Fhis sets the stage For an extraordinary a promise from us to help clean exchange between the NSC and Noriega up his Noriega sl image' and a Alter the New Yortlc Times story other commitment to tilt our loan on FMS press coverage at Noriega s criminal Foreign Military Sales to the activities sprouts like mushrooms otter Panamanian Deiense Force he - rain Noriega needs public relations help would undertake to take care at so who does he coIIE the White House the Sandinista leadership for us On August 23 i986 Oliver North writes his boss Adm John Poindexter You will recall that over the years Manuel Noriega i I fpu I in Panama and have developed a Fairly Reply to note at 5 08 35 to 900d relationship North describes an i 05 01 1 It 3021 5 overture tram Noriega in exchange for 3 ject ran I - - eICiFlsulnou till recall that an the years HanueL_Horiega Pane ann J have developed a tairly good relationship It has Noriega tho had Bid no that id be uilling to accept harcos a plan that got tooled up a bungled approach to elYallea Last night Noriega called and asked irtaunts - a respected Cuban Inerican' the president of a be outlined ioriega's '31 qu in Plorida Ho ties in this warning and oposal In excha age for a pro-Lise from us to 'hElp clean up his $013129 Fugue and a con-i nent to litt our ban on EH5 sales to the Fanananian Deleose I lj hectare to intake care at the Sandinista leadership for us I told the lessen-gal that such actions hare torhidden hr our lane and ne to in place in Hicaragua that couid lat loriega had numerous asae accolpli h Ian things that Id be essential and that otter all noriega had helped as u the operation last fear that resulted in the arsenal 9x9105ion and fire in Hanagua and that age nan aura of these kind at actions a contra victory has not of the question I thanked the emissary for his asnaqe and told hit that In ad our back to hit- aaissar toio_ne huuz go eiractlr t it there back that his instructions Here lilited to delivering the leg to In I have checked our friends who ran the anagua up and they not intern at but had not at the ting that they diinih sed ese a_PanaIanian civilian ordnance expert as tho eane of access to the facility Interesting a sense 15 that this 15 a potentiallf very useful avenue but one'ehich Id have to he very carefully handled 5 heating a unriega enuld not he held on his turf - the potential for recording the'neeting is too great you till recall that he has head of intelligence for the en aerate been-ling Hr last are onxeqei_ June on a boat on the Pate-ac lorieqa travels frequentll 5 Europe tor and a lEutinq could be arranged to coincide if one my sense is that this offer in sinceteg 35 indeed hilitiee proffered and that the cost could be borne hr tloned if other tr activities do indeed loriega refuses to deal a the all He countered Lludji- 1- uas 1 Line at yea other trips- have the cape Denacracy the tiqure or 51 has no nroceed as planned It as in the East iight have available a very etrectiva very secure leans of doing sane of the lhings'whioh lust he done if the licaragua project is going to enacted The -af it is being approached not these kind of internal actions I111 not aterialize until late nort year - far too late to be effective oheh they are oeded BOV- The Praposol seals sound to la and I believe IE could take the arrange-eats v reasonable DEERE and deniahilit Reg advise This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu