Henry J. Tasca

Henry Joseph Tasca (August 23, 1912 – August 22, 1979) was an American diplomat during the 1960s and 1970s, as well as an author.

Early life Tasca was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He would get an undergraduate degree from Temple University and later receive both master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, although he did spend some time studying at the London School of Economics.

He would also serve as an officer during World War II, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

Political career Tasca began his career at the State Department in 1937 as an economic analyst. He went on to serve as the Treasury Department's representative to the U.S. embassy in Rome from 1945 to 1948, and later took on a roll as adviser to Ambassador W. Averell Harriman. He would then be assigned to South Korea in 1953, before ultimately returning to Europe. At first Tasca was uncertain if the Greek government held true authority, but after meeting Ioannidis, Tasca reported back to the U.S. and shared with the British counterparts that he found the Greek leader hawkish and recommended using access to military aid as a means to manage the state.

Tasca reportedly opposed Henry Kissinger on the issue of overthrowing Makarios III during the 1974 Cypriot coup d'état and suggested that the Sixth Fleet intervene to prevent the subsequent Turkish invasion of Cyprus. He would resign that same year from the State Department while expressing a desire to publish a book naming the agents of the CIA who had urged Ioannidis to overthrow Georgios Papadopoulos. In 1976 Tasca would be called before the House intelligence committee to provide off the record testimony during which he confirmed that the Greek Junta had made campaign contributions to the Nixon-Agnew election fund.

Death Tasca died in an automobile accident near Lausanne, Switzerland in August 1979, another vehicle having collided into him at an intersection, while driving with his, then 15-year-old, son John. He was survived by his wife and five children, although one daughter had died before him. World Trading Systems : A Study of American and British Commercial Policies (Paris : League of Nations, 1939)