European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 19, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday january 19,1990 the stars and stripes Page 9 double duty for some Green berets 600 soldiers face a different Battle in Panama Interior by the Iris Angeles times Chitre. Panama a crucial new phase of the . Military occupation has left the Western half of this country in the hands of about 600 Green berets whose specially trained units face what could be a Long struggle As they seek to prop up fragile civilian institutions while guarding against the emergence of a guerrilla resistance. The elite troops who bring a deliberately Low profile to a Region that Only last week was patrolled by More than 2.000 heavily armed infantrymen say they have been told to plan to remain in the Countryside for As Long As six months. Their Challenge in what . Officials acknowledge will be the most time consuming task of the occupation is made More difficult by the fact that there has been no wholesale House cleaning of the Panama de sense forces in the Interior. Those forces once con trolled Rural districts like fiefdoms and continue to instill wariness among citizens in provincial capitals such As this one. An otherwise celebratory Community gathering in this City Over the weekend had undercurrents of ten Sion while the traditional accordion led band played a  popular local tune urging of gringos to stay in Chile. As the High school headmaster installed by the United states As both the civilian and military Gover nor told a visitor. "1 am in charge. I Tell the major what to  a group of panamanian soldiers Sal glowering at a Corner table. These provinces arc in for a hard transition now said army maj. Or Char Kinney. Second in command of the Green berets. There arc an awful lot of dissatisfied people run Ning around with guns out there. Anytime you give someone a level of importance and then take it away there s the potential for  the lingering wariness comes on the heels of a virtually bloodless . Initial intervention in this expansive Section of the country which stretches from the Panama canal to the Costa rican Border. Outside Rio Halo the site of a major Battle. Panamanian garrisons almost without exception surrendered in place As Heli copter borne . Infantrymen arrived to take control in the Days after the invasion. While the most notorious of the panamanian com Manders were jailed nearly All of their subordinates were kept in place. And that has left a troublesome legacy As the . Soldiers across inc Region seek to Complete their Effort to subordinate the panamanian military to a new civilian government. This City of More than 70,000 remains w without even a provisional mayor in what army col. Lin Burney inc commander of the initial occupation Force in the Interior described As one of the most striking exam Ples of apathy among panamanians wary about mov ing too quickly to take Power from the former military Bosses. And even the envoy dispatched to chit is by the new government of president Guillermo Endara conceded that there arc Likely Many Manuel Noriega loyalists and former members of the fallen dictator s Paramil a group of soldiers passes the Lime talking to some Young panamanian women. Troops working in inc Countryside Are expected to remain for at least is months to support civilian institutions and deter possible attacks by rebels in the new government. Tary dignity battalions still Active in this province and in others. There is still doubt and Reserve said Julio Aizpurua a 28-year-old who worked As an adviser to Ricar do Arias Calderon before being sent to her Acra prov Ince by Arias the nation s new first vice president. We can t be sure what will  although three weeks of patrols have yet to encounter any signs of resistance army commanders said that the Large numbers of weapons still believed to be hid Den around the country together with the scores of former psf and dignity battalion members still unaccounted for make it possible that a Well armed insurgency could emerge. It s too Early in the game to Tell How All the cards arc going to fall said Kinney. We Don t have a True picture of what s out there As far As what could pose a threat added capt. Anthony Durant who Heads a unit based in pc gnome another provincial capital. Such uncertainly was exacerbated by the sudden withdrawal of an infantry battalion whose soldiers had been asked to ensure that the departing invasion Force would not leave behind the seeds of a future rebellion. Their departure which was completed last weekend. Was ordered after . Commanders concluded that the continued presence of the regular soldiers in the Pana Manian Countryside was More Likely to cause trouble than any hidden Noriega  did t want to turn inc mothers into laundry ladies and their daughters into  said Bur nay. We were aware of what happened in  the departing infantry left behind a 150-Man rapid response team at Rio Hato to provide assistance in Case of guerrilla attacks and turned Over dozens of computer data providing status reports to the new .  the rapid Transfer forced Green Beret units to conduct additional patrols while beginning their Pri Mary Mission of foreign internal  new Green Beret phase of the occupation in the Western provinces almost erases visible signs of a american military presence. Instead of commandeer ing buildings and patrolling in jeeps the soldiers Dis patched to the cities have set up operations in regional stations and use civilian vehicles to Survey outlying areas. The principal Headquarters in Rio Hato is Well off the major  soldiers most of whom Are proficient in Span ish say they believe such a Low key approach will make it easier to win the Trust of panamanians As they seek gradually to transform the military into a far smaller and less authoritative Force. Bush popularity High at end of first year in office by the Washington Post Washington president Bush Riding a wave of Public support for the . Invasion of Panama is caring the end of his first year in office As one of the most popular presidents of the Post War Era according to a Washington Post Abc news poll. The Survey of 1,510 adults also showed that More americans now con Sider the Republican party Best Able to Deal with the country s major problems. According inc the poll 50 percent of those interviewed said they most trusted the gop to do a belter Job coping with the country s biggest problems while 38 percent named the democrats. This marked an apparent resurgence by inc Republican party which has not held a Clear advantage Over the democrats on this question for the last three years. While the poll held generally Good news for the Republican party it offered belter news for Bush. Nearly eight in 10 of those interviewed 79 percent said they approved of the Job Bush has done As president. This was 6 Points higher than the Best showing of Ronald Reagan during his eight years As presi Dent. One of three persons in the Sample strongly approved of Bush s Job performance the Highfil level of Strong sup port for Bush since he took office. And Bush s average approval rating for his first year in office was 73 percent 11 Points higher than Reagan s first year average according to Post Abc polls. The Post Abc poll showed that Bush continues to enjoy Broad based support. According to the Survey. 74 percent of Blacks 66 percent of self described Liber als 66 percent of democrats and 56 per cent of those who voted for democratic Percsi denial nominee Michael s. Duka Kis in 1988 approve of the Job Bush is doing As president. The Survey suggested that Bush s image was helped by his decision to in Vade Panama and by the subsequent Cap Ture of the panamanian dictator. Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega. A Washington Post Survey conducted in december after an unsuccessful coup a Templ against Noriega bul before the invasion set Bush s approval rating at 66 percent Down about 10 Points from the previous month. The latest Post Abc poll found that eight in 10 persons interviewed said they supported the president s decision to Send . Troops to Panama to Over throw Noriega. More than Highl in 10 said inc military action in Panama was a Success nearly half characterised it As a big Success. Seven in 10 said it was a Good idea to bring Noriega Back to the United Stales to land trial on drug charges. While nine in 10 said they thought Noriega is guilty seven in 10 thought he could obtain a fair trial in inc United slates