(AFP) PANAMA CITY — Eighteen nations on Friday wrapped up nearly two weeks of military exercises to defend the Panama Canal from mock terrorist attacks and other threats, the US Southern Command chief said. Sponsored by the United States, Panama and Chile -- the three top users of the canal -- the exercises began annually in 2002 and are key in safeguarding global and regional shipping lanes, General Douglas Fraser told a press conference. In Panamax 2010 the host country sought UN Security Council authorization for a US-led international military expedition to counter an attack on the canal by an international terrorist group bent on regional destabilization. Military and police forces from 18 countries took part in the exercises, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. They involved ground and sea operations, humanitarian aid distribution, response to natural catastrophes and fighting drug traffickers. Built in 1914, the Panama Canal was under US control until 1979, when it came under US-Panamanian administration. In 1999, Panama assumed total authority over the waterway that handles five percent of world shipping trade. Since its opening, nearly one million ships have passed through the canal's locks, providing Panama with 700-800 million dollars in revenue each year.   

The U.S. Embassy concurs with the decision of the Government of Panama to maintain the natural state of the Darien province, and to not explore the possibility of extending a road to the border with Colombia. "Taking into account the environmental hazards and national security, we welcome the Government's response to the issue of opening of the Darien," said a press release by the Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy, David R. Gilmour. He argued that keeping the Darien Gap closed benefits the Panamanian economy because it serves as a vital natural barrier that protects Panama, Central America, and North America from various diseases affecting livestock and public health, including foot and mouth disease and screwworm. These diseases are present in South America, but can not cross the natural barrier of Darien, while it remains in its natural state.

In 1972, the U.S. launched a multinational effort to eradicate the screwworm from the U.S. border to the Darien, working with Mexico and all Central American countries. Since 1997, the joint United States-Panama Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of screwworm (COPEG) has worked in Panama to eliminate this disease, which affects both humans and animals. Due to the success of this joint collaboration, Panama was declared free of screwworm in 2006. The elimination of this disease has brought benefits to the Panamanian economy of about $38 million dollars per year, particularly in the livestock industries. (Panama America)   

THE U.S. CONSULAR SECTION (AMERICAN CITIZEN SERVICES, FEDERAL BENEFITS, AND VISAS UNITS) WILL BE CLOSED ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2010, (ONE DAY ONLY) DUE TO ADMINISTRATIVE WORK. The Consular Section (including the American Citizen Services Unit) will be closed for administrative work on Wednesday, September 1, 2010. In the event of an emergency, please call 207-7000. On Thursday, September 2, 2010, the Consular Section will resume full operations with its regular schedule (please see http://panama.usembassy.gov)   

Xinhua - The Panamax military exercises, held every year by Panama and other countries, will be less grand this year due to the economic crisis, officials said Tuesday. As some countries are not able to send their vessels to the military drill due to the economic crisis, this year's exercises will not have war vessels, Jesus Rodriguez, assistant chief of the National Aeronaval Service, told the press. The exercises, which take place from Aug. 17 to 26, seek to improve the capacity ground, naval, air and special forces of the participating nations to respond to potential threats to the Panama Canal and humanitarian disasters. The Panamax is one of the largest multinational exercises hosted in the region, and operates under a United Nations resolution as Panama requested it, Rodriguez said. Eighteen countries will participate in this year's maneuvers in the vicinity of the canal, Colombia and in the U.S. states of Florida and Virginia.   

