European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 23, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 columns the stars and stripes William Safire Bush & co. Made the right moves in Panama when you declare that a state of War exists Between the country you control and the United slates and when you then pass the word that it s of to rough up or kill local . Soldiers and their dependents you would be Well advised to expect a massive military response. That s the lesson to tin pot dictators. We arc entitled to a Brief jingoistic Jig which will be Cut Short by pictures of casualties. Then we should examine the other lessons to other groups. To the Bush administration crisis managers there is no substitute for organization. In the october fiasco in pan Ama the key players were never properly assembled or seized with a sense of mis Sion. Well do better next time prom ised Brent scowcroft Pur National Secu Rity adviser and they did. To the commanders of our armed forces it is possible to conduct a complicated nighttime operation Complete with paratroop drop by the Book. No More Post Vietnam failures of nerve As at de Sert one in Iran or uptight blackout of news As at Grenada or sleepy underestimation of the enemy As in Lebanon. We did not appear to stumble run into bad Luck hesitate or Blaze away at our own feet that s an improvement. To fellow Jingo its hubris is in called for this exercise did not carry the risks of the Allied attack on the germans at Dieppe in world War ii because the dictator s forces were no match for our own. This was less a test of strength than a test of will the Victory was won by the Quick application of overwhelming strength a sensible Way to Cut casualties. To the legalist so far so Good. The United states knocked itself out to operate within the Rule of Law. We did Walter Mears not Bottom our justification on Noriega s War words because declarations of War no longer make Force legitimate the Only time the use of Force is considered Legal by International lawyers is in de sense with the user required to prove it necessary and appropriate to the threat. The killing of an unarmed Serviceman and the other violence done . Citi Zens rather than the Noriega drug run Ning or annulment of ejections was the primary basis for our intervention behave the Legal right by treaty to use armed forces to defend . Personnel in the canal area. That was Why the presi Dent used the words to safeguard the lives of american  our justify ing purposes to protect lives and the treaty is not our primary purpose which is to reinstate democracy and incidentally to capture and prosecute a drug suspect. To our latin american neighbors our concern for Legal diplomatic niceties went to an extreme when our state department produced Guillermo Endara the elected head of government deposed by the dictator to ask for our intervention 45 minutes before the operation began. This was soon followed by the unblocking of assets and the lifting of sanctions to bolster the elected officials we put in place. This sudden largess to a nation just a Day before described As at War with us recalls the mouse that roared but shows that Carrot As Well As a stick is on our checklist. To our diplomats the reaction shows who our friends Are. Britain s Maggie Thatcher whose thank you for our support of her Falkland War was to snipe at our defense of democracy in Grenada got religion and reasserted the special relationship otherwise our allies waited to see if we succeeded before commenting. The soviet Union All but called us an evil Empire. To Par psychiatric pundits this was not the result of an accused wimp s need to prove himself Macho we be had too much of that personal motive Pap since Lyndon Johnson. It would be More profitable to speculate about what Pride or fear drove Noriega to press his Luck and invite his ouster. This president having acted like an Amateur in bungling a previous Opportunity to remove a danger to our Tea lanes acted like a pro in taking advantage of the Chance offered him by the escalation of violence against our Citi Zens. His men delivered on their Promise to do better next time. To moralists legalities and results aside did we do right in resorting to Force did we give the soviets romanians and chinese an excuse to justify future crackdowns values have moral meaning Freedom is Good and tyranny bad. The use of Force to deny the people s expressed will is wrong its use to carry out a democratic decision lawfully justified by violent provocation is right. The new Yort times the quest on now can we get ouf fast enough in another time another president said he would not see the United states made into a pitiful helpless  the phrase echoed As president Bush ordered american troops to crush and capture Gen. Manuel an Tonio Noriega whose panamanian regime had withstood an Arsenal of american sanctions Short of Force. Part of the Mission was reported accomplished with in eight hours on wednesday with the Pentagon de Claring that Noriega had been removed As the Strong Arm Leader of Panama. But he escaped and supporters claimed he was still directing his loyalist forces. The United states called him a fugitive and said he would be tracked and taken to stand