Who now remembers the US Invasion of Panama nearly twenty years ago?
Recent blog posts about fading newspapers, Stanley Kubrick's boxes and The Men Who Stare at Goats converged to remind me of several curious newspaper bits from 1989 (back when I relied a lot more on print sources). Now I can't find any traces of this on the internet, but here it is: Does anyone else remember reports of "men in black" firing at US Marines and other personnel in the months leading up the invasion? Strange firefights in the jungle? I've never once seen mention of them since.
But I do know now that US military planners launched Operation Blue Spoon well in advance of the actual invasion, which was dubbed Operation Just Cause at the last minute, and that there were many live fire and maneuver exercises prior to the invasion, too.
So my real question is this: Why would propaganda and psychological operations (Psyops) include planting vague and bizarre articles in American papers about Men in Black in Panama? It made little sense to me then, and still makes little sense to me now.
Today's Rune: Partnership.
9 comments:
What is the purpose of psyops Erik?
Look at recent ones:
The lies planted and spread about WMD in Iraq. They gave Americans the ability to believe in the necessity for an invasion.
Firefights in the jungle, protecting the canal from revolutionary forces all meant to ease the transition from a covert war into an outright invasion.
All propaganda is meant to sway the minds to the point of the propagandist. If there is shooting by black pajama clad men it harks back to the Viet Cong.
that was a Bush I invasion -- those Bushes, always invading countries --- and of course using psychology to justify them
Eric, how smart are you? Couldja please write a simple blog for a simple peabrain like me. You make me think, and I HATE when that happens!!
I remember that, vaguely. We were just getting out of the National Guard at the time.
You've been tagged
Enjoyed the read Erik. I would have to agree with TWM. MW
I had completely forgotten about that. yes, it was pretty damn weird. Have you ever read "silly season" by, I believe, Kornbluth? It might give the reasons why.
When I was in college, there was talk of invading Nicaragua. On my campus and many others, groups formed to plan mass mobilizatiions in protest if that happened. I joined a group called "SAFCA." I can't remember what the initials stood for now but it was something to the effect of "Students Against Intervention in Central America."
Years later, I discovered that I had both FBI and CIA files because of my participation in that group, among other things.
The Vice President of the group was a guy named Jaime who was born in Bolivia who I was friendly with. We thought it was pretty amusing that he was also an ROTC member. Flash forward to 1989. I pick up the Chicago Sun-Times, and there accompanying an article about the invasion of Panama, was a picture of my friend, um, helping invade Panama. So much for the "Against Invading Central America" part of it all.
Later I found out a few things: he'd finished school, gotten his commission in the Army as an officer, then lost it when he got a DUI. They allowed him to reenlist as a private, and he worked his way up to Sergeant.
Some years back, one of my best friends, who was in SAFCA with me, saw his CIA file (he's foreign-born, so they're allowed to keep a file on him). His file referenced me and my file (an illegal one) and named the rat who had filed the reports on us: Jaime.
When troops started coming home from Panama, a photographer and I went up to Shreveport, LA, early in the a.m. to meet their incoming flight. We rode a bus with them back to Fort Polk, LA, interviewing them on the way.
I wasn't sure what to expect, but a very grim-looking solider raised his hand first, told me of his experiences and broke the ice. Everyone started talking to me afterwards and it was an interesting experience and made for an interesting news story back in the day.
Hey, thank you all for your thoughtful and fantastic comments!
Walking Man/Mark, you're right on. Exactly. Thanks for helping me "get there." It's so right on, I could hardly believe it until your comment.
DCap, cross your finger. A month to go . . .
Jodi -- ah\w shucks. Often, I'm facing a deadline and have to come up with something quick, whatever straw is at hand . . . I'll see what I can do, though ;->
Bubs, oh man, what I remember is the Southern Historical Collection, the "Tacky Wall," which sucked in and put on specific display anything deemed tacky.
MW -- thanks so much and salud to you, dude.
Charles, I'll have to check him out, for sure ;->
Johnny and Sidney both -- I'm so exhausted but thanks, very amazingly cool. I guess I may be on some list too, from El Salvador to Nicaragua to Panama -- man, an inisde Rat too boot!
Sidney, what else did they say, or is there a url to go back to the original article? The whole thing sounds exciting!
Thanks again, all!
Post a Comment