The purpose of the exercise, called PANAMAX 2010, is to enhance regional cooperation and exercise participating nations' ground, naval, air and special operators' ability to respond to threats to the Panama Canal and plan for a major humanitarian assistance and disaster relief event in the region. Co-sponsored by the Government of Panama and U.S. Southern Command, PANAMAX 2010 is one of the largest multinational maritime training exercises in the world, and is taking place in the waters off the coasts of Panama until August 27. Participants will conduct naval operations as a multinational task force responding to exercise scenarios ranging from a stabilization mission to disaster relief; scripted scenarios will address maritime operations skills essential to successfully countering 21st Century threats potentially encountered in today's maritime environment. (more)    Click Here To Read The Full Article (220 words)

Finmeccanica recently announced about EUR 180 million (about $234 million) in contracts from Panama to its subsidiaries SELEX Sistemi Integrati, AgustaWestland, and Telespazio. They will combine to offer Panama a one-stop cartography and coastal surveillance system. Cartography seems trivial, but surveillance and control systems need to start with accurate mapping. Telespazio’s subsidiary Telespazio Argentina will provide the digital cartography for the whole country to the Tommy Guardia National Geographic Institute. With digitized cartography in place, SELEX Sistemi Integrati will integrate and install the coastal monitoring system, building on integrated coastal surveillance and border control work with Italy, Jordan, Libya, and others. The final element will involve 6 AW139 medium twin helicopters “in various configurations” for the Panamanian National Aeronaval Service.

The orders grew out of a June 2010 bilateral framework agreement for security collaboration around organized crime and drug-trafficking, signed at the SICA summit by Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and Panama’s President Ricardo Martinelli. Finmeccanica Chairman and CEO Pier Francesco Guarguaglini believes this contract will create a showpiece example for the Central and South American region. Contracts for comprehensive border surveillance and security systems are becoming more lucrative, and competitors like Thales, EADS, and Boeing are working hard to establish those beachheads.   

PANAMA CITY, Panama (UPI) -- Panama has signed several deals with Italy's Finmeccanica to boost its homeland security. The deals include the development of a national security and surveillance system, the delivery of six helicopters and extensive satellite services, Finmeccanica said on its Web site. The contracts are worth around $230 million, the company said. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Panama's President Ricardo Martinelli jump-started the security cooperation at a summit of the Central American Integration System in June.

Under the agreement between both governments, Finmeccanica unit Selex Sistemi Integrati will implement in Panama a coastal monitoring and control system; space services unit Telespazio will provide digital cartography services covering all of Panama; and finally, unit AgustaWestland will supply six AW139 helicopters.   Click Here To Read The Full Article (299 words)

WASHINGTON. (EFE) The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations approved today, Tuesday, via voice vote the appointment of 33 ambassadors from the United States, including those designated for Colombia, Chile, Panama and Peru. Gathered in a room in the Capitol, the 14 members of the Committee approved at a special meeting the ambassadors appointed by U.S. President, Barack Obama, to represent the country in various nations of Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. "We have a long list of appointments this year ... this is a group of highly qualified professionals," said Committee chairman, Democrat John Kerry, at the beginning of the session. The list approved today includes Peter Michael McKinley, as the next US Ambassador to Colombia; Rose M. Likins, designated for Peru, Alejandro D. Wolff, for Chile, and Phyllis Powers, for Panamá. (La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: So ... is that it? Now that the Committee is done, they still have to be approved by the full Senate, right? It's a formality - she's über-qualified.   

By Tech. Sgt. Eric Petosky - New Horizons Panama 2010 Public Affairs - METETI, Panama (AFNS) -- More than a dozen Airmen and Marines from Task Force New Horizons spent a day with local children building rubber-band airplanes and playing games July 12 at the elementary school in Sansonsito, Panama. The servicemembers were a welcome addition to the day, said Lisbeth Acosta Corella, the school's director. "When the children found out the (U.S. servicemembers) were coming, they were very excited," she said through an interpreter. "Today, they are ecstatic, all are very happy (the servicemembers) came." The school invited parents and visitors to the school in preparation for a Panamanian national "Children's Holiday" July 18, Mrs. Corella explained. While school children played games and constructed the rubber-band planes, parents and teachers sold food to raise funds for activities during the upcoming holiday. "I like model airplanes," said 7-year-old Javier Brago, a student at Sansonsito. "I've never had one before, so I think I'm going to keep it."

