Operation of Nifty Package
Introduction
Operation Nifty Package was a historical military event whose objective was to capture Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega (Alberts et al., 1991). The enforcers of the operation were the United States Delta and Navy SEAL. The action was unique because, in the final stages leading up to the capture of Noriega, the Americans did not use force or military warfare. Noriega was crafty enough to seek refuge inside the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See, with the full knowledge that the US army could not attack the building. However, the US army was not about to give up on their quest. They employed psychological warfare to try and drive Noriega out of his safe place. These tactics involved the use of loud music, which disrupted much of the embassy’s activities.
Eventually, the ambassador, Papal Nuncio Monsignor Laboa, had had enough of the psychological torture and asked Noriega to surrender himself, lest he revokes his sanctuary. Noriega was left with no other choice but to give in to the demands, giving victory to the United States. However, despite the success, many people consider this moment as one of the lowest points in the history of the US army. The opinion comes from the fact that the military used unorthodox tactics that led to the harassment of innocent individuals such as the Papal Nuncio. This paper looks to analyze the operational art and design concepts that the Americans employed in the war that ended in victory for them.
Operational Art and Operational Design
Operational art is the mental line of attack employed by commanders and their staff aimed at the organization and employment of military forces. They achieve this by developing strategies, operations, and campaigns. The success of these operations depends on the individuals, knowledge, judgment, creativity, and experience. On the other hand, an operation design serves the purpose of reinforcing an operation to the point where the individuals execute the procedure successfully. The primary objective of an operation design is to identify any problems that may present themselves during the operation and find ways of overcoming these problems. The process involves collaborative efforts from all involved parties to help them achieved favorable results that would be beneficial to them. In combination, these two processes enhance the understanding of the operation, allowing all the procedures to flow smoothly up to the point that the people achieve the goal of their operation.
Nifty Package Operational Design
Identify the problem
This stage involves establishing the problem at hand and the other aspects concerning the issue. The challenge facing the people carrying out the operation was locating and apprehending the Panamanian leader, Manuel Noriega. His capture was essential because he was deeply involved in drug operations that threatened the lives of several individuals. Also, the drug deals meant that he was getting rich through illegal means. The dirty money meant that he posed a security threat to many individuals because he was capable of funding terrorist operations due to a large number of funds at his disposal.
The soldiers taking part in this operation had to face several obstacles. First, the man in question was in a different country (Henkin, 1991). Therefore, they would need to organize travel plans to be able to reach him. The United States did not have the authority to storm into another country and engage in warfare operations. In many states, this would come out as an act of provocation and may result in an enormous battle breaking out. Also, the soldiers were likely to face some form of resistance from the Panamanians because they were going after their leader. It is no secret that Noriega had a loyal following that consisted of a large number of his supporters. Therefore, the United States would have to deal with these people in their attempt to capture the leader. Given his wealth accumulated from illegal activities, it is likely that Noriega had a significant influence over the people of Panama. Therefore, the United States army would have to come up with an elaborate plan that would help them effectively overcome these obstacles.
Despite the numerous challenges that they were likely to face in their quest, some opportunities presented themselves. These opportunities would help them achieve success in their mission. They had far many superior weapons than the Panamanians. Therefore, in the case of resistance, they would have easily won the resulting battle due to their military prowess. Also, the cartel activities that Noriega engaged may have angered several individuals within the country (Quiqley, 1990).
Consequently, they would not have a problem surrendering him to the Americans for capture. For instance, Monsignor Laboa was supposedly responsible for protecting Noriega as he hid in the building. However, he secretly wrote a letter to the Americans, permitting them to storm into the building to collect Noriega should they feel that he posed a significant threat.
The enemy, in this case, was Manuel Noriega. His main objective was to stay as far away from the United States army as possible. They were the only group that posed a threat to his illegal operations. Therefore, by effectively avoiding them, he could continue his illicit activities and keep getting richer at the expense of other individuals in the nation of Panama.
Where we are
This stage involves the identification of the scenario and situation that the army group is currently facing. This procedure aims at ensuring that everyone in the group is on the same page. Getting everyone on the same page is crucial because it provides coordination and cooperation among the involved parties. These two aspects play an essential role in ensuring the smoothness of the operation. The leaders go through all the procedures, allowing the participants to ask questions where necessary. Consequently, they work together like a well-oiled machine once they get onto the battle-field.
For Operation Nifty, the commanders had to ensure that the soldiers knew that their visit to Panama was not intended to result in any deaths. Their main objective was to capture Manuel Noriega alive so that he could face trial for his crimes. Death would only be an option as a last resort, for example, in cases when the enemy attacks first, and the soldier has to defend himself.
Where do we want to go?
The operation required that the soldiers move to Panama to capture the corrupt leader effectively. Their first stop would be Punta Paitilla Airport in Panama City. Their objective here was to destroy Manuel’s private jet. This move would have effectively eliminated any chance of Noriega making a quick escape. Part of the team fell into groups. The groups positioned themselves north of the airport. The position was strategic so that they could provide updates to their colleagues concerning enemy movements. This information would be essential in helping the soldiers prepare to handle any obstacles that may have come their way.
