I have been reading the Wikipedia articles "Iran–Contra affair" "Manuel Noriega" and "Invasion of Panama"
Manuel Antonio Noriega was listed as a participant on the Iran-Contra affair.
I quote from the USA Panama invasion wiki. :
In 1986, US President Ronald Reagan opened negotiations with General Noriega, requesting that the Panamanian leader step down after he was publicly exposed in The New York Times by Seymour Hersh, and later exposed in the Iran-Contra Scandal
So can you please tell me exactly what was his involvement with the affair?
Thank you very much.
I'm writing a summery of the invasion.
Since you have read the article about the Iran-Contra affair, I will assume you are familiar with the basic facts of arms sales to Iran, and diversion of some of the proceeds to arm and fund the Nicaraguan Contras.
Manuel Noriega was approached by the CIA because of his contacts in the narco-trafficking underworld; people with the means and expertise to smuggle drugs from South America to the United States, and weapons from around the world to the Cartels (or the Contras). A potential plan for the CIA to establish their own infrastructure to smuggle weapons to the Contras, unconnected to the drugs trade, was considered impractical because of the perceived need for immediate action.^1
Aside from weapons smuggling, Noriega was also called upon to provide Panamanian territory for a secret training facility for Contra rebels.^2
Noriega seems to have believed that cooperation in efforts against the Contras would result in the Reagan administration dropping their complaints about his involvement in the drug trade.
1- Lives, Lies and the Iran-Contra Affair by Ann Wroe. pp 109.
2- Divorcing the Dictator by Frederick Kempe. pp 164.