trial on . Drug trafficking indictments. For More than two years Noriega had taunted and incited the giant while his foes at Home and in Washington tried futilely to dislodge his grip on , whose watchword is prudence said it was an enormous frustration. But he took it for nearly a yer for Lack of an acceptable alternative. Then he took a risk and went to War. Fellow citizens last night i ordered . Military forces to Panama he told the nation wednesday. I took this action Only after reaching the conclusion that every other Avenue was closed and the lives of Ameri can citizens were in grave  Bush gained prompt and predictable support at Home from democrats As Well As republicans. He had briefed congressional leaders just before . Forces went into combat against Noriega s loyalists in the Panama defense forces. Presidents Seldom face much political dissent when american forces Are in combat especially with the kind of provocations Noriega provided. His puppet Assembly had declared a state of War with the United states and an off duty american officer was shot and killed by psf forces on saturday. Bush recounted the killing the wounding of another american Serviceman the capture and beating of a third and threats against that Man s wife. That was enough the president said. Gen. Noriega s reckless threats and attacks upon americans in Panama created an imminent danger to the 35,000 american citizens in Panama Bush  that is Why i directed our armed forces to protect the lives of american citizens in Panama and to bring Gen. Noriega to Justice in the United  Bush had repeatedly encouraged Noriega s opponents to kick him out of Power. He had said that no Riega was the problem that the United states quarrel was with the general alone and that his ouster would bring Normal diplomatic and economic relations. Vet when dissident officers attempted a coup on oct. 3 and briefly held Noriega american forces stood by inactive. . Forces had blocked two roads and had conferred with coup leaders but the administration decided against intervention. That Drew protests from left and right although some republicans complained that dovish democrats who opposed intervention in other crises were endorsing it retroactively in Panama. Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii said . Com Manders had been told they could offer support for the coup if there were an Pipor Unity to do this without risking bloodshed and significant loss of american life and to do so without open military  those instructions ring with irony now that . Forces have been sent into open combat. On wednesday Baker recalled his october testimony and the administration explanation of . Inac Tion at the time of that coup attempt. I said if this administration chose to use Force it would make its own decisions he told a news Confer ence. It would not act based on some unknown coup plotters strategy or  the toll of american soldiers killed in action Early wednesday mounted into the teens and scores were wounded. That is the Price of using military Power. It was Richard Nixon who spoke of the Price of shrinking from its use 19 years ago. If when the chips Are Down the world s most powerful nation the unite states of America acts like a pitiful helpless giant the forces of totalitarianism and anarchy will threaten free nations and free institutions throughout the world he said announcing he had sent forces to attack communist North vietnamese sanctuaries in Cambodia. Bush was sure to hear told you so comments from those who argued the administration should have sent forces to join the october  Noriega s purge of dissident officers after that coup could make it More difficult for the United states to quickly Complete operations and withdraw the additional troops which Bush said he wants to do As quickly As  newly installed government of Panama led by Guillermo Endara thought to have won the May election Noriega annulled will need reliable new leaders to take control of the military replacing Noriega s henchmen. Stability under an elected government will be the real test of Success whatever happens to  administration has been a ageing All along that his support was thin and Brittle. American intervention puts that to the test if the theory is Correct and he is powerless Noriega is irrelevant. But if Noriega or his lieutenants Are capable of hold ing out and running continuing operations against . Forces and the Endara government the administration will have a major problem on its  president Reagan ordered american forces into action in the 1983 invasion of Grenada and the1986 air raid on Libya the operations were Swift and Brief. The Bush administration wants intervention i Panama to be a Mission accomplished and quickly ended. Prolonged involvement would stir political opposition at Home and intensify the inevitable latin american resentment against Yankee intervention no matter the  sought to avoid that backlash by saying he wants to get out swiftly by lifting economic sanctions against Panama under the new Endara government Andy promising that the United states win turn the canal Over to Panama at the end of the Century. Whether Al that can be accomplished remains to be seen. Wnm Mura ii it Iii  toe Kuo Auta vim