Thread: Military Maneuvers Commanded by US in Panama - Prensa Latina

Military Maneuvers Commanded by US in Panama
Prensa Latina, Cuba - 5 hours ago
Panama, Aug 7 (Prensa Latina) Military maneuvers Panamax 2007, led by the US South Command, will start Thursday with military exercises on the ground with ...
Panama Ready for US Military Maneuvres Prensa Latina
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What does this mean? Are they planning on making a military strike from Panama? What for?

Read the articles; they nicely explain that they are trying to ensure the safety of the canal--especially since the new U.N. offices are going in there.

I suppose there is nothing wrong with protecting the canal and making the UN bases safe. Of course, I'm always skeptical of the U.S. military.

hmm it seems the article isn't there anymore, but I think it's a joint military exercise between Panama and US? Btw I guess most people are skeptical since the invasion on Iraq due to the WMD which isn't there at all.

Originally Posted by nuaeman

Hmm, it seems the article isn't there anymore, but I think it's a joint military exercise between Panama and US? BTW, I guess most people are skeptical since the invasion on Iraq due to the WMD which [wasn't] there at all.

After 5 months, no, the article isn't there anymore. And, no, it was not a 'joint' exercise, since Panama has no military of its own. The exercises were designed to allow the U.S. military to maintain familiarity with the Panamanian ports on either end of the Canal; since the U.S. handed back control of the Canal ten years ago, and maintain no current (read: massive and visible) presence in Panama, every now and then they need to show up and check out security protocols. Since the Canal supplies large percentages of the goods heading to the east coast of the U.S., as well as western Europe, I'm all for a little added security.

As for the WMD fiasco, it was easier for Hussein to state that there were weapons in Iraq to keep Iran in line; keeping its perpetual enemy in check was apparently worth lots of senseless violence to the head of the Iraqi government. That's not to say that I support the war in Iraq, but hindsight is always an excellent tool for military analysis and criticism.


Cheers.

I see, didn't realize Panama doesn't have a military of its own and I checked previously the dictatorship was overthrew by the US.

Originally Posted by nuaeman

I see, didn't realize[that] Panama doesn't have a military of its own and [when] I checked previously the dictatorship was overthrew by the US.

Yes...in 1989--so it's been almost 20 years since there was a dictator in power, and almost 20 years since Panama has had a military.

Cheers.

So I guess Panama is under protection by the US army then, some how it makes me feel it's more like US satellite state as the country's safety is totally under US hands and main currency is US dollars as well.

Even i didn't know about the military issue. Thanks Lala for the wonderful information anyway.

Originally Posted by nuaeman

So I guess Panama is under protection by the U.S. Army then, some how it makes me feel it's more like [a] U.S. satellite state as the country's safety is totally [in] U.S. hands and [the] main currency is U.S. dollars as well.

There are actually quite a few countries who use the U.S. dollar as its currency; and even more who have their currency pegged to the value of the U.S. dollar for ease of use, transfer, conversion, etc.--there are lots of different reasons why countries dollarize. Some use 1:1, many use other ratios of exchange.

In addition, the U.S. dollar is used in a lot of countries where it is not technically a legal currency.

United States dollar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fully dollarized: Panama, Ecuador, East Timor, Palau, British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Micronesia, Marshall Islands

Pegged currencies: the Bahamas, Bermuda, Lebanon, Argentina (until 2002), Barbados, Macau, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia...

Do any of these countries seem like U.S. satellite countries?

As for Malaysia, the ringgit was pegged to the U.S. dollar until 2005...

Cheers.

Thanks for the information, but though I was more concerned with the military intervention by the US on Panama as it does not has its own. I noticed the main currency is balboa but dollarized, producing their own coins but banknotes are in US dollar. I'm sorry that I'm not familiar with those economy and finance stuffs

I wouldn't be too concerned that Panama is going to be involved in any military conflict in the near future...

The exercises are designed more to keep the safety of the canal up-to-date than anything else; and the canal, while currently administered by the Panamanian state, is a global trade conduit, and should be kept safe.

Cheers.