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America's Prisoner: The Memoirs of Manuel Noriega

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"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.

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.

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.

The Memoirs of Manuel Noriega

America's Prisoner

Manuel Noriega and Peter Eisner

Book Review

By Richard E. Noble

The basic premise of this book is that Manuel Noriega was forced out of his leadership role in Panama via a clandestine war of pre-emptive aggression due to his refusal to cooperate with the Reagan/Bush administration in their contrived Contra war against the Ortega Government in Nicaragua.

The book is elaborate in its details. It is filled with specific names, places, events and dates. If this is the actual writing of Manuel Noriega he is obviously an informed and educated individual. But it is difficult to separate the American Journalist, Peter Eisner, from the text.

This book seems to me to be an attempt to place information in the public record, in an organized manner, much like a legal brief, for the purposes of posterity. One day, it would be the hope of the writers of this text that the times would change for the better and this information could stand as a record of the truth of the invasion of Panama and the Noriega affair.

Is the case and information credible?

I am not an expert on South America but I have read about the Iran/Contra fiasco. I have read about the Reagan/Bush administrations. I've read the Ollie North rendition. I've read several books on different political situations in South America - some right, some left. Judging from my reading to date I would have to say that the account rendered in this text is consistent with the relevant history that I have read thus far. It is very credible. After all, the events of Iran/Contra led to the guilty convictions of many of those involved in the Reagan/Bush administration. So we know of that crime. As far as Reagan is concerned, we do not know conclusively his degree of involvement. But that it all happened and the U.S. involvement was illegal is factual.

The other issue is the drug charges against Noriega. In reviewing the tactics used to convict and the testimony of those involved in the prosecution, it is obvious that Sister Maria Teresa could also be convicted of drug trafficking by these methods. It is rather ridiculous. The judge involved is even quoted as saying that the legality of the trial is not as important as the conviction of such an evil man. The whole thing is reminiscent of the trial of IWW leaders and anarchist in the World War I period. It is all very suspicious to say the least.

Noriega does not shy from the fact that he was often working on behalf of the CIA in various exploits. In the trial these involvement were spun to his disadvantage and corroborated by convicted criminals who got reprieves from their jail time for their testimony. But there is much more in this book and it is all worse. Lady Justice is looking mighty abused in this case.

It is an involved book to read but whatever your background, I think the information supplied should be adequate to bring you to a similar conclusion.

Richard Edward Noble - The Hobo Philosopher - Author of:

"America on Strike" American Labor - History

I was very happy to read Noriega's account and can now fully understand why he did not testify in his own defense at his farce of a trial. <P> I did not live in Panama during Noriega's tenure as Commander-in Chief of the Defense Forces, but I did visit the country several times, and learned that there are two definite types of Panamanians: those of color who speak mainly spanish, and those who are nearly white skinned and speak perfect english. Noreiga's supporters were mostly of the poor and middle classes, and the rich whites saw him as a threat to their greedy lifestyles. <P>I did live in the US during the Reagan-Bush regimes, and observed constant Noriega bashing, Defense Force taunting, and at no time did I ever see reason enough for the US to invade Panama with overwhelming force and destruction, violating international law, capturing their leader, and now hold him Prisoner of War. <P> This book shows how Noriega was once a friend and intelligence diplomat fo

I have to admit the book is rather enjoyable to read, incredibly interesting and hard to put down. Noriega comes across as very charismatic, but thats how Eisner intended to write him up. While one might see that there was some erroneous CIA propaganda in the whole Panamanian-Noriega Affair, it isn't nearly as prevalent as Noriega would have you believe. The CIA's timing is suspect, but what better time to air out the bad laundry of a drug-dealing dictator than when you want to bring him down. Moreover, Manuel Noreiga and Eisner are no less apt to making propaganda of their own. The Panamanian demagogue would have you believe he is wholly a victim of the evil American imperial capitalists. Eisner more or less tries to portray poor Noriega as the hapless and 'innocent' victim of American imperialism. Noriega, the pox-marked dictator, derided as "Pineapple Face" by his detractors, may never have amassed the massive fortune alleged by the CIA... but he was on the take so to speak. He has always been for sale to the highest bidder whether the Medellin drug cartel or the CIA. Since his early days as a CIA spy, he was selling out intel on his fellow students at a Peruvian Military Academy in the 1950's. Noriega mastered the art of double-dealing... and can fairly be described as a double-agent, if not a "triple" or "quadruple" agent. He was taking payoffs from drug dealers (as most politicians in the region do) and this isn't just CIA propaganda. He essentially crossed Bush one time to many... making one too many overtures to the Sandinistas and the Soviets. Bush Senior pulled the Potomac two-step on Noriega and Noriega reaped the whirlwind for having asked for a divorce. Regardless of what you think about the Panamanian intervention in 1989, Noriega isn't the "patron saint of Panama" that he'd have you believe he is. Nonetheless, I find his biography too be very intriguing.

