State Department Asks Reagan to Penalize Panama Over Drug Trafficking
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Rejecting the conclusions of its bureau in charge of drugs, the State Department has recommended that President Reagan penalize Panama for failing to take adequate steps to control drug trafficking, State Department aides said today. Rejecting the conclusions of its bureau in charge of drugs, the State Department has recommended that President Reagan penalize Panama for failing to take adequate steps to control drug trafficking, State Department aides said today. A draft report last week charged that Panama was not fully cooperating with American efforts to crack down on the drug trade but recommended that Mr. Reagan impose no penalties because of ”vital national interests.” The draft was written by the International Narcotics Matters Bureau and was circulated within the department and to other Government agencies. After disclosures that Panama would not be censured and harsh criticism from lawmakers of both parties, however, the State Department concluded that certification of Panama on any grounds would send the wrong signal to Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega, Panama’s de facto leader. He was indicted by two Federal grand juries in Florida this month on charges of racketeering and other drug-related offenses. Congress Is a Factor ”The one thing no one wanted to do was to give Noriega any message that he could use to his advantage inside Panama,” a department official said. There was also a realization in some sectors of the State Department that Congress would almost certainly reverse a Presidential recommendation that was perceived to be favorable to Panama, the official said. ”I wouldn’t deny that there were political realities on the Hill that were factored in,” the official added. In making it final decision, the State Department went against the wishes of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Justice Department, which had both argued that American national interests were more important than penalizing Panama. More : query.nytimes.com |