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Operation Nifty Package was a United States Navy SEALs-operated plan conducted in 1989 designed to capture Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. When Noriega took refuge in the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See (diplomatic quarter), deafening music and other psychological warfare tactics were used to convince him to exit and surrender himself. The United States claimed that after ten days of psychological harassment, the Papal Nuncio (ambassador) Monsignor Laboa had threatened to revoke Noriega's sanctuary if he didn't surrender to the United States, although Laboa insisted that he had made no threats of revoking the right of asylum under the Church, but had used his own "precisely calibrated psychological campaign" to force Noriega's departure.〔New York Times, "The Noriega Case: Panama City; Papal Envoy Asserts Psychology, Not Ultimatum, Swayed Noriega," January 6, 1990〕 Although the operation was successful, National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft would later point to the psychological harassment of the Papal Nuncio as "a low moment in US Army history," noting that their approach had been silly, reproachable and undignified.〔Bose, Meenekshi. "From Cold War to New World Order: The Foreign Policy of George H. W. Bush," Page 181〕 ==Military execution== Executed in the starting hours of Operation Just Cause, this operation was handled by SEAL Team 4. Consisting of 48 U.S. Navy SEALs (three SEAL Platoons), this SEAL Team was tasked with destroying Noriega's private jet on the ground at the Punta Paitilla Airport, a coastal airport in Panama City. The SEALS challenged a pair of Panamanian soldiers they saw at the airfield, causing them to flee into a nearby hangar; AO1 Donald G. Smith Jr., LT. Cmdr John Connors led the ensuing gun battle which killed four SEALS and wounded eight more.〔Hagerman, Bart. "USA Airborne: 50th Anniversary," Page 154〕 Despite the casualties, a well-aimed AT4 rocket destroyed Noriega's plane, resulting in the mission's strategic success. Another Navy SEAL group, consisting of four divers and men on Zodiac attack boats, was assigned to sabotage Noriega's heavily armed gunboat while it was tied to a pier on the canal. The four divers swam in the canal while being attacked with Panamanian grenades. They also had to avoid a boat that was a suspected Soviet intelligence vessel. Two of the divers descended to the bottom of the canal, beyond the maximum operating limit of their breathing units, and, with two bombs, successfully destroyed Noriega's gunboat. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Operation Nifty Package」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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