COMBAT IN PANAMA : ‘As Long as It Takes’--Presidential Excerpts

Excerpts from President Bush’s news conference Thursday. On Noriega

Q: Mr. President, one of your major objectives was to get Noriega. Are you frustrated that he got away? How long will you keep on chasing him? And are you confident that you’ll get him?

A: I’ve been frustrated that he’s been in power this long--extraordinarily frustrated. The good news: He’s out of power. The bad news: He has not yet been brought to justice. So I’d have to say . . . there is a certain level of frustration on that account. The good news, though, is that the government’s beginning to function, and the man controls no forces, and he’s out. But, yes, I won’t be satisfied until we see him come to justice.

Q: How long will you keep up your full-scale pursuit?

A: As long as it takes.

On Noriega Bounty

Q: What led you to approve of the decision to have a bounty on Noriega . . . ?

A: His picture will be in every post office in town, that’s the way it works. He is a fugitive drug dealer and we want to see him brought to justice. And if that helps, if there is some incentive for some Panamanian to turn him in, that’s a very--a million bucks that I would be very happy to sign the check for.

On Casualties

Q: Did you expect (the casualties) to be so high on both sides? And also was it really worth it to send people to their death for this? To get Noriega?

A: We had some estimates on the casualties ahead of time, but not in numbers. I mean, it was more general--that, “Look, Mr. President, no way can you do an operation this large and not have American casualties.” So the Defense Department was very up front with us about that. And every human life is precious, and yet I have to answer, yes, it has been worth it.

Q: What can you tell us about civilian casualties, specifically Panamanian civilian casualties down there?

A: Our numbers are almost nonexistent, and I heard some reports from a hospital, and we’ve not been able to confirm those numbers, that some civilians were killed.

On Use of Force

Q: A few months ago, you said your complaint was not with the PDF (Panama Defense Forces), not with the Panamanian people, but with Noriega only. You also said . . . that you didn’t think it would be prudent to launch a large-scale military operation. What changed your mind, and particularly why did you opt for the maximum use of force in this situation?

A: I think what changed my mind was the events that I cited in briefing the American people on this yesterday: the death of the Marine, the brutalizing, really obscene torture of the Navy lieutenant, and the threat of sexual abuse and the terror inflicted on that Navy lieutenant’s wife, the declaration of war by Noriega, the fact that our people down there felt that they didn’t know where this was going and they weren’t sure what all that meant and whether that meant we could guarantee the safety of Americans there. And so I made a decision to move and to move with enough force--this was the recommendation of the Pentagon--to be sure that we minimized the loss of life on both sides. . . .

On the Hostages

Q: Mr. President, what do you know about Americans held against their will, and what are you doing now to free them?

A: I’m looking for help on that because we don’t have a count. And if there are a lot of them, we don’t know about it. But, I just had a briefing--I don’t know whether Cheney’s still here.

Q: Well, the Pentagon said, sir, there were 12 open cases.

A: Well, I’ll tell you, that included probably those Smithsonian people who have now been released, and I think there may have been 9 or 10 of those. So--but, I’d just have to get Marlin to get back to you.

Q: Well, does that indicate that that’s not a priority in the reporting to you--

A: No. It indicates to me that it’s very hard to know what’s going on when there’s a fire fight and a battle. . . .