In December 1989 US Army forces, supported by the US Air Force and US Navy, participated in Operation "Just Cause"--the invasion of Panama. A combination of airborne, helicopter and ground assaults quickly secured key objectives and eliminated organized resistance. Beginning with a brief history of US-Panama relations and the development of the Panamanian Defense Forces, this book focuses principally on the military aspects of Operation "Just Cause", and ends with a summary of the conflict"s aftermath. Numerous photographs, and detailed color plates depict the actions of the armed forces units that executed this difficult, and controversial, operation.