Panama Update Archives

TEST TUBE REPUBLIC:
Chemical Weapons Tests in Panama
and U.S. Responsibility
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Brief History of Chemical Weapons Programs in Panama
         A. Canal Defense (1923-1946)
         B. San Jose Project (1943-1947)
         C. Chemical Tests in the 1950s
         D. Nerve Agent Tests
         E. Post-1968 Activity
III. Storage of Chemical Agents and Munitions
IV. Chemical Weapons Tests
         A. Fort Clayton, 1941
         B. San Jose Project Tests
         C. Notes on Tests with Human and Animal Subjects
         D. Post-1950s Tests
V. Disposal of Chemical Agents and Munitions
VI. Potential Long-Term Dangers Posed by Abandoned Chemical Weapons
VII. Information and Documents on Chemical Weapons: The U.S. Record
VIII. Legal Obligations
IX. Alleged development of biological agents in Panama
X. Conclusions and Recommendations
Appendices:
         A. Chemical Weapons Activities in Panama, by Site
         B. San Jose Project Munitions List
         C. Map of San Jose Island
         D. Armed Forces Chemical Journal, January 1949,
         "The San Jose Project Moves."
         E. Office of the Secretary of Defense, Memorandum
         regarding San Jose Island, December 19, 1979.
         F. Photos of chemical weapons in Rio Hato and of
         human subjects from chemical weapons tests (1945)
Endnotes

A Report Produced by the Fellowship of Reconciliation with the participation of:
         Chemical Weapons Working Group
         Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund
         Greenpeace
         Panamanian Center for Research and Social Action (CEASPA)
         Center for Latin American Studies (CELA)

This report was authored by John Lindsay-Poland of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, with the active collaboration of Sarah Town (FOR), Elizabeth Crowe (Chemical Weapons Working Group), Martin Wagner and Neil Popovic (Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund), Jesús Alemancia (CEASPA), and Tom Clements (Greenpeace USA). The legal section was drafted by Neil Popovic and Martin Wagner. The report was translated into Spanish by Gina Sánchez of Greenpeace-Central America.

Fellowship of Reconciliation
Panama Campaign
Produced by the Fellowship of Reconciliation Task Force on Latin America and the Caribbean
995 Market St. #801, San Francisco, CA 94103
Tel: (415) 495-6334, Fax: (415) 495-5628
E-mail: forlatam@igc.apc.org

Last updated July 31, 1998. NVWeb, Philadelphia USA