by Narco News Bulletin
Sunday, Sep. 23, 2001 at 12:00 AM
How is it that the most recognized United States official on earth can sneak in and out of Panama - and possibly, as today's story in the Panamá América newspaper reveals, was in Colombia, too?
errorSeptember 11, 2001
Narco News 2001
U.S. Troops Head to Panama Canal
Translated from El Universal
September 11, 2001, 2:08 p.m., Panama City: United States troops headed to Panama, according to local media, while the U.S. embassy in Panama City was evacuated as a preventative security measure, after the attacks perpetrated in New York and Washington. Local media revealed unofficial reports that a U.S. military contingent rushed toward Panama from Puerto Rico to protect the Panama Canal and North American interests. The United States army retired from Panama in 1999, in compliance with a bilateral treaty, but is allowed to return under the Neutrality Treaty to protect the canal during any situation of danger. The sources indicate that the United States troops will arrive today, by sea and by air. Narco News Follow-Up: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell was in Lima, Peru, this morning as the attacks on the Pentagon, the State Department, the World Trade Towers in New York and possibly other targets occured. According to Latin American press reports, the U.S. Secretary of State was evacuated from the National Palace. Powell - see our story below from last week - was in Panama at Howard Air Base earlier this month in a secret mission that the State Department still has not explained. Another press report places U.S. President George Bush at a military base in Louisiana, on the Gulf of Mexico, after flying from Florida this morning. At this point, lacking further information, we can not make any speculation about the potential meaning of so much official U.S. activity in or near Latin America that is reportedly occuring in the wake of the day's events. We will continue monitoring the América region for new information and translating it for our readers.
Our previous story of September 3rd... Powell Made Secret Panama Trip U.S. Official Went to Air Base Last Week
A Narco News Global Alert
Narco News Commentary: How is it that the most recognized United States official on earth can sneak in and out of Panama - and possibly, as today's story in the Panamá América newspaper reveals, was in Colombia, too - and not a word from the Washington reporters who cover the State Department, nor the U.S. correspondents in Latin America? And why was the trip made secretly, without alerting the press? And why did the U.S. Embassy deny, once asked by the Panamanian press, that Powell was in Panama? What is known is that Powell was in Panama this week, and possibly in Colombia; that Washington speaks of peace in Colombia but plots for war; and that the U.S. government has been seeking an Air Base in a country near Colombia from which to wage a military intervention with the pretext of the "war on drugs." That Powell's trip was made in secret speaks volumes about the true agenda of Washington. The "drug war" is about to go "boom."
Colin Powell Makes "Discreet" Trip to Panama
By the Editors El Panamá América, September 3, 2001 Original story in Spanish online at: http://www.elpanamaamerica.com.pa/archive/09032001/nation09.html
Translated by The Narco News Bulletin
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell made a "discreet" trip to Panama last week and held brief, but important, meetings with Panamanian officials, according to a government official. The details and themes of the meetings were not given. However, according to the course, the U.S. foreign minister traveled to some of the old United States military installations in Panama. Among them, he visited the former Howard Air Base. El Panama América left a message in the voice mail of the cell phone of assistant secretary of state, Harmodio Arias, to ask for the official version of the presence by Powell in Panama. But the official did not respond. The United States Embassy denied that Powell had been in Panamanian territory last week. "We can confirm for you that Mr. Powell was not in Panama," said a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy. According to the first reports, Powell's visit could be related to a trip that he made to Colombia to reiterate the continued support by the U.S. government to the Colombian efforts against narco-trafficking, strengthening democratic institutions and promoting social and economic development. It also fits to say that Powell will not be present at the racism conference that the United Nations is holding in Durban, South Africa, since last Friday, owing to its criticisms against Israel.
Doing the Job that the U.S. Correspondents Don't Do