This just proves what many have always thought. Noriega had a 'dead man's switch' all along. Probably heavy on the GHW Bush element.
And to think of the heavy price the Panamanians paid...
Ex-dictator Noriega to be released Sept. 9
It's official and final: Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega, held in Miami-Dade on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering, will be released from prison on Sept. 9 after completing his sentence.
The news was revealed to El Nuevo Herald by Noriega's attorney, Frank Rubino. The release order appears on the official Web page of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. ''There is no turning back. The order is obligatory and nobody can stop it,'' Rubino said.
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Regarding Noriega's return to Panama, there is no unanimity.
In March 2006, a close friend of Noriega told the Panamanian daily La Prensa that the former ruler will not return to the country.
According to Mario Rognoni -- minister of commerce from 1988 to 1989, who stays in constant telephone communication with the former dictator -- ``the last thing the U.S. wants is for Noriega to become a problem for (Washington) and Panama.''
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16528980.htm