March 28, 1974
Page 8681
AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE – AMENDMENT
AMENDMENT NO. 1117
(Ordered to be printed, and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.)
U.S. AMBASSADORS
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, 2 months ago our relations with Thailand were severely strained as a result of CIA meddling in Thailand's internal affairs without the knowledge, much less the approval, of the new American Ambassador, William Kinter. To add to the embarrassment, the Ambassador happened to be an ex-employee of the CIA.
This is not the first time an American Ambassador has been surprised to learn of free-wheeling activities by agencies which the Ambassador is, in theory, supposed to control. For every incident reported in the press, it is likely there are many unreported situations where the Ambassador has been kept in the dark about U.S. Government activities he should have known about. Four years ago, for example, the FBI office in Paris was instrumental in bugging or tapping columnist Joseph Kraft while he was in France. The American Ambassador at the time – along with Mr. Kraft and the rest of the American people – found out about it only last year through the press.
On Harry Truman's desk was a sign which read: "The Buck Stops Here." The amendment I am introducing today stops the in-country buck with the Ambassador. It would. vest in him responsibility for the activities of all U.S. agencies within his country and would make those agencies responsible to the Ambassador – with the single exception of military operational commands.
The text of the legislation, which I plan to offer within the Foreign Relations Committee as an amendment to the fiscal year 1975 State Department authorizations bill, is derived from President Nixon's letter of December 9, 1969, concerning the responsibilities of Ambassadors. It is but a restatement of a similar letter sent by the late President Kennedy to all American Ambassadors. Since neither letter had the force of law, all too often these Presidential directives have been ignored, both by Ambassadors and by aggressive or ambitious representatives of other agencies.
I believe that approval of this legislation will do much to bring about a unified voice for our country abroad and end the recurring breakdowns of command and control in our country's official overseas establishments. It will provide backbone for the Ambassador where backbone is needed and induce much-needed caution on the part of other agencies when caution is called for.
Any agency acting without the Ambassador's knowledge and consent will act at its own peril.
And the Ambassador acts at his peril if he fails to stay informed, in command, and in control.
It is high time for Congress to assign full responsibility to the Ambassador – by law – for all U.S. operations within his country and, in turn, to make all American departments and agencies responsible to the Ambassador. Mr. President, at this time I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD the text of the amendment.
There being no objection, the amendment was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
AMENDMENT No. 1117
At the end of the bill, add the following new section:
AUTHORITY OF AMBASSADORS
SEC. 7. The Act entitled "An Act to provide certain basic authority for the Department of State", approved August 1, 1956, as amended, is further amended by adding at the end thereof the following new section:
"SEC. 16. (a) The United States Ambassador to a foreign country shall have full responsibility for the direction, coordination, and supervision of all United States Government officers and employees in that country, except for personnel under the command of a United States area military commander.
"(b) The Ambassador shall keep himself fully and currently informed with respect to all activities and operations of the United States Government within that country. He shall insure that all Government officers and employees in that country, except for personnel under the command of a United States area military commander, comply fully with his directives.
"(c) Any department or agency having officers or employees in a country shall keep the United States Ambassador to that country fully, and currently informed with respect to all activities and operations of its officers and employees in that country. The department or agency shall also insure that all of its officers and employees, except for personnel under the command of a United States area military commander, comply fully with all applicable directives of the Ambassador."