Our Man in Panama: How General Noriega Used the United States- And Made Millions in Drugs and Arms

Manuel Noriega was a manipulative, violent, untrustworthy, power hungry and generally unsavory guy. This book convincingly connects the dots in his rise to power and the relationships he used to his advantage. He appears to be no great nationalist, but an opportunist. For years he served the U.S. well in the War on Drugs while apparently profiting from it. What is the most educational theme of this book is the way in which several different parts of the government were involved in shaping our relations with Panama. The State Dept, DEA, CIA, FBI and NSC all had their interests to promote and protect. The author weaves together many threads, from the Contras and (briefly) BCCI to Colombian drug lords and Panamanian political corruption. There are interesting connections to George Bush, Jesse Helms and Oliver North. The author could have discussed in more depth the importance of taking away control of the canal from Panama in some government circles. The treaty signed by President Carter to hand over administration of the canal zone by 1999? was hotly contested, and it must have been rather convenient to have Noriega indicted for drugs as an excuse to remove him from power---as if invading a sovereign nation to get one man were justified. Overall, kudos to Mr. Dinges for a very detailed and very readable book.