Perceptions are very interesting. While I do not dispute the report you saw (I did not see it myself), having been there myself in person, I have a 'different' perception.

Panama is a very beautiful country with very warm, friendly people. However, just like any country, you cannot predict what its people will do in a time of war, nor completely what we ourselves will do. I was there during Just Cause and remained for a year afterward in Colon, Panama City, Penonome, Chiriqui, and other locations. At the time, many Panamanians fired on US troops from inside homes in many Panamanian cities and residential areas. In many cases, the homes were burned down by either U.S. troops in attempting to extricate the sniper or by the the sniper himself. Personally I marched with a group of soldiers house-to-house and it was amazing how many Panamanians threw out their weapons and switched sides on the spot. However, there were also those that ran into the hills (to be pursued by US troops on foot) or fired at US troops in many residential locations from within their or their neighbor's homes. Often, these homes were set on fire by the homeowners themselves in an attempt to rid themselves of what they considered a 'target.' I watched it with my own eyes so I know it happened. I also watched many Panamanians burn down houses to destroy the evidence of which side they were on when the fighting started. It happened. In fact, many things (mostly bad) happen during war -no matter how short it is, and while I do not doubt for a moment that some of those homes may have been burned down by US troops or even that some may not have been justified, the results regardless were tragic and those that were or could be considered 'innocent' suffered the cost as is always the case in war. People tend to forget that those soldiers 'in the thick of it' are just like you and me, in fact they ARE you and me sometimes on both sides and even 'soldiers' do not always make the right choice in the right moment no matter the training. I watched far more monstrosities committed by the Panamian force (or what there was of one) than by the American troops, but then I was not everywhere nor did I see everything. The defensive force typically becomes more personally aggressive when defending their own soil. As is their right. I'm sure worse things happened that what I witnessed. There will always be tragedies and remorse following war and perhaps it will be looked at more closely BEFORE we go the next time rather than afterwards to prevent these incidents from occuring at all anywhere for any reason. I myself, would not only have preferred to not have been there, but also that it never happened at all.

Just my 2 cents and I know many will disagree with me.

Tracy


>Last night I watched a TV show titled "Panama - the deception". It was about government and press (mainly U.S., but others too) statements and coverage during that war.
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>I must say that, until seeing it, I personally had always viewed the Panama "war" as a small action where U.S. forces left a near-by base and surrounded Noriega and waited for him to cave to ultra-loud music. In other words, I had understood exactly what it was desired that I understand by 'the powers that be'.
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>I had NO idea at all that there were some 25 targets across several cities and towns and that somewhere between 2,500 - 4,000 Panamanians were killed and that over 20,000 were left homeless because their homes were deliberately burned (whole city blocks in the capital). I had no idea that the U.S. military have excavated and filled mass graves around the country. I had no idea that thousands were arrested and detained for months (some over a year) without representation of any kind, mostly on the say-so of the puppet leadership that was installed by the U.S. BEFORE the military fired its first shot.
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>All in all it served to remind me that, especially when it comes to war, neither governments nor the press can be trusted. The documentary did point out that the press was very very tightly constrained by the military (which was totally unknown at the time by viewers/readers like me), much as we later witnessed in the Gulf War.
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>Makes one wonder what the REAL story is behind Iraq (the story leading to the action in Panama was very "interesting", to be sure) and what calamities are in store for the people of Iraq.