Seizing the Panama Canal Would Be Both Dumb and Difficult
A military operation against a tiny neighbor would destroy US credibility in Latin America and provide a boost for China and Russia. Plus, the Panamanians would likely put up a good fight.
A tough crowd.
Photographer: Arnulfo Franco/AFP/Getty Images
When I first sailed on a Navy warship through the Panama Canal, in 1984, it was jointly run by the United States Canal Authority and the Panamanian government. As agreed in the 1977 treaty negotiated by President Jimmy Carter’s administration, the joint control would last until the end of 1999. So I saw the canal during a period of transition between the two nations. It was an amicable arrangement, very professionally run.
I was operations officer on a new Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, USS Valley Forge. My commanding officer, Captain Ted Lockhart (who went on to become a rear admiral) was an expert ship handler, and spent the day coaching many of us on the finer points of maneuvering a 560-foot vessel in the tight confines of the canal. Those of us on the bridge were deeply focused on the safe navigation of our ship. The rest of the crew enjoyed a BBQ on the fantail. All went smoothly.