On this date in 1989 American forces invaded Panama in what the U.S. called Operation Just Cause. Their aim, which proved successful, was the removal of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega from office. In Ottawa, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was sleeping when he was woken up to take a call from U.S. President George H.W. Bush.
“I hate to send in kids to fight,” Bush, who himself saw action when he was in his late teens, told Mulroney. “But I worried about what happens in future incidents. There are special rights of the United States under the (Panama Canal) treaty. There was the attack on the Marines, and a number of other incidents. Nevertheless, with the killing of the Marine lieutenant, I hope the Canadian people understand, and how hard we tried diplomacy. “
“We wish you well,” Mulroney told Bush. “We will be in the House of Commons tomorrow morning to answer questions and we will explain things to the Canadian people.”
Thanks to the hard-working staff at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in Texas, you can read a transcript of the entire discussion between the two leaders at this link.Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.
Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.