891.105A/6–1448
The Ambassador in Iran (Wiley) to the Iranian Foreign Minister (Nouri-Esfandiari)1
Excellency: I have the honor, with reference to the conversations which we have recently had relative to the United States Military Mission with the Imperial Iranian Gendarmerie, to inform Your Excellency that my Government is transferring the present Chief of Mission, Brigadier General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, to other: important duties. It is anticipated that he will be leaving Iran on or about June 20.
In view of the stage of organization which the Imperial Gendarmerie has attained as a result of General Schwarzkopf’s leadership of the mission, the Government of the United States proposes that, if agreeable to the Government of Iran, Article 20 of the agreement covering the assignment of the Gendarmerie Mission be amended upon [Page 151] General Schwarzkopf’s departure to provide that the command function now exercised by the Chief of Mission be deleted. The mission would thereby become advisory only.
I shall look forward to learning at an early date the views of the Iranian Government with regard to this proposal.2
Accept [etc.]
- Transmitted to the Department by the Ambassador in despatch 168, June 14.↩
- Ambassador Wiley, on June 29, received a note from the Iranian Foreign Office which replied to the American notes of February 7 (see first footnote 1, p. 107) and June 9. The reply expressed the concurrence of the Iranian Government with the note of June 9. The Ambassador and Colonel Pierce found the Iranian note “entirely acceptable”. Tehran transmitted these views and the text of the Iranian note in telegram 740, June 29, 3 p. m. (891.105A/6–2948)↩