"The CIA’s Worst-Kept Secret: Newly Declassified Files" Topic

…Confirm United States Collaboration with Nazis

"That's how a 1952 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) assessment described Nazi ideologue Emil Augsburg, an officer at the infamous Wannsee Institute, the SS think tank involved in planning the Final Solution. Augsburg's SS unit performed "special duties," a euphemism for exterminating Jews and other "undesirables" during the Second World War.

Although he was wanted in Poland for war crimes, Augsburg managed to ingratiate himself with the U.S. CIA, which employed him in the late 1940s as an expert on Soviet affairs. Recently released CIA records indicate that Augsburg was among a rogue's gallery of Nazi war criminals recruited by U.S. intelligence agencies shortly after Germany surrendered to the Allies.

Pried loose by Congress, which passed the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act three years ago, a long-hidden trove of once-classified CIA documents confirms one of the worst-kept secrets of the cold war–the CIA's use of an extensive Nazi spy network to wage a clandestine campaign against the Soviet Union…"
Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

Would not believe anything found on that site.

"I send them up -- who cares where they come down? That's not my department," said Werner von Braun.

The US played dirty with war criminals from both Germany and Japan. Old news, but still an ugly reminder that our hands were not clean.

They were assets to be utilized. The whole we cannot have anything to do with them because that would endorse what they did is a childish notion. Note I in no way shape or form endorse what there crimes or actions!

"Newly de-classified…" in 2003.
Old news.
I remember reading an article in Reader's Digest about Gehlen many years ago.

"I send them up -- who cares where they come down? That's not my department," said Werner von Braun.

I'd really like to see an actual source for that.

In this instance, John, I'm satisfied with the sheer poetry of Tom Lehrer's "Werner von Braun" song.

No, I don't think he said that, but he was far more interested in receiving backing by the Third Reich for his experimentation and his eye on eventual space travel than what they did with his work.

"… And I'm learning Chinese, says Werner von Braun."

TVAG

Me too!… (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

We were in an existential fight with the Soviets. To not use every weapon available would have been foolish. While they were reprehensible people, they were still a weapon to be used against our avowed enemies.

You lay down with dogs, you get the fleas.

Explains a lot, actually.

I'd really like to see an actual source for that.

In this instance, John, I'm satisfied with the sheer poetry of Tom Lehrer's "Werner von Braun" song.

Tsk tsk tsk. He asked for a source, and you dismiss him with a wave of your hand?

Here is a source for you:

YouTube link

The relevant evidence starts a bit after 0:45sec.

And (only somewhat) a propos, I was in Germany in 1989 on a business trip when the Bay Area suffered the large "Loma Prieta" earthquake. TV news was showing scene after scene of collapsed freeways, cars driving off of the fallen upper deck of the Bay Bridge, and house after house burning and collapsing. Phone lines were out. With my wife and my 6 month old baby in the Bay Area, I was in a near panic.

It happened that my trip was near an end, and I was already scheduled to fly home the next day. I called Lufthansa to check on the status of my flight.

(Apply cheesy German accent as you see fit.)
Luft: Thank you for calling Lufthansa. How may I help you.
Me: I would like to check on the status of Flight NNNN tomorrow, from Frankfurt to San Francisco.
Luft: We show the flight will depart on time. Please be at the airport 2 hours before for international check in.
Me: Oh good, so there is no problem at San Francisco Airport?
Luft: No sir, San Francisco Airport is closed. They have had the big earthquake there.
Me: But it will be open tomorrow?
Luft: We don't know that, sir.
Me: But where will the plane land?
Luft: Excuse me, sir?
Me: You said Flight NNNN will depart on time tomorrow from Frankfurt.
Luft: Yes sir.
Me: But you said San Francisco Airport is closed.
Luft: Yes sir.
Me: Then where will the plane land?
Luft: Ah! We don't know that sir. This is Departures. You want Arrivals. I will transfer you.
Thank you for calling Lufthansa.

(cue Tom Lehrer music: Vonce ze airplanes are up, who knows vere zey komm down. Zat's not my depahtment"… says agent von Braun.)

-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)