CAMPAIGN ’88 : Aides Deny Bush Knew of Noriega Drug Ties

Officials of Vice President George Bush’s presidential campaign on Thursday denied allegations, contained in a British television documentary, that Bush knew of a drug money-laundering operation run by Panamanian strongman Gen. Manuel A. Noriega when he met with Noriega in 1983.

Bush has said that he met with Panamanian officials, including then-President Ricardo de la Espriella and Noriega, during a refueling stop in Panama. In the documentary, two former aides to Noriega, Col. Roberto Diaz Herrera and Jose I. Blandon, said they believed Bush was aware of Noriega’s activities at that time, but they offered no new evidence.

Bush’s chief of staff, Craig Fuller, denied that any such subject was discussed in the 1983 meeting. Bush has said he first learned of allegations that Noriega was involved in drug-trafficking in February, when Noriega was indicted by two U.S. grand juries.

“There was a discussion of press reports that Panamanian officials” had been aware that military officers were involved in the money-laundering operations, but Espriella denied this, Fuller said.

Diaz also said in the documentary that Noriega claims to have pictures and tape recordings that would link Bush or his aides to the secret training in Panama of Nicaraguan rebels, but Fuller said there was no substance to the allegations.