Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR JOHN R. COUNTRYMAN Interviewed by: David Reuther Initial interview date: November 19, 2001 Copyright 2010 AD T TABLE OF CONTENTS Background Born in New ork, raised in New ork and California Movie and stage roles Fordham University' University (Frei) of Berlin' University of Miami US Air Force Teaching experience Entered the Foreign Service in 19.2 State Department0 Office of Pu1lic Affairs, Near East Bureau 19.2 State Department, FS20 Turkish language training 19.2 2stan1ul, Turkey' 3eneral (Rotation) Officer 19.3-19.7 Consulate building 8isas 3reek minority Environment Am1assador Raymond Hare 3overnment Elections 9emal Ataturk 2slam Relations State Department0 Staff Aide to Averill Harriman 19.7-19.. Office staff Operations Beirut, Le1anon0 Ara1ic language training 19..-19.8 Course of instruction Students Evacuation to Athens 1 Em1assy operations in 19.7 War Seeking post war local attitudes Houston, Texas0 Exxon Training Program 19.8 Dhahran, Saudi Ara1ia0 Economic (Commercial) Officer' Deputy 19.8-1970 Principal Officer Aramco facilities Consulate facility Esta1lishing 3ulf Consulates British Esta1lishments Staff Oil wealth emen 3ulf States, (Emirates, etc.) US Middle East Force Reporting responsi1ilities Non-US oil companies Relations with Saudis Local environment Desert traveling Am1assador Hermann Eilts Local customs ARAMCO Bedouins Pu1lic Health System US2A British presence in 3ulf 2ran Saudi-Bahrain oil agreements Saudi relations with neigh1ors Use of Ara1ic language University of Arizona agriculture mission State Department officers New Em1assies in 3ulf States US Military Missions Tripoli, Li1ya0 Chief Economic Officer 1970 Muamar Aadhafi Tripoli 2nternational Fair Political climate Petroleum crude pricing Oil negotiations Oil reporting US trade promotion 2 Aattara Depression agriculture projects 2talians Nationalization of oil company rumors Contacts with Li1yan officials Foreign em1assies Wheelus Air Force Base negotiations Am1assador Boseph Palmer Marriage Passport pro1lem Li1yans become nasty Berkeley Spring, 8irginia0 Deputy Chief of Mission Course 1970 Li1reville, 3a1on0 Deputy Chief of Mission 1971-1977 Staff Environment President Omar Bongo Oil and minerals French Border issues Relations with neigh1ors Relations Peace Corps 8isitors program 3a1on railroad Foreign representation Al1ert Schweitzer Hospital 8isit to South Africa Provisioning arrangements Living arrangements Medical emergencies Army War College 1977-197. Course of study Student body Environment Ara1ian Peninsula (ARP) desk State Department' Deputy Director, Ara1ian Peninsular Affairs (ARP) 197.-1978 Office personnel Arms sales to Saudi Ara1ia USCSaudi defense arrangements 2srael Congressional interest Am1assador Bohn West 3 Saudi Royal Family Administration transition Human Rights 2ranCSaudi relations Concerns re Soviets Saudi Ara1ian development Saudi influence in area Saudi military training in US Ara1ian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) Am1assador Boseph Twinam State Department0 DeputyCActing Director' ARP 1978-1979 Office organization and staff Relations with Congress Teheran hostage crisis Mecca mosDue attack Regional crises State Department0 Director, ARP 1979-1981 Planning Teheran Em1assy rescue (Desert One) Oman access agreement negotiations Brzezinski Relations with area posts Congressional interest Spike Du1s murder BritishCOman relationship P-3 Orion Desira1ility of 3ulf military bases US-Oman Access Agreement Economic Support Funds (ESF) US Em1assy in Oman USA2D programs in Oman 9uwait Nomination as Am1assador to Oman Am1assador to Oman 1981-1987 Organization and staff 8isit of 8ice President 3eorge Bush 82P visitors OmanC2ran relations 2ranC2raD War Relations with Palestinians Access agreement WifeEs activities Environment 4 2slam Organization and operations Liaison with CENTCOM Foreign em1assies Family Senior Fellow, Center for Strategic and 2nternational Studies (CS2S) 1987-1987 Retirement 1987 Real Estate, Washington, DC Search for Common 3round (SFC3)0 Executive Director of the Mission For Peace and Cooperation in the Middle East Comments on Oman and Omanis INTERVIEW FNote0 This interview was not edited by Am1assador CountrymanG ": This is a Foreign Affairs Oral History Program interview with John R. Countryman. Today is November 19, 2001 and we are in Washington DC. This interview is being conducted under the auspices of the Association for Diplomatic tudies and Training. I am David Reuther John can you give us some personal bac-ground, where you were born, what.s hometown. COUNTR MAN0 2 was born in Brooklyn, New ork, Banuary 27, 1933. My father was a photo and art editor. At the time, he was working for the Associated Press. My mother was an immigrant from Czechoslovakia, the Czech portion. She came over when she was a1out 11. They met in Omaha, Ne1raska. My father was offered a jo1 in New ork, they came, and 2 was born in Brooklyn. 