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THE PANAMA CANAL |
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The
MacNeil/Lehrer Report -- August 17, 1977
Debate over the future of the Panama Canal treaty continued, as President Jimmy Carter attempted to sway the two-thirds vote necessary for Senate ratification.
"Panama is a very weak, unstable country, and i don't think it could protect the canal," Thurmond said. "I would fear if this treaty gets in the hands of Panama, after several years it would end up in the hands of the Communists. I think that's very dangerous, we cannot take the chance. We must protect the security of the U.S. and the free world.
"We have confidence that our navy can prevent any ships from belligerent nations either arriving or suddenly getting away if they did traverse the canal," he said.
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On
one side was Republican Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who
headed the American Conservative Union Task Force to Defeat Ratification.
But
Lt. Gen. Welborn Dolvin, the Defense Department's Deputy Negotiator
in Panama, said he thought the military threat was minimal.