U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UN NOMINEE

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP91-00901R000700060029-7
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
K
Document Page Count: 
2
Document Creation Date: 
December 16, 2016
Document Release Date: 
June 17, 2005
Sequence Number: 
29
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
February 11, 1985
Content Type: 
TRANS
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PDF icon CIA-RDP91-00901R000700060029-7.pdf95.64 KB
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STAT Approved For Release 2005/07/01 : CIA-RDP91-00901R000700 RAD 10 TV REPORTS, INC. 4701 WILLARD AVENUE, CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND 20815 (301) 656-4068 pROGRAA Morning Edition February 11, 1965 9:25 A.M. SUBJECT U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nominee STATION W A M U- F M NPR Network Washington, D.C. GENERAL VERNON WALTERS: If this nomination is approved by the Senate, I will do my best to continue the superb work that Ambassador Kirkpatrick has done in the United Nations to restore and enhance the position and the interests of the United States. BOB EDWARDS: Vernon Walters, President Reagan's choice to succeed Jeane Kirkpatrick as Ambassador to the United Nations. Walters has been serving as Reagan's ambassador-at-large, carrying out numerous low-visibility missions as a ;global troubleshooter. By his own count, he's traveled to more than a hundred countries and logged over a million miles during the past four years. Walters is a gifted linguist who has translated for five U.S. Presidents. He is said to have good contacts with foreign military leaders, especially in Latin America and Africa. Walters is a retired Army General and-a former Deputy Director of the CIA. Associated Press State Department correspondent George Getta told NPR's Dan Morris that the length of Walters' career is particularly impressive., GEORGE GETTA: He was translating or interpreting for President Truman-back when Truman was a rookie President,lback in 1947. This is before David Stockman was born. And he has. known de Gaulle and Churchill and Eisenhower and every majorleader since World War II. DAN MORRIS:' And as a roving ambassador for President Reagan, what exactly has he been up to? Appproved For Release 2005/07/01 : CIA-RDP91-00901 R000700060029-7 OFFICES IN: WASHINGTON D.C. ? NEW YORK ? LOS ANGELES ? CHICAGO ? DETROIT ? AND OTHER PRINCIPAL CITIES Approved For Release 2005/07/01 CIA-RDP91-00901 R000700060029-7 GETTA: Well, he claims that he is very often the bearer of bad news. For example, when the United States, because of budgetary constraints, has to cut back on the foreign laid of Country X, Walters is usually assigned to deliver the bad views. He had to break the news to the Argentines that the United States had no choice but to oppose Argentina's inva$ion of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands. He claims that territorial disputes are rampant throughout Latin America, and if the, United States advocated the use of force in the Argentine case chaos would have been rampant elsewhere in the hemisphere if that principle had been established in the Argentine case. years? MORRIS: Where else has he been over the past four GETTA: He's spent, apparently, most of his time in Africa. Having said that, three out of every four of his .missions have been unknown outside the State Department. ind the identity of these hundred countries is largely a secret, a though I suppose I could name 25 or 30 of them. But the othe}' 70, I " don't know. And he has said that if the identities of! those countries were disclosed, a lot of eyebrows would be raised. MORRIS: Do you think that it may evolve that he could become a major figure in the Administration? GETTA: I don't think he would try to assert h imsielf as much as Mrs. Kirkpatrick has done. He indicated while he cud not plan on being, in effect, a deaf mute, he didn't plan to !be too assertive. I think_he will try to make his views known, t press for his point of view in Cabinet meetings and with the Pr~s.ident and with the Secretary, but probably less intensively then Mrs. Kirkpatrick has. Approved For Release 2005/07/01 : CIA-RDP91-00901 R000700060029-7 I