891.105A/5–1048: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Iran
444. We still think it desirable that Iranian Govt should reply to Feb 7 note before we take further action concerning Military Mission Agreements, particularly in view of position stated by Emb (urtel 423, Apr. 221) and reiterated by Dept (Deptel 371, Apr. 262), At same time, we recognize difficulty of obtaining satisfactorily phrased reply (urtel 468, May 3 and Deptel 397, May 43). We are, therefore, willing to leave to your discretion choice of procedure (urtel 512, May 102) to be followed in deleting executive function from Gendarmerie Agreement and timing departure of Schwarzkopf. It is to be expected, however, that command authority will actually be restored to and exercised by Schwarzkopf for reasonable period (say, two weeks) before executive function is deleted from Mission Agreement and that Schwarzkopf will be accorded appropriate honors before his departure (urtel 491, May 62).
In note which you contemplate addressing to Iranian Govt, you might state that, in view of stage of organization which Gendarmerie has attained as result of Gen Schwarzkopf’s leadership of US Mission, and in view of necessity of US transferring Gen Schwarzkopf to other important duties, US Govt proposes that, if agreeable to Iranian Govt, Article 20 of Gendarmerie Agreement be amended to stipulate Gendarmerie Mission exercise of advisory functions only.
Army is arranging arrival of replacement for Schwarzkopf so timed as to obviate necessity for appointment anyone as Acting Chief of Mission.
State and Army agree that Schwarzkopf visit to Wash for consultation before reassignment will be most helpful (urtel 506, May 82).