U.S. Stance Against Noriega Wins Backing by 11 Nations; OAS to Meet

WASHINGTON —  The Bush Administration claimed an early advantage Friday in its contest with Panamanian strongman Manuel A. Noriega for international diplomatic support.

Also on Friday, the Pentagon said newly arrived U.S. troops will travel in armed convoys on Panama’s highways with orders to defend themselves if attacked.

White House National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft said the Administration is content for the time being to follow the strategy of diplomatic and military pressure that President Bush announced Thursday after Noriega’s regime nullified Sunday’s disputed election.

However, Scowcroft said other steps might be tried later if Noriega retains his grip on power.

‘Situation Under Review’

“There are a lot of things that we could do,” Scowcroft told reporters aboard Bush’s Air Force One on a flight to College Station, Tex., where the President the commencement address as Texas A&M.; “We will have the whole situation under review constantly. There are more options that one could consider. . . . We’ve looked over the range of things, and we’ve picked a package we think suits the situation.”

The State Department said that at least 11 nations and two multinational organizations have condemned Noriega for attempting to steal the election in favor of his preferred candidate. Noriega, who heads the Panama Defense Forces, is his nation’s de facto ruler.

In perhaps the most telling diplomatic event, Japan issued a statement denouncing irregularities in Sunday’s presidential election and the ensuing violent attacks on opposition political leaders. Japan, which is Panama’s most significant trading partner, had never before publicly criticized the Noriega regime.

Japanese Ambassador Jumpei Kato delivered a note to opposition presidential candidate Guillermo Endara that described the regime’s actions as “inadmissible in a civilized society.”

Also on Friday, the Organization of American States approved an American-backed proposal for an emergency foreign ministers’ meeting next week to consider the implications of the election and its violent aftermath.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said: “Foreign reaction continues to strongly condemn developments in Panama. Peru has issued a second statement condemning the annulment of the elections. . . . President Oscar Arias (Sanchez) of Costa Rica has said the Panamanian people were betrayed. . . .

“By latest count, I note 11 individual countries, in addition to the United States, have issued individual statements. In addition, Colombia made a statement on behalf of the Group of Eight (Latin American nations), and the European Community’s 12 nations have issued a statement.”

As the vanguard of nearly 1,900 new U.S. troops began to arrive in Panama, Richard L. Armitage, acting assistant defense secretary for international security affairs, said the soldiers and Marines will not engage in provocative action but will not be confined to U.S. military bases, either.

“If (American troops) have to get from Point A to Point B, they’ll do so in military fashion, without straggling,” said Armitage, the Administration’s nominee for Army secretary. “These guys won’t be looking for trouble or causing trouble. But if the PDF (Panama Defense Forces) causes trouble, these forces are the best suited to respond.

“If Noriega or his thugs are pestering or hurting American citizens, these forces will be there to go out and clean up the situation,” he added.

Carrier in Atlantic

Meanwhile, the aircraft carrier America steamed in the Atlantic less than 500 miles off the East Coast. The ship, which left its home port of Norfolk, Va., on Thursday, is bound for the Indian Ocean, but officials have stressed that it could be diverted to Panama on short notice as long as it remains in the Western Hemisphere.

The America carries a total of 40 planes capable of bombing strikes, as well as helicopters and planes that could be used to evacuate American civilians.

In Panama, Noriega reacted with defiance. But there were persistent rumors that he will ultimately accept asylum, perhaps in Spain, in exchange for his departure from Panama. Asked if the United States has discussed such a deal with Spanish authorities, Scowcroft said after a long pause: “I don’t want to get into specifics, but we have been talking to a number of our allies.”

Noriega rejected just such a deal last year because U.S. negotiators refused to promise to dismiss drug charges that are pending against him in Florida. Bush said Thursday that the indictments will not be dismissed, although he hinted at a possible compromise during his press conference, saying, “But look, I will be open-minded about seeing what it might take to see him leave.”

Boucher said half the staff at the U.S. Embassy in Panama City has been brought home and that all remaining staff members and their families have moved into secure housing on U.S. military bases. He said the U.S. government is urging Americans to avoid travel to Panama and advising Americans traveling on ships through the Panama Canal to remain aboard their vessels at all times.

‘Serious Crisis’

In unanimously approving a Venezuelan-backed resolution, the 31 member nations of the Organization of American States called for a foreign ministers’ meeting Wednesday to debate the “serious crisis in Panama in its international context.”

Panamanian representative Carlos Russell, backed by Nicaragua, voted for the debate, although he said the organization should consider the issue of U.S. “intervention” in Sunday’s election through clandestine funding of the opposition.

Other delegates openly attacked the Noriega regime. For instance, Jamaica’s ambassador, Keith Johnson, declared, “The world has witnessed an absolute betrayal of the democratic rights of the Panamanian people . . . a blatant rape of democracy.”

Boucher refused to say what the OAS--which has no enforcement powers--could accomplish. But, he said, “We believe it’s very critical for the OAS to speak out in one voice in support of the democratic aspirations of the Panamanian people.”

Times staff writers Don Shannon, in Washington, and James Gerstenzang, in College Station, contributed to this story.