World IN BRIEF : PANAMA : U.S. Issues Warning on Dissident Attacks

The U.S. State Department warned that it has unconfirmed reports that Panamanian dissidents may be planning attacks on public places in Panama. “Based on a bombing last year at the My Place bar, we are concerned that such an incident could again occur at bars, discos and other public gathering places, particularly those frequented by U.S. personnel and tourists,” State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in Washington. One U.S. official who asked not to be identified said it is believed that the dissidents associated with the current warning are criminal elements and not related to former Panamanian dictator Manuel A. Noriega, now on trial in Miami.