The former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega died last week. What do you know about him and his relationship with the US?

The Guardian May 2017

How Manuel Noriega surrendered to music It was a Christmas miracle. On 25 December 1989, Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, who has died this week, sought refuge in the Papal Nunciatura (the Vatican’s embassy in

Panama). Noriega was facing a US indictment for narco-trafficking, as well as claims of electoral fraud. To smoke him out, General “Mad Max” Thurman ordered construction of a “musical barrier” around the embassy – constant barrages of sound played from the speakers of

encircling US army Humvees.

How Music Defeated Noriega reading

1/3

When facing a US indictment for narco-trafficking, Manuel Noriega sought refuge in the Vatican’s embassy in Panama. How did US forces get him to surrender? Read the first part of the article and check your ideas.

B

The first day was something of a truce – Christmas music.

But thereafter, things rapidly descended towards classic rock. Noriega was an opera fan. Instead of Verdi, he got a PSYOPS playlist that included Billy Idol’s Flesh for Fantasy, Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N’ Roses, God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood, We’re Not Going to Take It by Twisted Sister, several

songs by the Doors: Strange Days, People Are Strange, The End, War Pigs by Black Sabbath, Electric Spanking of War Babies by Funkadelic, and most worryingly of all: If I Had a Rocket Launcher by Bruce Cockburn. Faced with the sanity-destroying power of middle-American mallrat music, Noriega surrendered.

What do you think they played from the speakers? Read the next part of the article and check your ideas.

B

Which of the songs is most likely to make you surrender?b

Was this technique ever used again? Read the next part of the article and find out.B

At the time, President George Bush considered the tactic excessive, but use of it only grew. In 1993, the FBI turned its speakers on the Branch Davidians, a religious cult,

at the Waco siege in Texas. There, they skipped the metal for brain-frazzle eclecticism: Tibetan chants, bugle calls, Christmas carols, Nancy Sinatra’s These Boots Are

Made for Walkin’.

How Music Defeated Noriega reading

2/3

And it didn’t stop there. Discuss these questions and then read the next part of the article and check your ideas:

B

In grimmer circumstances, Justin Bieber has been used on loop to break down detainees in Guantánamo Bay. In Iraqi

jails, Barney the Dinosaur, Sesame Street and Metallica were used to culturally offend and sleep-deprive prisoners. Barney’s I Love You was a particular favourite – “I love you, you love me – we’re a happy family / With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you / Won’t you say you love me too?” – because it was what psyopers refer to as “futility

music”, inflicting such levels of banality that the suspect begins to feel apathy towards their own extremist positions. Others were more obvious morale-busters: Camp X-Ray’s wake-up call was once Born in the USA – though it’s unclear whether prisoners or guards understood its powerfully anti-Vietnam anti-Uncle Sam nuance.

1 Who was Justin Bieber used, on loop, to break down?2 What music was used to culturally offend and sleep-deprive prisoners in Iraqi jails?3 What does “futility music” do?4 Why might it seem strange that the wake-up call at Guantanamo Bay’s Camp X-Ray was once Born in the USA?

Despite doubts over how

effective it really is, the practice is now so widespread that, in 2008, various musicians including Rage Against the Machine and Massive Attack launched an initiative called ZerodB, to try to stamp it out. It’s a strange,

backhanded compliment to the emotion they put into their songs in the first place. The fact that music is so psychologically powerful means that, like a loaded gun, it can just as easily be turned to evil.

How have some musicians reacted to the practice? Read the final part of the article and find out.

B

What would be on your PSYOPS playlist?b

Find synonyms in the article for these words and expressions:V1 an event that cannot be explained according to the laws of nature and is considered to be an act of God

2 look for

3 a place where you go to protect yourself from something dangerous

4 an agreement between two people or groups of people to stop fighting for a short time

5 someone who likes something such as a sport, type of music, etc. very much

How Music Defeated Noriega reading

3/3

1 There was no trouble between the Manchester United and Ajax ___________ during the match.

2 The ______________ only lasted a week and fighting has started again.

3 I __________________ breakfast this morning and am very hungry now.

4 This weather is a ______________. It normally rains when we go for a picnic in England.

5 Mobile phone use is ____________________ even in developing countries.

6 He has some ______________ habits, like checking his mobile phone every minute.

7 The walkers _______________ ________________ from the rain in an abandoned house.

Complete these sentences with the words above:V

6 to not do something, but to do the next thing instead

7 happening or existing in many places, or affecting many people

8 unusual

________________ by a person and not a machine delivered privately and not by the public post

________________ in close association, jointly

________________ something given for free; a piece of printed information to accompany a lecture, class, etc.________________ giving personal and close attention

________________ not in control

hand in hand out of hand hands on by hand

There are other expressions in English with the word hand. Discuss what you think these mean and then match them to the definitions below:

handout

E What does the underlined word in this extract from the article mean?

The Guardian May 2017

It’s a strange, backhanded compliment to the emotion they put into their songs...

Match the expressions to these definitions:V

Write sentences using the idioms.Ve.g. The CEO and CFO work hand in hand. Internal mail in my company is delivered by hand.

How Music Defeated Noriega reading

student pages 3Teacher’s notes 1 low-intermediate+ (A2+)week of 05.06.17

Find synonyms in the article for these words and expressions:V1 miracle 2 seek 3 refuge 4 truce 5 fan 6 skip 7 widespread 8 strange

1 fans 2 truce3 skipped 4 miracle 5 widespread 6 strange 7 sought / refuge

Complete these sentences with the words above:V

E What does the underlined word in this extract from the article mean?backhanded = not direct or sincere

Match the expressions to these definitions:V

by hand by a person and not a machine; delivered privately and not by the public posthand in hand in close association, jointlyhandout something given for free; a piece of printed information to accompany a lecture, class, etc.hands on giving personal and close attentionout of hand not in control