Javier's enthusiasm was shared by Pfc. Juan Romero, a civil affairs Marine deployed from the 4th Civil Affairs Group in Washington, D.C, and Tech. Sgt. Dorothy Lanthier, a personnel specialist deployed from 177th Fighter Wing in Atlantic City, N.J. "The children seemed to like working with us to put the planes together," Sergeant Lanthier said, "and just to see their faces when they launched the planes made my day. It makes it so much easier to be away from my family to see that we're really making a difference here." Private Romero and the civil affairs Marines from the 4th CAG made the visit possible. As civil affairs specialists, the CAG Marines are the liaisons between the U.S. military and the local population. "Our mission in Panama is to interact with the local population, maximize the humanitarian impact of New Horizon Panama 2010," Private Romero said. "We visit the job sites and other schools in the area to assess different ways we can make a positive impact. These quick impact projects include things like setting up Internet access, donations and activities where U.S. servicemembers interact with local children.

Today's visit is just one of many -- designed not only educate local citizens about the New Horizons mission, but to forge relationships that go 'beyond the uniform," Private Romero said. New Horizons Panama 2010 is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored humanitarian assistance exercise designed to provide medical care and quality-of-life improvement projects for the people of Panama. Four schools and two medical clinics will be renovated by a force of Air Force and Army engineers. Additionally, five medical teams will deploy for two-week rotations in the towns of Chitre, Veraguas, and David to provide care in the fields of ophthalmology, ear, nose and throat surgery and dentistry.

   

The Vice President and Foreign Minister of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, said today his country has offered to help ease the diplomatic tension between Venezuela and Colombia, which he said may increase with the incoming government of president-elect Juan Manuel Santos. "The departure of President (Alvaro) Uribe, and the inauguration of president (elect Juan Manuel) Santos without any doubt creates a level of tension in relationships, and we want this to be handled through dialog and the normalization of the situation among all of the countries of the region," Varela told reporters. "Therefore Panama could play an important role in this dialog, seeking harmony and smooth relations between Colombia, Venezuela and the region," he added.

The new chapter of tension between Venezuela and Colombia, whose diplomatic and trade relations have been frozen for almost a year due to the decision of the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, began anew last week when the Colombian government said they have "evidence" of the presence of Colombian FARC guerrilla leaders in the neighboring nation. Following the Colombian complaints Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez recalled its ambassador in Bogotá, Gustavo Marquez, and announced he would not attend Santos' inauguration on 7 August 2010, and warned there could be a "break in bilateral relations."

Varela said on Friday, Santos will make a visit to Panama to meet with President Ricardo Martinelli. "We have (with Colombia) the closure of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement, safety issues, cooperation and trade, (so) our relations with president (elect) Santos will be smooth," he said. On the other hand, Varela said this week Martinelli will send "a formal letter of invitation for President Chavez to visit our country." Varela said Panama has "very important" connections and relations with Venezuela and reiterated that at this time his country "can play an important role in making a call for dialog between the sister countries of Colombia and Venezuela." (La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: "...and if Chavez doesn't see things our way, then we'll pop a cap and load his ass up with some bird shot, like we do with the rest of those left wing commie bastards..." The idea that this government of Panama could fill the role as a peace maker or arbitrator between Colombia and Venezuela is ludicrous - considering they just spent a couple of weeks stomping left wing radicals into the ground - you know, the people who think like Hugo Chavez. While he's here in Panama Hugo can check on his employees, SUNTRACS, FRENADESO, FER-29, and Balbina Herrera. Hey, everyone knows that Chavez is running coke through Cuba to the US, right? Just checking... He has the FARC in Caracas because, you know, they get the best blow. 'Alo, Presidente... (snort) Oh, and for the record - I think it's absolutely hilarious that one of the "screaming banshees" (a.k.a. the "future felon") has been reduced to reading my website every day, looking for ways to glean a little nugget here or there that he can try to use to spin a little attention for himself - a sorry mix of pathetic, nuts, and deplorable, all crammed into one little insignificant bag of crap. Apparently I'm his only source of entertainment. (Hey dude, there's pills for that...)