KIBITZ was a CIA program run from Karlsruhe Base to develop a staybehind net in Germany (1949-53).1
KIBITZ-15 net
Walter Kopp
One identified sub-project was KIBITZ-15 net, that was run by Wehrmacht lieutenant colonel Walter Kopp. Hans Rues and Eduard Woellner were also involved in the operation.
In May 1950 Kopp wrote a letter to High Commissioner John McCloy stating that he and a group of his friends of former Reichswehr officers2 were concerned over what might happen in case of a Russian invasion of Germany and wished to place themselves at the disposal of the Americans. The offer must have appealed to the CIA since Walter Kopp was made chief agent of the KIBITZ stay-behind network.3
Kopp was described by his own North-American handlers as an "unreconstructed Nazi," in CIA documents released in June 2005.4
In 1952 there were 63 active agents,5 mostly WT operators.6 KIBITZ-15 net was officially terminated in 1953.
List of 63 agents in the KIBITZ-15 network
Who Knows Who in the KIBITZ-15 net
KIBITZ-15 teams2
Members
- KIBITZ-11a: had operational clearance; dropped in December 19527
- KIBITZ-15: Cryptonym for Walter Kopp; Related FOIA Files (179 Documents as of June 2013)
- KIBITZ-16: Cryptonym for Hans Rues; Related FOIA Files (11 Documents as of June 2013)
- KIBITZ-17: Cryptonym for Eduard Woellner; Related FOIA Files (13 Documents as of June 2013)
- KIBITZ-109: Responsible for development of KIBITZ-176; did have a general idea behind KIBITZ-15 net but didn't know and personal names or safehouses5
- KIBITZ 122, 123, 127, 136, 145, 150, 156, 161, 173, 177, 180, 182, 185, 190, 192, 197, 198, 199/200: Members of KIBITZ-15 net;8 mostly WT operators6
- KIBITZ-136 married to KIBITZ-171 sister with whom he had was not on friendly terms. The agent was dropped in November 1952 because of the assumed security thread caused by Ims.5
- KIBITZ-150: Walter Kopp's deputy; Responsible for the development of KIBITZ-187
- KIBITZ-156: Fully trained W/T operator9
- KIBITZ-171: Cryptonym for Horst Otto Herbert Ims;10 Walter Kopp pushed the relocation of Ims. Ims sister was married to KIBITZ-136. The agent was und the development of KIBITZ-1095
CIA meeting memo from 30th Octobre 1952
- KIBITZ-176: No personal data;
- KIBITZ-180: Fully trained W/T operator9
- KIBITZ-182: Female; to be trained as secretary for Walter Kopp?
- KIBITZ-187: No personal data; dropped before becoming operational; personal acquaintance with 150, who was responsible for the "development". The Agent was according to Walter Kopp a former Wehrmacht Signal Corps as triangulation expert and a personal wartime acquaintance5
- KIBITZ-188: No personal data, dropped before becoming operational; The Agent was developed by Walter Kopp and considered to become a W/T radio operator5
- KIBITZ-189: KIBITZ-201 was adjutant to KIBITZ-189 in Bosnia during WWII;11 character reference available12
- KIBITZ-190: PRQ Part I, MGQ-A-522; PRQ Part II, MGQ-A-523; Provisional operation clearance obtained in MGQ-W-13629; Full operational clearance per WASH L9262 (10 July 1952); dropped in December 1952; knew KIBITZ-137 and KIBITZ-171 (Ims)13
- KIBITZ-201: Cryptonym for Anton Dukavits; Related FOIA Files (4 Documents as of June 2013); KIBITZ-201 was adjutant to KIBITZ-189 in Bosnia during WWII11
- KIBITZ-2216
KIBITZ-related Projects
- DYCLIMB: KIBITZ staybehind program's training program1
- VULTURE: KIBITZ staybehind program burial/caching of W/T equipment1
Ressources
- "Research Aid: Cryptonyms and Terms in Declassified CIA Files Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Disclosure Acts," National Archives and Records Administration, June 2007, http://www.archives.gov/iwg/declassified-records/rg-263-cia-records/second-release-lexicon.pdf.
- Timothy Naftaly, "New Information on Cold War Stay-Behind Operations in Germany and on the Adolf Eichmann Case," University of Virginia, http://www.fas.org/sgp/eprint/naftali.pdf.
- Declassified documents about KIBITZ (422 documents as of April 2019).
- 1 a b c "Research Aid: Cryptonyms and Terms in Declassified CIA Files Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Disclosure Acts," National Archives and Records Administration, June 2007, http://www.archives.gov/iwg/declassified-records/rg-263-cia-records/second-release-lexicon.pdf.
- 2 a b "Review of KIBITZ-15 net," declassified file, Central Intelligence Agency, January 19, 1953, http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/1705143/KOPP, WALTER VOL. 2_0034.pdf.
- 3"Walter Kopp (KIBITZ-15)," declassified file, undated, Central Intelligence Agency, http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/1705143/KOPP%2C%20WALTER%20%20%20VOL.%202_0017.pdf.
- 4Julian Borger, "Why Israel's capture of Eichmann caused panic at the CIA," The Guardian, June 8, 2006, https://web.archive.org/web/20160415063747/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jun/08/secondworldwar.usa.
- 5 a b c d e f "Dropping of W/T Agents in the KIBITZ-15 net," declassified file, December 9, 1952, Central Intelligence Agency, http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/1705143/KOPP%2C%20WALTER%20%20%20VOL.%202_0012.pdf.
- 6 a b c "Contact Report of 30 October 1952 - Meeting vith KIBITZ-15," declassified document, November 10, 1952, https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/KOPP, WALTER VOL. 2_0005.pdf.
- 7"Operational/Call - KIBITZ-11a," declassified file, December 8, 1952, Central Intelligence Agency, http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/1705143/KOPP%2C%20WALTER%20%20%20VOL.%202_0011.pdf.
- 8"Security Information," declassified file, January 13, 1953, http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/1705143/KOPP%2C%20WALTER%20%20%20VOL.%202_0031.pdf.
- 9 a b "Contact Report: KIBITZ-15 and KIBITZ-150," declassified file, January 7, 1953, Central Intelligence Agency, https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/KOPP, WALTER VOL. 2_0026.pdf.
- 10Timothy Naftali, "Timothy - New Information on Cold War Stay-Behind Operations in Germany and on the Adolf Eichmann Case," University of Virginia, http://www.fas.org/sgp/eprint/naftali.pdf.
- 11 a b "Kibitz 201," declassified file, December 23, 1952, Central Intelligence Agency, https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/KOPP, WALTER VOL. 2_0021.pdf.
- 12"Operational Call," declassified file, December 12, 1952, Central Intelligence Agency, https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/KOPP, WALTER VOL. 2_0013.pdf.
- 13"Dropping of W/T Agents in the KIBITZ-15 net," declassified file, December 9, 1952, Central Intelligence Agency, http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/1705143/KOPP%2C%20WALTER%20%20%20VOL.%202_0012.pdf