If you care about Central American politics, you might like "A Twillight Struggle" by Robert Kagan.

General Noriega knows who I am. He knows me very well. I am the one who tried to assassinate him, way back in February 1979.
I was his prisoner for nearly two years.
I was captured on October 11, 1979, just outside the city of La Conception (Chiriqui), in the Republic of Panama, along with another American citizen (Wilfredo Bermudez).
We were arrested by agents of Noriega's military intelligence service, known as the G-2, along with elements of the Panamanian National Guard, shortly after we reentered the country, to start our armed rebellion.
Our plan was to overthrow the late General Omar Torrijos and while we were engaged in that, we were going to assassinate the author of this book, General Manuel Antonio Noriega.
I was the one, who planted a bomb, consisting of 12 sticks of dynamite (which was attached to a 12 hour timed detonator), to do just that, at a location where the general was on the morning of February 6, 1979, as he was getting ready to inspect the damage from the bombing, the night before, at an electrical facility, just outside of the city of David, which is located in the western part of Panama, about an hour's drive from the border with neighboring Costa Rica.
My "present" was discovered by Noriega's security detail and decommissioned, otherwise the author would have been blown to bits and incinerated at the same time, this was because I had left my "present" underneath a tank filled with 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel.
Eight months after this incident, we were his captives.
On May 10, 1980, Noriega (who at the time held the rank as a lieutenant colonel in Panama's national guard) summonded the two of us, to meet with him at The Commandancia (the main headquarters of the national guard), a five minute walk from where we were being held, in the central prison, known as the Carcel Modelo, in downtown Panama City.
After we arrived, we were introduced to Noriega and he began to ask the two of us various questions, then afterwards, we were taken back to the prison, to await our fate.
This was the first and last time that we ever met.
The following month, we were interviewed on Panamanian national television for all of the country to see and hear.
The author's attempt at introducing this story into his book was stopped by United States government censors, prior to allowing the text to be published.
Noriega's co-author (Peter Eisner) was informed that under no circumstances would any of this information be included in "America's Prisoner", and so what you will read is missing nearly two years of Noriega's life.
His book is in-complete.
What went on, in Noriega's life from February 1979 to July 1981 is missing.
We were deported from Panama on July 20,1981.
His book makes mention of various incidents in his life but only AFTER July 1981.
On September 10, 2002 I filed a civil lawsuit against General Noriega in the United States District Court (Wyoming), asking for a 21 1/2 million dollar judgement (for human rights abuse and torture, which I was subjected to as his prisoner), under the Torture Victim Protection Act.
My lawsuit was eventually dismissed due to the 10 year statute of limitations.
I wrote a book ("Panama-Echoes From A Revolution"), which is available online, which details this whole story, the story which Noriega was not permitted to publish in his memoir "America's Prisoner", of my involvement with the Panamanian opposition, in Miami, Florida, Anastacio Somoza, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), etc.
"Panama-Echoes From A Revolution" has over 100 photos and documents ( many are declassified top secret United States State Department cables), which provide ample insight into this long, covered up part of Panamanian history.
My book is a complete history (the missing period which Noriega's book leaves out), of this important period.
Will Noriega ever reveal this?
Will his captors permit him ever to be interviewed about what he leaves out in his book?
You can look up my name on the internet (Google/Yahoo search), to find many stories dealing with what I have stated here in this review.

It is a revelation. Noriega is a intelligent, sensitive human being. A true patriot to his country who was blackjacked by our government when he tried to develop a independent course for his country. Before reading his book I was completely taken in by US propaganda and thought he was a real scumbutt deserving his fate.

I loved reading the Memoirs of Manuel Noriega. Many passages inthe book brought tears to my eyes. Manuel Noriega related factualaccounts about the political and social conditions that existed in Panama before Omar Torrijos became President. Similar stories were told to me by my parents and grandparents. I have no doubt in my mind that he was framed. Unfortunately, many North Americans will believe the propaganda they read and listen to from the corporate controlled mainstream media, and their crooked politician leaders. I think this book is an important document that eloquently illistrates the ever-present struggle for political, social and economic self-determination in Latin America.

The book is very well written, the problem with this book is the content of it.
The author tries to portrait Noriega as innocent, the victim of a goverment that will do anything to put him out.
Everybody likes him and he has done nothing wrong.

As a Panamanian, that lived in Panama during Noriega's dictatorship, I know what really went on .
The information that this book contains is misleading to the reader that didn't live in Panama during those years.
People might start thinking that Noriega is a saint.