The Combat Applications Group does not write database software for infantry supply clerks; it is better known as Delta Force. Also involved was Richard Bissell, head of the Directorate for Plans, an organization instructed to conduct covert anti-Communist operations around the world. Wisner and 21 OSS agents landed in Romania,[5] where he became head of OSS Bucharest. Frank Justin Wisnerwas born on month day1879, at birth place. He was prescribed psychoanalysis and shock therapy (electroconvulsive treatment). [20] After a lengthy recovery, Wisner became chief of the CIA's London Station. Wisner was too ill to return to his post as head of the DDP. The OPCs mission was to take on the Soviet Union, and right from the start, the Pentagongearing up for World War IIIwanted everything from insurgencies in Western Europe to sabotaging the entire Soviet air force, and it wanted them now. Frank George Wisner II (born July 2, 1938) is an American businessman and former diplomat who had served as acting United States Secretary of State for a few hours following the resignation of the previous acting United States Secretary of State Arnold Kanter at noon on January 20, 1993 until the confirmation by the United States Senate and swearing in of Warren Christopher as United States Secretary of State later that day. The whole arrangement of American power in the world from the nineteenth century was based on commercial concerns and methods of operation his had given America a material empire through the ownership of foreign transport systems, oil fields, estancias, stocks, and shares. He gained support for this from James Forrestal, the Defense Secretary. The Two Frank Wisners. He whispered a number of questions: "Who is that? ", He didnt take it well. Hoover also passed to McCarthy details of an affair that Wisner had with Princess Caradja in Romania during the war. Faked photographs were distributed that claimed to show the mutilated bodies of opponents of Arbenz. Wisner's friends believed the illness was triggered by the failure of the Hungarian Uprising. Brad finished and the lights went up. He worked in the Navy's censor's office before managing to get a transfer to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Wisner was appointed director of the organization. [4] A White House spokesman said that Wisner had vast experience in the region as well as close relationships with many Egyptians in and out of government. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A close friend, Avis Bohlen said he "was so depressed about how the world was going he felt we were losing the Cold War.". This information was passed to Joseph McCarthy who started making attacks on members of the OPC. He pointed out that they had spent a great deal of money on Radio Free Europe "to get these people to revolt". http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKwisner.htm, Your email address will not be published. Allen W. Dulles therefore sent him to London to be CIA chief of station in England. Frances Stonor Saunders, the author of Who Paid the Piper: The CIA and the Cultural Cold War? This secret operation involved recruiting former German officers and diplomats who could be used in the covert war against the Soviet Union. On January 31, 2011, he was sent to Egypt by President Barack Obama to negotiate a resolution to the popular protests against the regime that had swept the country. Frank G. Wisner discusses his distinguished career in public service, including working as former undersecretary of defense for policy, undersecretary of state for international security affairs . Other journalists willing to promote the views of the CIA included Ben Bradlee (Newsweek), James Reston (New York Times), Charles Douglas Jackson (Time Magazine), Walter Pincus (Washington Post), William C. Baggs (Miami News), Herb Gold (Miami News) and Charles Bartlett (Chattanooga Times). So still, there's still another, you know, year left in the war. Frank Wisner killed himself with one of his son's shotguns on 29th October, 1965. Frank Wisner, Jr. WASHINGTON Once a month or so, a coterie of aging diplomats convenes at the elegant Metropolitan Club of New York. Frank Wisner was head of Office of Strategic Services operations in southeastern Europe at the end of World War II, and the head of the Directorate of Plans of the Central Intelligence Agency during the 1950s. Wisner was disappointed by the US government's reaction to this news and he was forced to advise the Romanian royal family to go into exile. Wisner was also able to restrict newspapers from reporting about certain events. I saw Frank three days before he died and he seemed in good spirits. It said that Frank had died and gave no reason, but I knew." Name: Frank Wisner [1] He was also tapped for the Seven Society. Wisner's FBI file tells scurrilous tales of his wild life during and after World War II. In June 2013, Wisner joined the advisory board of Ergo, a global intelligence and advisory firm. On August 29, 1944, Lt. Comdr. No senior gure of the time at CIA ever had anything to do with that organization. With the help of Romanian Intelligence, they manage to obtain tons of records, including SD files, 200 rolls of German film and a large amount of Russian information. Any reaction? Its worth noting that Wisner was the Christopher Hitchens of his daya relentless charmer and bon vivant