I see that Manuel Noriega is due for release soon, at least that’s what the Federal Bureau of Prisons web site says. It’s always so hard for prisoners to make the transition from prison life to “real” life, especially when we consider the employment prospects of ex-cons, which are not good. Perhaps the Bush administration can use Senor Noriega’s “talents”—crushing opposition, looking out for American interests (until we got tired of him), and sucking up an endless supply of “foreign aid” from the US—in Iraq, where the supply of dependable US toadies is quite low.