killing) or implausibly denied (the fate of the Giroldi coup plotters). He very seldom admits mistakes and even then only half-heartedly ("We should have just cancelled the elections outright instead of waiting until the results were in to anull them") and never shows a trace of regret. The subject of democracy seldom comes up; all opposition to Noriega is characterized simply as the white power elite ("rabiblancos") and their status as pawns of the USA. In short, the book is disappointing as it appears Noriega has not used his time in jail for serious, thoughtful introspection and analysis. It's not a truthful confession, or even an intersting autobiography; it's basically a defensive essay on the American invasion of 1989. Still it's worth reading as no doubt some of his accusations against the "wimp" Bush bear examination.
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