/specialCollection/nwcda2/51/CIA AND THE ORIGINS OF THE BND, 1949-56 VOL. 2/CIA AND THE ORIGINS OF THE BND, 1949-56 VOL. 2_0002.pdf

Secret
REL Ger
intelligence -- 4
• Cooperation is close, without question. The organization has been
turning up what the military regards as excellent material on the
Russians. But the suspicion, for whiCh. there is only circumstantial
evidence, is that in addition the Oehlen group bee already gone far
beyond its original intelligence missien, and is in contact with, if
not directing the activities of, the group of German officeri vho have
settled in Caire, the group of ex.-Basle in Mhdrid, and the group in
Argentina. There were, moreover, public charges at the time of the
General Inaction in Germany that the Gehlen group was wire-tapping and
doing political spying against the political opponents of the Adenauer
regime..
The problem confronting American authorities at this point seems
to resolve itself in two general directions: 2) To What extent are
we reliant On the Gehlen group for our military intelligence, and
2) Rhat kind of an organisation have we now been caught 0eponsoring"
and to whom is it to be turned over in Germany? '
Taking up the second of these problems fireti when the "contreetual
agiseeent2 with'Oermany acme into foroe, it will, at that point, be
necessary for the United States to cease its independent sponiorahip
of this German organicatioa, and at that time the intention, or the
expectation, is that theGehlen group will be transferred to the control
of the German government. There already exists between the Oehlen group
and the German Federal Chancellery a close working arrangement-- Which
has given rise to the charges of *politic:al wire-tapping" by the group,
and also to the circumstantial euspiolons about its part in German
activities in Cairo, Madrid and Buenos Aires.
715
REL Ger
Secret