who threw all the best parties with the most interesting, powerful, and influential guests. Mussadegh in Iran was left-wing and had indulged in talks with Russian diplomats about possible alliances and treaties. This included former members of the Nazi Party such as Gustav Hilger and Hans von Bittenfield. Eisenhower spoke to his Chief of Naval Operations "Watch that sub. The Office of Policy Coordination (OPC) was funded by siphoning of funds intended for the Marshall Plan. "Thanks Allen, and thanks to all of you. "[15], During the early 1950s, Wisner was the subject of FBI inquiries in connection with his wartime work in Romania, including the claim that he had an affair with Tanda Caradja, daughter of Romanian princess Catherine Caradja during the war; Caradja was alleged in FBI reports to be a Soviet agent. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Wisner added that he felt personally betrayed by this behaviour. Four months later he agreed to retire from the CIA. At this time Wisner began plotting the overthrow of Mohammed Mossadegh in Iran. [9], Immediately after the arrival of Major Robert Bishop (September 9, 1944) as head of X-2 (Counter Espionage) branch in Bucharest, Wisner started the search for German records. Jake Esterline was placed in charge of the CIA's Washington task force in the overthrow of Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala. Finally Brad (Colonel Albert Haney) rehearsed his speech. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. A close friend, Avis Bohlen said he "was so depressed about how the world was going he felt we were losing the Cold War.". After the West German counterintelligence chief, Otto John, defected to the Soviet Union in 1954, Wisner fed Alsop a story that the West German spymaster had been kidnapped by the KGB. Theres a general rule in secret operations: If it has a bland name, its important. Mossadegh also abolished Iran's feudal agriculture sector and replaced with a system of collective farming and government land ownership. Wisner was also deeply involved in establishing the Lockheed U-2 spy plane program run by Richard M. Bissell Jr.[1], Wisner suffered a serious breakdown in September 1958. Sudden Death. Now internal subversion communism from within - was an additional cause for direct action. Under this innocuous title, the United States was now fully in the business of covert political operations. Frankpassed away in July 1963, at age 83. Frank Gardiner Wisner (June 23, 1909 October 29, 1965) was one of the founding officers of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and played a major role in CIA operations throughout the 1950s. Frank Gardner Wisner was born in Laurel, Mississippi, in 1910. Faked photographs were distributed that claimed to show the mutilated bodies of opponents of Arbenz. As previously described at Mental Floss, one of their more brilliant, but alas, never executed, operations involved airdropping enormous condoms labeled medium behind the Iron Curtain, as a way of demonstrating the anatomical superiority of the American fighting man.). Wisner became head of this new organization and Richard Helms became his chief of operations. President Dwight Eisenhower was delighted with this result and asked Wisner to arrange for Kermit Roosevelt to give him a personal briefing on Operation Ajax. Under this innocuous title, the United States was now fully in the business of covert political operations. Another historical falsehood is that becoming a leader at CIA hinges on membership in Skull and Bones, the secret society at Yale. Subscribe to our Spartacus Newsletter and keep up to date with the latest articles. Frank Wisner, the father of American covert operations, was both. Wisner's death saddened but did not shock his colleagues. Crocker's efforts contributed to the organization and successful discussions at the February 1984 Lusaka Conference regarding conflicts in Angola and Namibia.[9]. Wisner was obviously too sick to go to Spain. Now internal subversion communism from within - was an additional cause for direct action. "I got a cable in Kuala Lumpur, where I was stationed," said Arthur Jacobs, the "Ozzard of Wiz" who had been Wisner's aide in the early 1950s. It is doubtful that many of the lawmakers who voted for the 1947 Act could have envisioned the scale on which the CIA would engage in operational activities all over the world. Frank George Wisner II (born July 2, 1938) is an American businessman and former diplomat who had served as acting United States Secretary of State for a few hours following the resignation of the previous acting United States Secretary of State Arnold Kanter at noon on January 20, 1993 until the confirmation by the United States Senate and Manage Settings While the Guatemalan government valued $2.99 per acre, the American government valued it at $75 per acre. [6][7], Wisner arrived just as Romania joined the Allies and declared war on the Axis. He was a good sprinter and hurdler and in 1936 was asked to compete in the Olympic trials. It wasnt long before the United States recognized the obvious mistake it had made in shutting down its intelligence capabilities. He was assigned as a vice consul at the American Consulate General in Tangier, Morocco. Recalled one CIA officer, I would be at a meeting where it was obvious that the decision had been made the night before at a