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 (PanamaNewsRoom) Panama’s president, Ricardo Martinelli, on Sunday, March 20, compared Libya with the military regime in Panama, which was ended by a U.S. invasion in December 1989.
He said: "What the Libyan regime has done has no name. It is a merciless destruction of the Libyan population and deserves the punishment and condemnation of the entire international community."
Expressing his support for the UN intervention in Libya, Martinelli told local media: "It is very unfortunate that a country like Libya had attacked and massacred its own citizens, has not respected democracy, and - for 42 years, has had a dictator like Gaddafi."
But already concerns are being voiced in some quarters about the intensity of the coalition strikes on Libya and the possibility of collateral civilian deaths.
The U.S. invasion of Panama, which removed Manuel Noriega from power, led to the deaths of hundreds of Panamanian citizens.
Panama established diplomatic relations with Libya and Gadaffi in the 1970s, when President, General Omar Torrijos, ruled the country.
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Original Source: PanamaNewsRoom
Date Retrieved: March 21, 2011
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There is no military operation free of collateral damage. War planners include collateral damage estimates in operational plans, therefore, the intent is to provide the president with "acceptable numbers". If the precision bombing continues, you can bet there will be more civilian casualties.