Posted on 09/29/2009 10:31:36 AM PDT by Nachum
The US and Panama have signed an agreement allowing Washington to deploy two naval bases in Panama to beef up anti-narcotic measures.
A preliminary agreement on the bases was reached recently in New York between Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
A final treaty is expected to be inked in the coming days, reported Panama's La Prensa newspaper, according to Russia's RIA Novosti.
(Excerpt) Read more at presstv.ir ...
‘deploy two naval bases in Panama’
Impressive. heh
Back to Subic Bay?
“...two naval bases in Panama to beef up anti-narcotic measures..”
#####
I was hoping it was a hawkish move to counter the ChiComm’s moves into the region.
Ah, but that would require a CIC who actually loves the United States.
According to my calculations, that would place the first base somewhere in the middle of the Darien Gap!
Isn’t this source an Iranian website?
Since they have already sold all the Army barracks to panamanian civilians, I guess they figure let the yankees build them some new barracks that they can sell.
No idea.
Well they used to have a base in Honduras for things like that. But considering how they’ve treated them after they ousted their president I doubt that’s an option any more.
Thank you for posting the article, but it turns out the information is false. Not your fault:
Panama-Guide.com
Whoops - No US Bases Afterall, Apparently
Monday, September 28 2009 @ 11:50 AM EDT
Contributed by: Don Winner
By Carlos Estrada Aguilar for La Critica -
Panama’s Vice President Juan Carlos Varela denied rumors about the supposed installation of U.S. naval bases in Panama. According to Varela, the government of Panama is coordinating to strengthen a “line of protection” to combat drug trafficking along Panama’s Pacific coast from the Bahia Piña in the Darien, to Punta Coco in the Pearl Islands with a task force that is 100% Panamanian.
The announcement of this “line of protection” which will be signed on 30 October 2009, was negotiated by the Minister of Government and Justice Jose Raul Mulino who described the plan as an “agreement of international cooperation” to establish bases in the sectors. However Varela denied that the U.S. armed forces are involved. The Chancellor stressed that the strengthening of security in the Pacific Ocean will be a accomplished using members of the Panamanian public forces and from the Border and Naval Air Services. He said the government’s goal is to minimize the entry of speedboats carrying drugs that currently move along the beaches of the Pacific. Varela described as a “great achievement” the trips of President Ricardo Martinelli and his discussions with the Emir of Qatar to assess the issue of a refinery and establish embassies on a reciprocal basis bringing together the two nations in trade.
He also highlighted the meeting between President Martinelli and U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton to coordinate regional efforts in the fight against drugs. In New York - Varela Chancellor defended the government travel schedule, noting that unlike the travel of the previous government, the president plans to travel Martinelli targeted to benefit the country.
Editor’s Comment: How do you blow that? I mean - every major news wire ran with the “US bases in Panama” story. Of course, Mulino said what he said, but what, he didn’t understand the meaning of what he said? The bases are supposed to be secret? He misspoke? I mean, what the hell? Oh well, the bases would have been a good thing. Too bad.
Please. I hope you realize I am not correcting you. I am just updating the story.
I hope you werent offended.
Too bad it wasn’t true. I for one was all excited when I read about it as true a couple of days ago.
so essentially “all your base are belong to us”?
Did we get an okay from China?
You are on the way to destruction.
You have no chance to survive make your time.
And now just more came out:
Flap Over New Navy Bases in Panama Continues
Tuesday, September 29 2009 @ 12:53 PM EDT
Contributed by: Don Winner
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com -
Panama’s Minister of Government and Justice Jose Raul Mulino further clarified their plans to install new new naval bases along Panama’s Pacific coast in order to improve their capability to combat drug trafficking at sea. They will build new facilities at Bahía Piña in the Darién province near the border with Colombia, and in Punta Coca in the province of Veraguas. (See annotated photo map below.) These bases will be used as launching points to search for vessels carrying drugs from South America towards Mexico and markets in the United States.
Mulino said Panama will install these bases “to continue our commitment to the security of our territory. These bases will be clearly Panamanian which will be used by the different security institutions such as the National Border Service, the National Police, and the Naval Air Service.”
There was a minor flap yesterday when the news wires picked up the idea that these bases would be built and used by the United States, which is not the case. Panama’s Vice President Juan Carlos Varela clarified yesterday that these will be Panamanian bases, built by Panama and operated by Panamanians. The US Navy and Coast Guard assist Panama in patrolling these waters of the Pacific ocean to detect and interdict drug trafficking vessels, as they have been doing for decades.
However the specter of any kind of US military presence in Panama causes instantaneous reactions here and the lunatic fringe took the opportunity to spew. With one glance at the image below you can appreciate the positioning of these new bases, strategically placed to help extend the reach of the available surface forces out into the waters of the Pacific.
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