Operation Just Cause, the United States' incursion into Panama, was the culmination of a gradually escalating confrontation between the United States and the Noriega dominated government of Panama that extended from June, 1987 until early January, 1990. This book analyzes the crisis from the perspective of the US, Canadian, French, Arab, and more.

List of Figure and Tables, List of Contributors, Foreword, Introduction, Part I: The Context, 1. Ousting Noriega from Power: Setting the Stage for a Crisis, Part II: US Perspectives, 2. The Rationale for War: Operation Just Cause, 3. American Newspaper Coverage of the US Invasion of Panama: Neither Cheerleaders nor Critics but a Little Bit of Both, Part III: Soviet Perspectives, 4. Soviet Media Perspectives on the Crisis in Panama, 1987–1990: A Case Study of the Application of Propaganda Techniques, Part IV: Western Perspectives, 5. Canada and the Invasion of Panama: Perceptions of the Print Media, 6. The Manhunt for the Narco-Tyrant or the Panama Invasion in the French Press, 7. Just Cause? Portuguese Media Portrayal of the US Intervention in Panama, Part V: Non-Western Perspectives, 8. The Panama Crisis in the Arabic Media: The Internationalization of Fears and Grievances, 9. The American Invasion of Panama in the Chinese Media, Conclusions: The Crisis in Panama and the US Response, 10. Global Media Engagement: Lessons From Operation Just Cause, 11. An Assessment of the Implications of Operation Just Cause for Inter-American and International Relations, Index

'News coverage of the 1989 US military intervention in Panama was influential in shaping global perceptions of America's role in the world. This volume's authors provide a thorough and thoughtful analysis of how the news media around the world reported this event, and offer an important new perspective on a crucial time in international political history.' Philip Seib, University of Southern California, USA 'Among the prerequisites for crafting an effective foreign policy is understanding how others will interpret one's behavior. This book contains a set of lucid, detailed analyses of how the media in various countries covered the confrontation between the United States and Panama which culminated in Operation Just Cause. For anyone seeking penetrating insights into how other countries perceive American actions or a sophisticated examination of the various roles the media play in foreign policy-making, this collection of meticulous studies is required reading.' Gregory A. Raymond, Boise State University, US A 'A must read book on global media perspectives of Operation Just Cause and the U.S. relationship with Panama’s Manuel Noriega. Having worked for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1987, it was like reliving the events with greater historical understanding. Hensel and Michaud are experts at bringing history and foreign policy to life.' Napoleon Byars, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA 'The diversity of national perspectives in the news is an intriguing topic but a difficult one to analyze. This valuable collection provides a broad spectrum of national perspectives on a single news event. It is a rare and highly commendable comparative media analysis in the variety of disciplinary and methodological approaches it uses and the regional area specializations of the authors.' Elizabeth C. Hanson, University of Connecticut, USA