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Pseudonym: Rabney, James

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Definition:
James N. Rabney was a pseudonym for CIA officer Arnold M. Silver. Silver was deputy to William K. Harvey, Chief, Division D.
Category:
pseudonym
Status:
Documented
Discussion:
According to a response to a request from the Senate Committee in early September of 1975 as to the identity of James N. Rabney (P) and others, the true name for Rabney was Arnold R. Silver (real name appears to be Arnold Melvin Silver).
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 (Camp King - see next item below) 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."

Wikipedia: Camp King - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_King

Camp King is a site on the outskirts of Oberursel, Taunus (in Germany), with a long history. It began as a school for agriculture under the auspices of the University of Frankfurt. During World War II, the lower fields became an interrogation center for the German Air Force. After World War II, the United States Army also used it as an interrogation center and intelligence post.

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..."

104-10054-10366: DISPATCH OF ENVELOPE FOR JAMES N. RABNEY

10/13/60: Dispatch from COS, Withheld to Chief, KUDOVE (Info: ATTN: Division D. ATTN: Scott C. Lipton): "LAURICLE: Forwarded herewith is an envelope of Rabney's notes based on his discussions in the (REDACTION) Station. Please hold for his return. Lloyd K. Desmond."

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.

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..."

104-10310-10012: LETTER: DEAR MR. ELDER

09/03/75: U.S. Senate Committee document: Letter from William G. Miller, Staff Director to Walt Elder, Assistant to the Director: ..."2. Indicate whether the following names are true identities or pseudonyms; provide the true identities for all pseudonyms listed; and explain the nature of the official duties of each of these people during the period 1960-1963: LAURICLE; Monroe B. Rozeney, Ed Jouvenoy, Wanda Crickard, James N. Rabney..." - - - Page 3: 09/05/75: "Designations rec'd in memo from Senate dtd 3 Sept. 75...8. Rabney, James N. (P)..." - - - Page 4: ..."8. Silver, Arnold R. (T)..." - - - 2022 release: https://documents3.theblackvault.com/documents/jfkfiles/jfk2022/104-10310-10012.pdf

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

09/12/75: CIA biographic Profile: "NAME: Silver, Arnold Melvin. SEX: M. DATE OF BIRTH: 4 Dec, 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: Tufts College, Medford, Mass - BA (magna cum laude), German language & literature. 1941-42: Harvard Univ - 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..." - - - 2022 release, page 5: https://documents3.theblackvault.com/documents/jfkfiles/jfk2022/104-10310-10013.pdf

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: 4 Dec...COMPONENT: EUR. CONTRACT CATEGORY: Career Agent...GRADE EQUIVALENT: GS-16/5...NON-CIA EDUCATION: 1937-41: Tufts College, Medford, Mass - BA (magna cum laude), German language and literature. 1941-42: Harvard Univ - MA, German Philology..." - - - 2022 release, page 6: https://documents3.theblackvault.com/documents/jfkfiles/jfk2022/104-10310-10013.pdf

104-10310-10014: MEMORANDUM: RESPONSES TO SSC REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PROJECT ZRRIFLE

9/17/75: "(JAMES RABNEY) was the pseudonym of an Agency officer who is currently active in a sensitive nonofficial cover agent role in Europe. During the 1960-63 period he served as an operations officer at Headquarters and in Europe..."

Contributors:
John Newman • Bill Simpich • MFF

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