Music torture: How heavy metal broke Manuel Noriega
This article is a summary of reporting by BBC News. Originally published May 30, 2017.
During Operation Just Cause in late 1989, Manuel Noriega sought diplomatic refuge inside the Vatican's apostolic nunciature in Panama City. In an effort to force his surrender without storming sovereign diplomatic grounds, the U.S. military mounted massive loudspeakers outside the compound and blasted deafening rock and heavy metal music continuously. The psychological operation subjected Noriega and papal officials to unrelenting acoustic pressure for days. The standoff ultimately ended when Noriega surrendered to DEA agents and U.S. troops on January 3, 1990.
AI Summary
A retrospective look at the psychological warfare operation deployed by U.S. forces surrounding the Vatican embassy in Panama City in 1989.
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