PANAMA'S PROTEST OVER ALLEGED STATEMENTS BY CONGRESSMAN LOWRY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01390R000700910016-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 14, 2010
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: February 19, 1986
• Content Type: CABLE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO139OR000700910016-6
nnwilm I nc1%IT 1
%0%A1111111 1111LOWL.11 I 11-%L.
OCA
INCOMING
PAGE 001 NC 9954583
TOR: 190148Z FEB 86 PANAMA 02150
RR RUEAIIB
ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH
STU0595
RR RUEHC
DE RUEHZP #2150 0491707
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 181706Z FEB 86
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7732
BT
E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA'S PROTEST OVER ALLEGED STATEMENTS BY
CONGRESSMAN LOWRY
REF: PANAMA 1898
1. I TOLD FONMIN ABADIA FEBRUARY 14 THAT HIS FEBRUARY
7 PROTEST NOTE (REFTEL) MADE AS MUCH SENSE AS STATE'S
COMPLAINING TO PANAMANIAN AMBASSADOR BAZAN ABOUT
STATEMENTS ATTRIBUTED AT TIMES TO OPPOSITION LEGISLATOR
WILLI COCHEZ. I SAID I WAS SURE CONGRESSMAN LOWRY
COULD BE EXPECTED TO GIVE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO
PANAMA'S CRITIQUE OF PL. 96-70, BUT I SAW NOTHING TO
BE GAINED BY PANAMA'S FORMALLY PROTESTING REMARKS
ALLEGEDLY MADE BY THE INFLUENTIAL CHAIRMAN OF THE
HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE PANAMA CANAL, IN ANTICIPATION
OF SUCH A REVIEW.
2. BESIDES, I SAID, WE WERE UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN THAT
CONGRESSMAN LOWRY HAD IN FACT MADE THE ALLEGED STATEMENTS
ABADIA HAD FOUND SO OBJECTIONABLE.
3. ABADIA FIRST MUMBLED IN SEMI-APOLOGY THAT THE PROTEST
NOTE WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO," AND THEN
(AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT) SUGGESTED IF LOWRY HAD BEEN MIS-
QUOTED, THAT WE SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT IN OUR REPLY.
I SUGGESTED IT MIGHT BE BETTER SIMPLY TO LET OUR
LEGISLATORS PROCEED WITH THEIR STUDY OF PL. 96-70.
HE DID NOT REPLY.
4. COMMENT: ABADIA'S REACTION FORTIFIES OUR BELIEF THAT
HIS PROTEST NOTE MERITS NO FURTHER CONSIDERATION (OR
REPLY) ON OUR PART. THE WAY THIS WAS HANDLED ALSO
ARGUES FOR A NON-RESPONSE: WE FIRST LEARNED OF THE PROTEST
NOTE VIA THE EVENING TV NEWS, ON FEBRUARY 7, I.E., BEFORE
THE NOTE WAS SEEN AT THE EMBASSY.
BRIGGS
END OF MESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO139OR000700910016-6