Operation "Just Cause"

The Human Cost of Military Action in Panama

In February 1990, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) sent a team of three physicians to Panama to investigate the medical and psychological consequences of the U.S. invasion in December 1989. We did so because we believe that the American and world public has a right to know the human costs of the conflict.

In December 1989, the United States invaded Panama and ousted General Manuel Noriega. United States military officials immediately heralded the invasion as a surgical strike. In January 1990 they announced official totals of 201 Panamanian deaths, 314 Panamanian military deaths and 23 U.S. military deaths. Since the invasion, however, the accounting of Panamanian civilian deaths has been the subject of considerable dispute, with estimates ranging as high as 4,000 civilian dead. Similarly, the official number of Panamanian military deaths also has been disputed, with less than one sixth of the U.S. total confirmed by the Panamanian govemment. International humanitarian law sets standards that limit the use of force harmful to civilians during armed conflict. The rule of proportionality prohibits attacks against a military objective when injury to civilians is likely to be disproportionate to the anticipated military gain.

Table of Contents [136KB, in PDF format]
Introduction [629KB, in PDF format]
Casualties [588KB, in PDF format]
Fate of Displaced Persons [381KB, in PDF format]
Interviews with Victims [450KB, in PDF format]
Conclusion [334KB, in PDF format]

Full Report - 2.5 MB (link below)

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