Once they had begun their operation, they found an obstacle that prevented them from making immediate progress. Manuel took refuge in a holy building, making it impossible for the United States to strike. They had not foreseen this scenario in their planning. Therefore, a new location had popped up, and they had to devise a way to reach the area without harming innocent people. Also, they needed to be careful as they went about their operations because they did not want to start a public outrage. As a result, they had an additional stop in their plan. They had to think quickly to come up with a solution that would not render their long travel useless.
Ends, Ways, and Means
Ends
The primary objective of the mission was to capture Manuel Noriega and take him back to the United States so that he could face trial for his crimes. Some of the charges against him included money laundering, racketeering, and drug smuggling (Kash, 1993). For the operational to be successful, the Americans had to attack swiftly, relying on the element of surprise to help them in their mission to capture the leader, whom many described as a dictator. Failure to rely on surprise would have resulted in the man running away due to his significant influence and many connections. It was crucial to first destroy hi private jet before making any move towards him.
Ways
This procedure involves finding the centers of gravity. A center of gravity, in this case, refers to a source of power that avails moral and physical strength. The outcome of the operation is entirely dependent on these features. Therefore, the COGs may either favor or hinder the process. The significant fact that was in favor of the US army was their evident advantage over the Panamanians in terms of weapon superiority. Also, they had some degree of support from the citizens who considered his leadership a dictatorship (D’amato, 1990). They were not pleased with his actions, and they would have been happy to see him taken away for trial. These were some of the critical points that would facilitate the Americans’ triumphant entry into Panama in their attempt to fish out the man and have him face the consequences of his actions.
Having put all these factors into consideration, the United States Army came up with an elaborate design to infiltrate the country and get the man out. The plan was designed to be casualty-free, with no deaths, if possible. Their only interest was Manuel Noriega. If they could manage to get to him as fast as possible, they would pick him up and continue their operations without disrupting other individuals in the nation.
Ways
The United States army planned to use an approach that was as diplomatic as possible. They aimed to get Noriega and arrest him without causing any damage to the city of Panama. They did not plan on using military warfare unless it became essential to do so. They had a wide range of resources at their disposal if the need for them arose. However, their quest took a challenging turn when Noriega sought refuge in a religious house (Gilboa, 1995). The house was full of holy and innocent people. Therefore, the United States Army could not storm in and disturb their peace, yet they had not done anything to prove the Americans. They had not done any crime that warranted the intervention of the Americans.
Therefore, the Americans had to come up with a different plan, a plan that would not spark worldwide outrage again them. They resorted to psychological warfare. Their weapon of choice was mental torture, where they decided to play loud music near the premises of the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See. The noise was very uncomfortable for those in the building. Eventually, they had had enough, and they asked Noriega to give himself up to the Americans, or else they would relocate and leave him alone in the building.
Noriega had no other choice but to give himself into the Americans. They took him into their custody and returned him to the United States, where he faced trial for his numerous crimes (Corn & Finegan 2010).
Conclusion
Operation Nifty package resulted in the successful capture of Manuel Noriega. The Americans got hold of him and took him to their country to face trial. The operation resulted in very little damage in Panama, with the most notable feature being the destruction of Noriega’s private jet. After his successful capture, both Americans and Panamanians experienced spells of joy. The Panamanians were particularly happy because they had witnessed the end of an oppressive regime from a dictator (Julian, 1991). They could finally elect a leader of their own who would have their best interests at heart.
Despite the positive result of the operation, the US army received criticism for its tactics that involved torturing the Papal Nuncio psychologically. However, information later emerged that the Nuncio played with the psychology of Noriega to have him surrender himself to the Americans. He went ahead to refer to himself as being better at psychology. This information suggests that the adverse effects on him were not that great.
References
Alberts, D. W., Code, A. F. N., & Code, B. O. N. (1991). The United States Invasion of Panama: Unilateral Military Intervention to Effectuate a Change in Government–a Continuum of Lawfulness. Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems, 1, 261-312.
Corn, G. S., & Finegan, S. G. (2010). America’s Longest Held Prisoner of War: Lessons Learned from the Capture, Prosecution, and Extradition of General Manuel Noriega. La. L. Rev., 71, 1111.
D’amato, A. (1990). The invasion of Panama was a lawful response to tyranny. American Journal of International Law, 84(2), 516-524.
Gilboa, E. (1995). The Panama invasion revisited: lessons for the use of force in the Post Cold War Era. Political Science Quarterly, 110(4), 539-562.
Henkin, L. (1991). The invasion of Panama under international law: a gross violation. Colum. J. Transnat’l L., 29, 293.
Julian, J. W. (1991). Noriega: The Capture of a State Leader and Its Implications on Domestic Law. AFL, Rev., 34, 153.
Kash, D. (1993). The Capture of Manuel Antonio Noriega: A Legal Analysis. Touro J. Transnat’l L., 4, 251.
Quigley, J. (1990). The legality of the United States invasion of Panama. Yale J. Int’l L., 15, 276.