Panama beefs up security at canal
PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) — With the possibility of war growing in Iraq, Panama beefed up security at the US, Spanish and British embassies and at the Panama Canal, officials said yesterday.
Ramiro Jarvis, head of Panama’s National Security and Defence Council, moved the country up to medium state of alert for the first time since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The “level three” alert, the third-highest in a five-number scale, means more police patrols at strategic sites.
The United States, which protected the canal until 1999, is the route’s major user.
Panama abolished its army in 1990, replacing it with police and other security forces, which protect the canal alongside its private security personnel.