dinner party., Still, the jobs toll on Wisner was becoming apparent. Eisenhower turned to his Chief of the Joint Chiefs. . Most men brought their wives to these gatherings. In 1954 Wisner arranged for the funding the Hollywood production of Animal Farm, the animated allegory based on the book written by George Orwell. He said that the country needed "an agrarian reform which puts an end to the latifundios and the semi-feudal practices, giving the land to thousands of peasants, raising their purchasing power and creating a great internal market favorable to the development of domestic industry.". The OPC had a staff of 10, so this wasnt likely to happen. In the darkness I could see only a silhouette of the person entering the room; when the door closed it was dark again, and I could not make out the features of the man standing next to me. DR: In a sense, The Good Shepherd However, in 1947, he was recruited by Dean Acheson, to work under Charles Saltzman, at the State Department's Office of Occupied Territories. Wisner leaked details of the speech to the New York Times who published it on 2nd June, 1956. [13] The OPC initially received services from the CIA but was accountable to the State Department. According to Nina Burleigh (A Very Private Woman) these journalists sometimes wrote articles that were commissioned by Frank Wisner. In 2012 he succeeded Paul A. Volcker as chairman of the board of trustees of International House, a cultural-exchange residence and program center in New York City. William (Rip) Robertson was also involved in the campaign against Arbenz. Arbenz, on the other hand, had simply been trying to reform his country and had not sought foreign help in this. He later claimed that Wisner had become obsessed with the Soviet Union: "He was already mobilizing for the cold war. In all, some 1,700 American POWs were transported. As Thomas Polgar later pointed out: "Sure, we never said rise up and revolt, but there was a lot of propaganda that led the Hungarians to believe that we would help. ", General Ridgeway answered. From 1974 to 1975, he was Director of the Office of Plans and Management in the Bureau of Public Affairs and in late 1975 became Deputy Director of the President's Indo-China Task Force in the Department.[8]. During World War II, Wisner and his wife Polly became close friends with Philip Graham and his wife Katharine Graham who after the war became publishers of The Washington Post. Wisner remained concerned about the spread of communism and began lobbying for a new intelligence agency. Iranians took to the streets against Mohammed Mossadegh. Worse yet, the few offices still around with any sort of proficiency in covert action were just too accountable. Over lunch in a glass-enclosed restaurant overlooking Central Park, they engage in verbal thrust and parry over the foreign policy issues of the day. Wisner became head of this new organization and Richard Helms became his chief of operations. Admiral. Wisner, as head of the Office of Policy Coordination (OPC), took overall responsibility for the operation. In the 1950s and early 1960s the CIA's top leaders - men like Allen Dulles, Frank Wisner, Richard Bissell, Tracy Barnes, and Desmond Fitzgerald - were profoundly devoted to covert action. But the navy is watching a Soviet sub in the area; it could be there to evacuate some of Arbenz's friends, or to supply arms to any resisters.". This became the espionage and counter-intelligence branch of the Central Intelligence Agency. As Thomas Polgar later pointed out: "Sure, we never said rise up and revolt, but there was a lot of propaganda that led the Hungarians to believe that we would help. Funded with money from the CIA and MI6, the pro-monarchy forces quickly gained the upper hand. Wisner was also able to restrict newspapers from reporting about certain events. All the top officials of the agency, from director on down, were in attendance. During his absence Wisner's job was covered by his chief of operations, Richard Helms. The DPP now accounted for three quarters of the CIA budget and 60% of its personnel. To give some idea of how aggressively Wisner worked to build his spy network and subvert the Soviet Union, when the OPC was finally and officially absorbed into the CIA as the Directorate of Plans, it dwarfed the rest of the Agency, and consumed 75 percent of the CIA budget. Afterward, he obviously wasnt equipped to go back to the Directorate of Plans, so he was made the station chief in London. It was not successful and still suffering from depression, he was released from hospital in 1958. Eisenhower shook hands all around. Vibrant democratic parties, even socialist ones, were preferable to a Communist victory. A month earlier word had spread through the agency that the New York Times was embarking on a first-ever investigation of the CIA. William (Rip) Robertson was also involved in the campaign against Arbenz. The military now joined the opposition and Mossadegh was arrested on August 19, 1953. This included the claim that Guatemala was the beginning of "Soviet expansion in the Americas". Khrushchev became increasingly concerned about these developments and on 4th November 1956 he sent the Red Army into Hungary. Perhaps he had made up his mind to kill himself. The Office of Policy Coordination (OPC) was funded by siphoning of funds intended for the Marshall Plan. Members of what was later called the Georgetown Ladies' Social Club included Katharine Graham, Mary Pinchot Meyer, Sally Reston, Polly Wisner, Joan Braden, Lorraine Cooper, Evangeline Bruce, Avis Bohlen, Janet Barnes, Tish Alsop, Cynthia Helms, Marietta FitzGerald, Phyllis Nitze and Annie Bissell. In addition, regardless of the principles being professed, when direct action was taken (whether clandestine or not), the interests of American business would be a consideration: if the flag was to follow, it would quite definitely follow trade. In April 1962 Richard Helms recalled Wisner to Washington. Contents Ernesto Guevara attempted to organize some civil militias but senior army officers blocked the distribution of weapons. [10], Wisner died by suicide on October 29, 1965.