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Pseudonym: Herzfanz, Kurt

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Definition:
Kurt G. Herzfanz was a pseudonym used by Arnold M. Silver, deputy to Chief, Division D, William K. Harvey.
Category:
pseudonym
Status:
Documented
Sources:

Arnold Silver, "Questions, Questions, Questions." from CIA's Studies in Intelligence, 1994, p. 90 of 140. https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/unclass1994.pdf

1946: "Yet another famous detainee was the German adventurer Otto Skorzeny. Tried but acquitted of war crime charges - rightly acquitted, in my opinion - by a US military court at Dauchau in 1946, he was then sent to Oberursel until a decision could be made what to do with him...I was assigned the task of questioning him and then recommending disposition...He was not a Nazi, and any ideology was in fact alien to him. He was purely and simply a man of action and a patriotic German...he told me he would like to go to Spain. G-2 in USFET (US Forces, European Theater) concurred in my recommendation that he be resettled there. He became a rather successful entrepreneur, but for years afterwards - I think I last heard about him in 1961 - he approached each succeeding US Air Force attache in Madrid with an offer to build a network of agents in the USSR for the United States...The Pentagon rejected each of the recommendations from Madrid."

Douglas Valentine, The Strength of the Wolf

"According to documents contained in his 201 file, QJWIN was tall and thin, married (although homosexual), with many friends in well-to-do Parisian circles. He was a conman extraordinaire! He'd been a double agent during the war and had testified at the trial of Marshall Petain. After the war he got involved in smuggling, and one of four or five FBN agents in Europe at the time recruited him and set him up in a business in Luxembourg. Through this FBN agent, the CIA's Luxembourg station chief, Arnold Silver, contracted QJWIN in the autumn of 1958 'in connection with an illegal narcotic operation into the United States...in behalf of the Bureau of Narcotics. QJWIN worked for the FBN and CIA over the next 18 months, during which time Silver came to view him as a potential agent provocateur against the Soviets."

1994.03.11.16:03:49:940005 - Reel 20, Folder F - ZRRIFLE QJWIN; PROJECT CONTRACT.

July 3, 1962 - Letter from Arnold N. Silver (ANS) to William K. Harvey (WKH): "Per our discussion on 2 July 1962, I expect that we shall proceed to transfer QJWIN to Baden Baden per the proposal in OLLA-1463 dated 2 February 1962...with regard to candidates spotted by QJWIN, the two whom he spotted in Italy a year and a quarter ago can probably be used if needed, if we can accept the assessments of them by the Trieste base contract agent, Magonetti...the names of the two French candidates are contained in OLLA-1426 dated December 15, 1961...I have already given you the ZRRIFLE authorization paper signed by Helms and Skip has been given the ZRRIFLE contract, including the extension to 1 March 1963..." Marginalia states: "Skip please file. WKH." Another version at 1994.03.11.16:03:49:940005 - Reel 20, Folder F - page 63.

104-10209-10174: CABLE: DRAGOMIR INTERVIEWED 19 AUGUST, GAVE FOLLOWING STORY

08/20/64: Cable from Berchtesgarden to Director (Petseles Acting): Slugline RYBAT GPFLOOR: REF BERN 3927 (IN 51613)* "1. Dragomir interviewed by Herzfanz 19 August, gave following story: He constantly persecuted by Salzburg police who had him committed insane asylum six weeks in 1948 and one-half years starting 1950. They now trying have him committed again. All his neighbors fall into two categories: Those serving police as informants on subject and those who died 'accidentally' because refused become police informants. American police also fall into two categories: Those who work with Austrian police and those who do not. Herzfanz life now in great danger due contact with subject. Subject willing discuss assassination with Attorney General in Washington but not in Attorney General's office which bound be bugged by Austrian police as additional persecution subject. Austrian Minister Interior innocent. 2. Subject has no info re assassination. 3. No index. C/S Comment: *Dragomir volunteered details regarding death of President Kennedy." Also see another version at 104-10438-10200

157-10002-10105: TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM HARVEY

06/25/75: SSCIA testimony of William K. Harvey: Pages 50-51: "Mr. SCHWARZ: You mentioned QJWIN. Was QJWIN an agent who you did hold in reserve for possible use in connection with the Executive Action program? Mr. HARVEY: No, QJWIN is an agent that I considered for possible use and used for a limited period through Arnold Silver for the spotting of individuals with criminal and underworld connections in Europe for possible multi-purpose use, none of whom were ever advised of the use, none of whom, as far as I personally know, were ever used...Mr. SCHWARZ: Are pages 4 through 7, in your judgement, pages that were written by Mr. Arnold Silver? Mr. HARVEY: As a guess, I'd say they appear to be in the same writing as these first three pages. Mr. SCHWARZ: Are pages 8 and 9 pages that are written by you? Mr. HARVEY: Well, just a moment, let me get to those. I would also like to point out that from page 4 that - that is page 4, as long as it continues in the same handwriting was not a part of this so-called Project Outline, these I would guess were probably Arnold Silver's notes and probably based, at least to an extent, on discussions he had with me, and certain sort of problems and questions and principles that I tossed out to be considered and cares to be exercised. Mr. SCHWARZ: Then pages 8 and 9 are in your handwriting, is that right? Mr. HARVEY: Pages 8 and 9 are in my handwriting..."

104-10310-10013: MEMORANDUM: RESPONSES TO SSC REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PROJECT ZRRIFLE

09/12/75: Non-Staff Personnel Data Sheet: "NAME: Herzfanz, Kurt G. SEX: M. DATE OF BIRTH: Withheld...COMPONENT: EUR. CONTRACT CATEGORY: Career Agent...GRADE EQUIVALENT: GS-16/5...NON-CIA EDUCATION: 1937-41: (REDACTION) College, (REDACTION)-BA (magna cum laude), German language and literature. 1941-42: (REDACTION)-MA, German Philology..."

John Newman, Countdown to Darkness (2017), pp. 281-282

..."(James N.) Rabney had been the previous (1957-1960) Luxembourg station chief. In 1958, he had, with the help of the chief of the Luxembourg Intelligence Service, recruited Mankel for "spotting agent candidates", especially among Corsicans. These men were underworld criminals - "entry men", "safe crackers", "document suppliers" and "assassins". James N. Rabney was a pseudonym for Arnold M. Silver, who also had another pseudonym - Kurt G. Herzfanz..."

104-10310-10013: MEMORANDUM: RESPONSES TO SSC REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PROJECT ZRRIFLE

09/12/75: CIA biographic Profile: "NAME: Withheld. SEX: M. DATE OF BIRTH: Withheld, 1919...NON-CIA EMPLOYMENT: 1942-46: Military Service, US Army, MIS, T/Sgt - Interrogator, Translator. 1946-48: Dept of the Army, EUCOM, G-2 Ops, Germany - Intelligence Officer. NON-CIA EDUCATION: 1937-41: (REDACTION) College (REDACTION) - BA (magna cum laude), German language & literature. 1941-42: (REDACTION) - MA, German Philology...CIA EMPLOYMENT HISTORY...EFFECTIVE DATE: Jun 1960: POSITION TITLE & OCCUPATIONAL CODE: Ops Off, 0136.01. GRADE: 15. SD: D. ORGANIZATION & ORGAN. TITLE (if any): DDP/FI/Div D/Chief, Ops Br. LOCATION: HQ..."

Contributors:
John Newman • MFF • Bill Simpich

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