Diary Entry - 05/19/1988
Key Facts
President Reagan is interviewed by various foreign press - Finland, Germany, France, Italian, Japanese & British.
President and Mrs. Reagan attend the White House News Photographers Association Dinner.
Carlos Lehder Rivas, co-founder of Colombia's Medellin drug cartel, is convicted in Jacksonville, Florida of smuggling more than three tons of cocaine into the U.S.
As of last night Kozak in Panama had no reply to the ultimatum he delivered to Noriega—he plans to leave at 10 A.M. our time today & come home.
Then we talked about I.N.F.—things are looking up. Howard gives us a 70% chance of ratification.
A little talk about the trade bill & holding up my veto til the last minute.
I’m facing a bill on Vets remuneration for Cancer if they were in the forces at the testing in Nev. or based near Hiroshima & Nagasaki in W.W.II.
N.S.C.—Colin commented on the anti I.N.F. measure proposed by Jesse Helms—it was defeated 92 to 6 in the Sen.
Word came at 10:25 A.M. our time that Kozak was on his way to the plane when a messenger gave him word that Noriega has accepted our terms.
This was a cut up day—first I’m working out of the study, the Oval office is torn up for T.V. interviews I’m doing. A brief meeting on what to do about Noriega. Geo. Bush is back & feels very strongly that we shouldn’t quash N’s. indictment for Drug running even if it does result in his stepping down & out of Panama. My position is that since Panama law prohibits extradition the indictment is meaningless & if we dont follow through N. can stay in Panama as mil. dictator & we cant touch him.
Then I did an interview T.V. with half a dozen or so foreign press—Finland, Germany, France, Italian, Japanese & British. It went pretty well—it was for immediate use on their T.V.
Lunch turned out to be a hastily called meeting in Cab. room to go on about Noriega. A division of ranks supporting my position & the V.P.’s. Shultz was with me & I stuck by my decision.
Then after lunch an interview between me & 3 news magazines. A photo for a Finnish newspaper with which I’ve done a written interview. A photo for a Soviet News magazine. A meeting with Sen’s. Murkowski & Al Simmons [Simpson]—they prefer a veto on a veterans bill—Cancer again. I heard them out but believe I’ll sign.
Then the Blue Angels—17 of them came by for photos. They are going to do a fly over when we leave for the Summit Wed.
And then it was upstairs & tonite the photographers annual dinner. (Ray S. S.S.) told me one of our Arabian horses (“Alfi”) at the ranch broke a small bone in his knee & will be laid up for some time. The dinner was a great success. I did a slide show using photos plus a real comedy routine that got great laughs.