[22]. [10], Wisner was recruited in 1947 by Dean Acheson to join the State Department to become the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas. Wisner arrived in England in September, 1959. The military now joined the opposition and Mossadegh was arrested on August 19, 1953. These organizations were run by people with well-known right-wing views such as William Paley (CBS), Henry Luce (Time Magazine and Life Magazine), Arthur Hays Sulzberger (New York Times), Alfred Friendly (managing editor of the Washington Post), Jerry O'Leary (Washington Star), Hal Hendrix (Miami News), Barry Bingham Sr., (Louisville Courier-Journal), James Copley (Copley News Services) and Joseph Harrison (Christian Science Monitor). However, Barnes convinced him that it was vital important that the Soviets did not establish a "beachhead in Central America". It is doubtful that many of the lawmakers who voted for the 1947 Act could have envisioned the scale on which the CIA would engage in operational activities all over the world. Toriello accused the United States government of categorizing "as communism every manifestation of nationalism or economic independence, any desire for social progress, any intellectual curiosity, and any interest in progressive liberal reforms.". Wisner came directly from central casting as the shady OSS spy from World War II. President Dwight Eisenhower responded by claiming that Guatemala had a "communist dictatorship.. had established an outpost on this continent to the detriment of all the American nations". Wisner committed suicide. Accepting that further resistance would only bring more deaths he announced his resignation over the radio. Four days later, after a day in which Mubarak allies took violent reprisal against democracy activists, Wisner spoke to a security conference in Europe and called it "crucial" that Mubarak stay on in the interest of "stability." Wisner's other great success was the overthrow of Jacobo Arbenz. The results were horrifying2500 Hungarians were killed, 200,000 were forced to flee their country, and tens of thousands were arrested and imprisoned. According to Deborah Davis (Katharine the Great): "By the early 1950s, Wisner 'owned' respected members of the New York Times, Newsweek, CBS and other communications vehicles.". He was educated at Woodberry Forest School in Orange and the University of Virginia. Jake Esterline was placed in charge of the CIA's Washington task force in the overthrow of Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala. According to Alex Constantine (Mockingbird: The Subversion Of The Free Press By The CIA), in the 1950s, "some 3,000 salaried and contract CIA employees were eventually engaged in propaganda efforts". On January 31, 2011, he was sent to Egypt by President Barack Obama to negotiate a resolution to the popular protests against the regime that had swept the country. Thats why when you read about something called the Mission Support Activity, your eyes glaze over before you realize that youre reading about the Joint Special Operations Commands special mission unit for intelligence commandos. "Incredible". Early life [ edit] The President's final handshake was with Alien Dulles. Wisner's suicide was "entirely rational, if you can say such a thing," said his niece Jean Lindsey. Mussadegh in Iran was left-wing and had indulged in talks with Russian diplomats about possible alliances and treaties. Frank Wisner took over direct command of the everyday operations of the Indonesian project. The CIA was also busy bribing Arbenz's military commanders. The UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold was so upset by the actions of the USA that he considered resigning from his post. He wanted to start yet another secret agencythis one accountable to virtually no one. The questions from the unknown man next to me were very insistent, furtive. Hoover, claimed that Caradja was a Soviet agent. Wisner was obviously too sick to go to Spain. You've averted a Soviet beachhead in our hemisphere." As one of the agents involved in Operation Bloodstone, Harry Rositzke, pointed out, Wisner was willing to use anyone "as long as he was anti-communist". President Dwight Eisenhower was delighted with this result and asked Wisner to arrange for Kermit Roosevelt to give him a personal briefing on Operation Ajax. During that time, Wisner and Bishop discovered and penetrated a Russian Intelligence service named GUGBEZ. However, in 1947, he was recruited by Dean Acheson, to work under Charles Saltzman, at the State Department's Office of Occupied Territories. These organizations were run by