2 spent my youth in Brooklyn, and in Mt. 8ernon, New ork. For a1out five years from the age of a1out three to nine or ten, 2 was a model in New ork. 2 was also in the movies in California. 2 was in Hollywood. 2 made a1out 18 movies, including one with Shirley Temple called The Blue1ird FEditorEs Note0 Twentieth Century Fox released this movie in 1940G. 2 came back and acted on the New ork stage. A1out that time 2 think both my parents and 2 decided a normal childhood was to be preferred, so we settled in 3arden City, a su1ur1 of New ork out on Long 2sland. 2 went to grammar school and the graduated from Besuit military prep school St. Francis Iavier High School in 1970. 2 attended Fordham University and graduated in 1974 with a 1achelor in English. 2 received a Ful1right Fellowship to the University of Berlin. 2 was one of the first Ful1right students to the University of Berlin after the war. After a year there 2 spent three years in the Air Force flying airplanes. 2 was with the Strategic Air Command, flew mainly tanker airplanes, 9C-97s and 9B-29s, but also did B-47s and B- 5 72s. 2 had always wanted to be in the Foreign Service. 2 will come back and touch on my early interest in that, but decided that with an English major and although my 3erman was fairly fluent, 2 didnJt have a background in political science or economics to pass the tests, so 2 accepted an assistantship in English at the University of Miami in Florida after 2 got out of the Air Force. There 2 not only got a masters in English, but on the side studied for the foreign service exam. 2 passed it in 19.1 and came on active duty in the Foreign Service in 19.2. Between graduation from the University of Miami and entering the Foreign Service, 2 was a city side reporter for the Dan1ury, Connecticut News Times. My interest in the Foreign Service came fromKit is interestingKmy godparents who were dear and close friends to my parents. My godparent was a fellow by the name of Thomas Paprocki who was an Associated Press sports cartoonist FEditorEs Note0 from 1943 to 1977G. He was a man that 2 thought of as not only as my friend but also like an uncle that 2 didnJt have. Out of the clear blue sky one time, they were at our house for dinner, and he said, LBohn whatever you do in life, you ought to think a1out being a diplomat. 2 think you should be in the diplomatic service.L At that time 2 knew very little a1out what that meant, but because Tom Paprocki had said so, it was something that got my special attention. Of course, being in 3ermany after the war and being a Ful1right, 2 had a chance to travel around and see foreign places, so his comment kind of struck a bell with me. ": Let.s loo- into that with a little more detail. When did the Fulbright program get started0 shortly after the war right1 COUNTR MAN0 es. 2t was named after Senator Ful1right. The idea of the Ful1right program was that so many of these countries in Europe owed the United States money. 2f they were going to pay it back, they would pay it back in hard currency. The Ful1right grants gave these countries to pay their de1ts by giving the United States an opportunity to send say 1,000 students per year to study in their country under the Ful1right program. The students would be vetted by a joint commission of the United States and 3erman, French, 2talian, British representatives. The terms of it would be that the individual would 1e given a full scholarship to the university that they selected and were accepted at, and also a stipend in local currency. That was used then to cancel that portion of what was owed to the United States. 2t meant that all those countries, which were operating after the war with soft currencies in comparison to the dollar, were using their own currency rather than American dollars. ": Now this is a very competitive program. 2ou went there out of Fordham1 COUNTR MAN0 es. Actually 2 had applied to study English Literature at the University of Leeds. 2 got a special letter, not a form letter, from the Ful1right commission shortly after 2 applied that said, LWe have your application. ou are competitive. We will put it through the normal process, but because there is no language 1arrier for England, we have a surplus of applications. We see however, that you have a fairly good background in 3erman, and we are looking to fill some extra slots in 6 3ermany. our project, which is to study the little magazine, the little literary magazine in England, could very easily be done in 3ermany, and might be very interesting to see the growth of the little magazine after the war. Would you like us to put you down for 3ermanyML So, 2 said, L es.L ": Now your 3erman comes from high school and university1 COUNTR MAN0 High school and university.