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(S//SI) Big Changes at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations (USUN)
FROM:
(S//SI) S112 Account Manager for the U.S. Mission to the UN
Run Date: 08/31/2004
(S//SI) Only a number of weeks ago, Ambassador John Negroponte, until then the U.S.
representative to the United Nations, was nominated, confirmed and sent to Baghdad as the
U.S. ambassador to Iraq. Ambassador James Cunningham, the deputy U.S. representative, was
then nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
The DCI's representative at USUN then announced that she also was moving to Baghdad to
continue to be Ambassador Negroponte's intelligence briefer, and the deputy DCI's
representative also announced that he was moving on to another assignment. But before all that
was announced, our very own NSA representative to USUN,
had announced not only
the August 2004 end of his 3-year assignment but also his retirement from federal service in
early September!
(S//SI) Oh, did I forget to mention that the U.S. Mission also moved? Yes, they moved from just
across 1st Avenue from the United Nations complex in New York City into temporary, leased
spaces in a commercial building three blocks away while the original building is demolished and
a new one built at the same location. This is not a trivial situation for intelligence support.
(S//SI) Before the move, the U.S. ambassadors and other representatives could be briefed on
intelligence up to a few minutes before a Security Council meeting since all they had to do was
cross the street to the UN. But now Ambassador Danforth, the new U.S. representative to the
UN, and other officers from USUN, need more time to walk (yes, they generally walk) the three
blocks to the UN, so we will have to be even faster with any last-minute intelligence. And this is
exacerbated by the fact that USUN interim spaces occupy only a few floors of a very tall building
that is shared with many other businesses, making the handling of classified information more
challenging.
(TS//SI) The Negroponte years at USUN proved momentous and historic. SIGINT support to
USUN and the State Department in support of U.S. goals in the UN Security Council --- where
the strategic intent of nations amalgamates into tactical diplomatic maneuvering --- also proved,
shall we say, "secretly historic." A few days before Ambassador Negroponte was sworn-in as the
U.S. representative to the UN, terrorists struck in New York, at the Pentagon, and on United
Airlines Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The morning after the attacks the UN Security
Council and the UN General Assembly met, amid the smoldering smell that permeated the
chambers (as
described it), to approve resolutions condemning the attacks.
(S/SI) As the U.S. mounted a strategic response to these attacks and worked with the UN to
garner world support for the global war on terrorism, SIGINT proved vital in the U.S.
negotiations that resulted in two key and unanimously-approved Security Council resolutions on
Iraq. SIGINT also contributed to the composition of the U.S. President's speech at the UN
General Assembly in September of 2002, and to Secretary Powell's presentation to the Security
Council on the case against the Iraq dictator, among other events. SIGINT also helped USUN
and State officials in their decisions regarding Afghanistan, countless peacekeeping operations
around the world, Africa, Sudan and so many other situations.
(S//SI) But now looking to the future, Ambassador Danforth recently set clear goals for USUN
for the next number of months. His deputy, Ambassador Anne Patterson, is now in place and is
an experienced user of SIGINT. A new DCI representative is in place (a former Presidential Daily
Brief [PDB] briefer) and his new deputy has also just arrived. And
successor as the
NSA representative,
is also in place.
is an accomplished intelligence professional
with unique experience as a SIGINT liaison to a third party partner.
(S//SI) Fortunately for USUN, the array of technicians, collectors, analysts, managers and
support personnel across NSA, that makes focused and responsive SIGINT support to USUN
possible, has not changed much these past few months. We know that NSA will continue
providing incredible support to the new front-line players at USUN.
(U//FOUO) On a related subject, see
recent SID today article, Life in the Big Apple .
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108