people with well-known right-wing views such as William Paley (CBS), Henry Luce (Time Magazine and Life Magazine), Arthur Hays Sulzberger (New York Times), Alfred Friendly (managing editor of the Washington Post), Jerry O'Leary (Washington Star), Hal Hendrix (Miami News), Barry Bingham Sr., (Louisville Courier-Journal), James Copley (Copley News Services) and Joseph Harrison (Christian Science Monitor). However, he began to get suspicious in 1951 and he asked William Harvey and James Jesus Angleton to investigate Philby. President Dwight Eisenhower responded by claiming that Guatemala had a "communist dictatorship.. had established an outpost on this continent to the detriment of all the American nations". He described the OPC as "Wisner's gang of weirdos" and began carrying out investigations into their past. He whispered a number of questions: "Who is that? After graduating Wisner worked as a Wall Street lawyer. Such vague accusations as that "more than ten people have died mysteriously" can always be explained in some natural way e.g. As soon as the war ended Truman ordered the OSS to be closed down leaving a small intelligence organization, the Strategic Services Unit (SSU) in the War Department. Some of this money was used to bribe journalists and publishers. "The cable was from Des FitzGerald. Wisner added that he felt personally betrayed by this behaviour. Wisner left Bucharest in the last week of January 1945.[6]. Wisner was disappointed by the US government's reaction to this news and he was forced to advise the Romanian royal family to go into exile. A large number of these prisoners were tortured or killed. Frank G. Wisner, an ex-OSS man, was brought in from the State Department to head it, with a cover title of his own invention. No longer would the Monroe Doctrine, which was directed against foreign imperial ambitions in the Americas from across the Atlantic or the Pacific, suffice. He retired in 1963, and committed suicide with a shotgun in 1965. Record information. Wisner, 72, was U.S. ambassador to Egypt from 1986 to 1991 and developed a close relationship with Mubarak in that time, according to Hazard and news reports. While in Bucharest he became friendly with King Michael of Romania. ", Wisner, who had been involved in creating this propaganda, told friends that he felt the American government had let Hungary down. Market data provided by Factset. Soon afterwards it was renamed the Office of Policy Coordination (OPC). Wisner was told to create an organization that concentrated on "propaganda, economic warfare; preventive direct action, including sabotage, anti-sabotage, demolition and evacuation measures; subversion against hostile states, including assistance to underground resistance groups, and support of indigenous anti-Communist elements in threatened countries of the free world". On Tuesday, Frank Wisner, a former American diplomat, conveyed a most urgent message to Hosni Mubarak of Egypt: Barack Obama would . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. On April 4, 1953, Wisner persuaded Allen W. Dulles to approve $1 million to be used "in any way that would bring about the fall of Mossadegh." Also involved was Richard Bissell, head of the Directorate for Plans, an organization instructed to conduct covert anti-Communist operations around the world. According to Phillips he initially questioned the right of the CIA to interfere in Guatemala: In his autobiography Phillips claims he said to Barnes: "But Arbenz became President in a free election. After graduating Wisner worked as a Wall Street lawyer. When the project collapsed, however, the Belarusians quickly settled in and obtained US citizenship and intelligence agencies protected them from exposure for decades. (A separate Office of Special Operations conducted secret actions aimed solely at gathering intelligence.) A large number of these prisoners were tortured or killed. [18], J. Edgar Hoover and U.S. Later, John Loftus, a prosecutor with the Office of Special Investigations at the U.S. Justice Department, accused Wisner of methodically recruiting Nazi war criminals. (1999) has pointed out: "In long exchanges, heated by intellectual passion and alcohol, their vision of a new world order began to take shape. It did not take him long to discover that some of them had been active in left-wing politics in the 1930s. View. [3] He is the son of CIA official Frank Wisner (19091965). It did not take him long to discover that some of them had been active in left-wing politics in the 1930s. [12] Wisner was chosen to lead the OPC in the capacity of Assistant Director for Policy Coordination (ADPC). When the war ended, the OSS was shut down and Wisner returned to the soul-draining doldrums of office life. For months, waves of airborne spies in mission after mission landed, and each was killed straightaway. Over the next few weeks thousands were arrested on suspicion of communist activity. (A separate Office of Special Operations conducted secret actions aimed solely at gathering intelligence.) He was educated at Woodberry Forest School in Orange and the University of Virginia. . That beginning took place for him in Romania, simultaneously dealing with the results of the German war and with the coming reality of Soviet power. In April 1962 Richard Helms recalled Wisner to Washington.

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