dilloduck
Diamond Member
NuclearWinter said:The most recognizable personality from that era was Manuel Noriega. While head of the CIA in 1976, George Bush, Sr. would routinely have lunch with the Panamanian strongman and authorize hundreds of thousands of dollars in CIA payments to him each year in exchange for his assistance in transporting contraband into America.
Noriega's name also appeared on at least 50 CIA files as a drug dealer. There is even an infamous photograph of Bush and Noriega standing side-by-side with grins plastered across their faces.
Everything was rolling along smoothly until Noriega bucked the system and tried to become "independent". Here's the scenario:
1. Noriega would receive CIA payments for his involvement in the flow of drugs through Panama.
2. He then used this money to build a national, independent network in his country.
3. He eventually tried to go solo and keep all the drug money for himself instead of transferring it to the CIA.
Realizing that Noriega was out of line and unable to be controlled any longer, our Government marked him as a drug lord, vilified him in the media, invaded his country, wiped away his operations, arrested him and then put a new man in his place -- someone who'd better mind his P's and Q's.
Pretty simple. We even sent one of our notorious Golden Triangle high-rollers, Richard Armitage, to tell Noriega that he'd better get back in line, or else. Since he wouldn't see things "our way", Noriega was captured and imprisoned. What a lovely business!
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