Our legacy

Perhaps one day this nation will appreciate what it has done and what it has become. It is easy to imagine that one day the Iraqis will celebrate, but not as Liberation Day.

Panama marks '89 invasion as day of 'national mourning'

The anniversary of the 1989 U.S. invasion was declared a day of "national mourning" by Panama's legislature, and it established a commission to determine how many people were killed when U.S. troops stormed the capital.

The measure was unanimously approved Thursday as Panama commemorated the 18th anniversary of the day thousands of troops landed to arrest dictator Manuel Noriega on drug charges.

"This is a recognition of those who fell on December 20 as a result of the cruel and unjust invasion by the most powerful army in the world," said Rep. Cesar Pardo of the governing Democratic Revolutionary Party, which holds a majority in the legislature.

The measure, which requires the approval of President Martin Torrijos, also calls for a monument to honor the dead, most likely in El Chorrillo neighborhood that was destroyed by bombs during the attack.

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