LETTER TO THE HONORABLE J. WILLIAM FULBRIGHT FROM PHILLIP HARMAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00380R000500040001-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 18, 2006
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 21, 1974
• Content Type: LETTER

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PHILLIP HARMAN
POST OFFICE BOX 25100
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90025
Jan. 21st, 1974
Hon. J. William Fulbright
Chairman, Foreign Relations Committee
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Fulbright:
On January 8th I sent a telegram to the Secretary of State of which a copy
was also sent to you as well as to the other members of the Senate. I told
Secretary Kissinger that the gagged people of Panama would never acknowledge
a treaty signed by Juan Tack, the de facto and pro-Soviet foreign minister,
as by their national Constitution only a constitutional foreign minister
.can sign a treaty with a foreign power. If the 1903 treaty between the two
countries which has been so severely criticized even though it was legal
and constitutional, can you imagine what it would be like in they,ears to
come if a treaty is signed by Secretary Kissinger and the foreign minister
of Panama whose signature has no validity.
Concerning Secretary Kissinger and his coming meeting in Mexico City next
month with the Latin American foreign ministers who will demand from the
U.S. the surrender of the sovereignty of the $5 billion dollar U.S. Canal.
Zone, if the people of Panama could restore their legal and constitutional
government of President Arnulfo Arias before this crucial meeting, the
newly appointed foreiggn minister of President Arias' anti-Communist govern-
ment would denounce communism at this meeting and would explain to the
foreign ministers how Tack and Torrijos have brainwashed them in their
thinking towards Panama and also how Tack and Torrijos were trying to bring
Panama into the Marxist-Lenist camp that could severely jeopardize the
security of the strategic and vital Panama Canal.
As the foreign ministers of Peru and Panama have persuaded the other
foreign ministers to "gang up" on the United States at this meeting starting
on February 19th, it would be a gigantic blow to communism in Latin America
if the suppressed people of Panama could be successful in restoring their
1968 constitutional government, The United States would have a great ally,
and at a very much needed time, in the 1968 legal government who would help
the U.S. issue in a new era of friendliness between the Latin American
countries and the United States. It is something to think about.
With my warmest regards.
cc:: Hon. Henry A. Kissinger
Ellsworth Baker
ARMY review(s) completed.
Ever sincerely,
Phillip Harman
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PHILLIP HARMAN
POST OFFICE BOX 25100
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 50025
Jan. 12th, 1974
Major General Franklin M. Davis, Jr.
Commandant
U.S. Army War College
Washington, D.C.
Dear General Davis:
Being the grandson-in-law of the founder of the Republic of Panama, a
former Honorary Panamanian Consul, and one who knows Panama well, I have
for the past four years been exposing the leftist and illegal regime of
Omar Torrijos, Juan Tack, and the Communist Party of Panama in their
objectives of bringing. Panama into the Marxist-Lenist camp and to gain
control over the sovereignty of the U.S. Canal Zone through their world-
wide anti-U.S. propaganda. I am sure that the DIA in the Zone and the CIA
in Panama briefed you concerning Torrijos, Tack, and others in Panama.
I recently read that you were in Panama last month and that you had sent
a letter of appreciation to Omar Torrijos for his presentation to the
students of the war college during their visit to Panama. Concerning Omar
?]orrijos rank as an officer, it still is Lt. Col. as his rank as Brig.
General has no validity as this is self-proclaimed. To become a Brig.
General in Panama, this has to be approved by a constitutional president
and a constitutional National Assembly. As Panama today has a de facto
government, the illegality of Torrijos' self-proclaimed rank as Brig.
General is made clear in the official statement made by the National Bar
Association on Oct. 13th, 19689 just two days after the gunpoint grab of
the nation by Lt. Col. Torrijos and a few other leftist officers:
"When we Panamanians believed that our country had reached a stage
in which the military would no longer interfere in those affairs
which our nation's Constitution and laws reserve to the people,
who are the only sovereign power that may impose its will and
determine its own rule, such men have suspended individual rights
and guarantees and silenced, by dint of their bayonets, all
public media, abolished the agencies of the State, and set up a
military junta."
"These events must be evaluated in the light of Article 2 of the
nation's Constitution which clearly provides that the public power
emanAtes solely and exclusively from the people and that it is
exercised through legislative, executive and judicial agencies.
Conse uentl any act by an organization, institution or group other
than those-authorized under the national Constitution to exercise
the public power is illegal and a flagrant violation of the basic
principles underlying the democratic system,"
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:When the constitutional government of 1968 is restored by the suppressed
people of Panama, and they are diligently trying to do so, Lt. Col. Omar
Torrijos will be stripped of his Lt. Col. rank and tried for treason,
murder, fraud, theft, and narcotics violations.
As you know, the Russians have long wanted to control all the main,water-
ways in their maritime strategy of dominating the major canals of the
world of which the most important is the Panama Canal. That is why they
organized the Communist Party of Panama in 1930 with 2 primary objectives:
I. To gain control over the Republic of Panama from within with the help
of the armed forces.
2. To gain control over the sovereignty of the U.S. Canal Zone through
worldwide anti-U.S. propaganda, treaty negotiations, or by force.
They accomplished their first objective on Oct. Ilth, 1968, when they over-
threw the anti-Communist President, Dr. Arnulfo Arias, a good friend of the
United States and the free world. As for their second objective, the anti-
U.S. propaganda was initiated immediately with the help of Major Manuel
"Barba roja" Pifeiro, Castro's chief of intelligence:-and propaganda for
overseas organizations, who arrived in Panama on January 18th, 1969. The
treaty negotiations are being used by Tack and Torrijos solely for propag-
anda purposes as they know that the U.S. Senate would never ratify a treaty
with their non-constitutional regime. Concerning the use of force, as you
know Torrijos has publicly said many times that this will happen.
I cannot forget my meeting with Secretary Dulles when he came to Panama with
President Eisenhower in July, 1956. On July 22nd, in the patio of the El
Panama Hotel, I told him in detail the danger that faced the U.S. if steps
were not immediately taken to counteract the subversive strategy of the
Panamanian Communist Party in their primary objective of converting many
of the officers and enlisted men into the Communist fold. I further told
the Secretary that when the Communists felt they had control of the National
M-ard, they would then grab the nation. explained to him that Ted Shannon,
the CIA agent in Panama,, and the intelligence agencies in the Zone, were
aware of what the Communists were trying to do but I felt that more counter
action and more intelligence should be formulated as I knew the strength
of those who controlled the Communist Party in Panama. All of this unfort-
unately became history on Oct. Ilth, 1968, when Panama fell to the Reds.
We should not forget what Secretary Dulles said publicly on June 30th, 1954,
after the Guatemalan people with the help of the CIA, toppled their leftist
head of government, Jacobo Arbenz, that could be applied to Panama today:
"Guatemala is a small country. But its power, standing alone, is not
a measure of the threat. It was not the power of the Arbenz govern-
ment that concerned us but e power ehin it."
ca.: James R. Schlesinger
Howard Callaway
David S. Parker
William Rosson
Henry A. Kissinger
Ever sincerely,
`em'u! 4+"U41w?
Phillip Harman
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