Report from informal collaborator on personal conflicts among Tudeh Party leaders in Leipzig.
October 16, 1979
Report about a Meeting with Informal Collaborator "Reza"
This document was made possible with support from Blavatnik Family Foundation
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Report about a meeting with informal collaborator "Reza" on 12.10.1979 13:30-15:00
On 12.10.1979 the undersigned took part in a meeting between General Dreier/Main Department XX/AGA and the informal collaborator (IC) "Reza," in accordance with the agreement between Main Department XX/AGA and the leadership of Main Department II/3. The meeting was carried out in a safe house of Main Department XX. The informal collaborator had already prepared for this participation in a previous meeting with the undersigned and had agreed to it. I was introduced to the IC as General "Klaus Kohlmann."
The conversation during the meeting was primarily led by Gen. Dreier.
At the beginning of the meeting the IC reported about Iranians staying in the GDR and made assessments of their activities.
For this he brought previously prepared reports, which he handed over to Gen. Dreier.
In the meeting he made assessments of the situation in Iran regarding the balance of political forces as well as conditions, influences, and the upcoming tasks that lay before the Tudeh Party abroad.
But one of the most common questions raised in the discussion was why the Tudeh Party ensured that the Soviet Union supported the Shah and even delivered weapons to him.
Here, too, even among the comrades of the Tudeh Party there are reportedly uncertainties.
About the Iranians staying in the GDR--the majority are already in Iran--the IC reported that they have no activities and the simply still collect their monthly paycheck from the SED.
About himself, the IC reported that he had received an offer from Humboldt Unviersity in Berlin to teach Farsi to a group of Iranian Studies students for four hours a week. He accepted and will start at the beginning of December 1979.
About the Iranian Embassy, he reported the following:
He has attempted more than once in recent months to get the Embassy to give him a passport. He should receive this passport in the middle of this month, and after he does, he will fly to Tehran for 3-4 weeks (vacation).
The flight costs are being paid by the regional administration of the SED in Leipzig.
During his visits to the Embassy he dealt mostly with the diplomat Nowbahar, with whom, in his opinion, he now has a good relationship that can be built upon. He has also privately invited Nowbahar to visit him in Leipzig, and N. has accepted.
At this point, the undersigned proceeded to the Embassy's problems and raised questions about knowledge of the Embassy and the diplomats.
The IC reported that he primarily knows almost all former diplomats of the Embassy well.
So he gave an overview of the former [redacted], his activities as SAVAK member, his position in the secret service as well as his [redacted], who worked as a SAVAK leader for Western Europe as a Colonel of SAVAK, disguised in the FRG as a carpet dealer.
He further gave an overview of the central command of SAVAK in Bern/Switzerland.
At this point he also gave some details about the activities of the diplomat Dr. Bezadi in the GDR.
About the current diplomats in the Embassy the IC could not give any further detailed information. He intended, however, to concretely clarify this when he travels to Iran for vacation through his connections still available there.
The undersigned gave the IC the task of developing a brief summary of the presently available information about the individual diplomats as well as information about the Iranians still remaining in the GDR. The IC will accomplish this for the next meeting before his vacation.
He will develop the private connection to the diplomat Nowbahar.
At the end of the meeting the IC was given the telephone number 55 93 997, which he will call if he cannot reach Gen. Dreier (Gen. Dreier is going on vacation to a health spa).
Assessment
It can be estimated that even if Main Department II/3 takes over the IC offers good opportunities for operative use by our service unit. The IC also said he was personally ready for this taking over to be done by the undersigned.
Opportunities can be seen in the following points:
-Opportunities to explain the question of "who's who" through the diplomat Nowbahar, as well as the other diplomats.
-The opportunity of overseeing and making determinations of the activities of Iranians still living in the GDR, as well as the opportunity of bringing us into contact with those who interest us and their assessment.
-The IC knows a large number Iranians living for years in West Berlin and the FRG with whom he can establish contact as needed. He can provide explanations of who these people are and create conditions to establish contact with them.
-Efforts are being made to bring his [redacted], who is currently studying in Aachen/FRG, to West Berlin. This [redacted] is close to the Tudeh Party. Transfering studies to West Berlin will provide good opportunities for the operative use of this person.
-The IC has been used in the past for translation by the Main Department XX. This also provides good opportunities for us to have materials in Farsi translated where this has so far not been possible (M-Post must first be checked).
-The IC receives a number of magazines from the Embassy, from which he translates excerpts, and which he has given to us. He also listens to programs from Radio Tehran and likewise puts together summaries and information.
-The IC possesses comprehensive knowledge about many leading families now in Iran. He is personally acquainted with many of them, having previously served as a Major in the military service and having come from these same circles himself.
Attachments
Translated Bulletin
Translated Magazines
Lieutenant
Parche
Meeting with an Iranian-born informal collaborator in East Germany on the activities of Iranians in the GDR, the Tudeh Party, and members of the Iranian Embassy.
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