In the twilight, it was difficult to know who was out there. But the 100 U.S. Marines guarding a military fuel depot near Howard Air Force Base in southern Panama were certain that the uniformed figures moving in the distance were up to no good. Sure enough, as darkness settled, shots rang out. The American sentries responded, firing into the dense jungle that surrounds the 800-acre Arraijan Tank Farm. For two hours, the Marines fired small arms and mortars. Miraculously, no one was hurt; the previous night, a smaller firefight had resulted in the accidental fatal shooting of a Marine. Could...
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