Karl Koecher
Encyclopedia
Karel František Koecher (21 September 1934 in Bratislava
) is the only mole
known to have penetrated the CIA.
, he became a radio comedy writer and was allegedly frequently scrutinized by the Communist security forces for his satire
that mocked the regime (this turned out to be a pre-planned "cover story"). He joined the Communist Party in 1960, and the Czechoslovakian intelligence service in 1962.
skills, Koecher was selected to become a mole in the West. In 1965 he and his wife, Hana Koecher (the daughter of a Communist Party official), seemingly emigrated to the United States
. He gained a doctorate in philosophy from Columbia University, and became an American citizen in 1971. After several years as a sleeper
he was hired by the CIA as a translator/analyst
in 1973 due to his fake dissident credentials and skills in a number of Eastern European languages. He was given high level security clearance
and given the job of translating and analyzing documents handed over by CIA agents and transcripts of wiretap
s and bugs. He quickly became one of the USSR's best sources of information, allowing them to mount an effective defense against CIA covert actions. He is believed to have betrayed Aleksandr Dmitrievich Ogorodnik
, a Soviet diplomat who spied for the CIA.
In 1975, however, Koecher was summoned back to a meeting with KGB
head of counter-intelligence
, Oleg Kalugin
. Koecher claims that after testing Koecher, Kalugin argued that he was in fact a double agent
and his information could not be trusted. Koecher then retired, leaving the CIA for a post in academia
. By the end of the 1970s Koecher was rehabilitated by the KGB. In 1980, with growing tensions due to the election of Ronald Reagan
, Koecher was one of a number of agents reactivated. He returned to work part-time for the CIA. Although the FBI asserts that it was at that time already on to him, no action was taken against him. To this day, neither the FBI nor the CIA will reveal what alerted them to Koecher's treachery. Koecher and other KGB officials claim it was Kalugin.
However, it was then decided that Koecher was not reliable enough to be a double agent and was likely to defect and return to Czechoslovakia. On November 27, 1984, the day after the couple sold their apartment and hours before they were scheduled to fly to Switzerland
, Koecher and his wife were arrested in New York City
. Koecher was held on espionage charges and Hana Koecher as a material witness
. The arrest of the two agents was released to the media. U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani led the case.
It soon emerged that the FBI had badly blundered. Koecher's confession was given only after his interrogators promised him immunity as a ruse, and was thus invalid. His wife had been denied access to a lawyer despite frequent requests for one, which reportedly caused Justice Department officials to refuse to charge her. She refused to testify against Karl, asserting spousal privilege
, though prosecutors argued this did not apply given the two had been partners in crime. With little concrete evidence, it appeared that Koecher had a good chance of being acquitted.
Koecher claims he was the victim of an attempted stabbing by an unnamed inmate while in prison. The inmate supposedly lunged at Koecher with a pair of scissors in an attack Koecher said was foiled by a Hells Angel leader in the cell next door. Koecher claims the inmate was moved to another prison, and could not be located years later, which he says is proof of an attempt by US intelligence agencies to assassinate him.
Koecher, worrying about his own safety, sent through his lawyer a request to the KGB chairman that he be part of a prisoner exchange
with the Soviets. KGB chairman Kryuchkov
agreed, and so did the prosecutor’s office, concerned about the embarrassing chance of an acquittal. Koecher plead guilty on charges of conspiracy to commit espionage for Czechslovakia, and was sentenced to life in prison, which was reduced to time served provided he left the US and never returned. On February 11, 1986, Koecher and his wife were part of a nine person exchange at Glienicke Bridge
in Berlin
, of which the most prominent member was noted dissident Anatoly Shcharansky.
, the future Czech president. It is said that Koecher played an organizing role in the early days of the Velvet Revolution
(1989), as he was seen by U.S. journalists issuing orders at the Laterna Magika
theatre. Koecher denied any involvement in the Velvet Revolution, stating that U.S. journalists must have mixed him up with the then unknown Václav Klaus, who had a similar appearance.
The fall of communism has seen him fall from prominence, with the exception of his alleged involvement in a scheme run by self-professed former CIA operatives to defraud Mohammed Al-Fayed with false documents that would support his conspiracy theories about the death of Princess Diana
. He continues to live in the Czech Republic
in relative obscurity. His wife, Hana Koecher, made the headlines in the Czech Republic, when she was fired from her new job as a translator for the British Embassy in Prague. The British were completely unaware of her espionage past until a Czech newspaper reporter notified them. A suit she filed against a media organisation for revealing her past as a spy, damaging her business, was rejected.
An episode of the 2004 Canadian documentary series 'Betrayal!' covered the Koecher case.
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
) is the only mole
Mole (espionage)
A mole is a spy who works for an enemy nation, but whose loyalty ostensibly lies with his own nation's government. In some usage, a mole differs from a defector in that a mole is a spy before gaining access to classified information, while a defector becomes a spy only after gaining access...
known to have penetrated the CIA.
Early life
Born in CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, he became a radio comedy writer and was allegedly frequently scrutinized by the Communist security forces for his satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
that mocked the regime (this turned out to be a pre-planned "cover story"). He joined the Communist Party in 1960, and the Czechoslovakian intelligence service in 1962.
Infiltration
Because of his English languageEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
skills, Koecher was selected to become a mole in the West. In 1965 he and his wife, Hana Koecher (the daughter of a Communist Party official), seemingly emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He gained a doctorate in philosophy from Columbia University, and became an American citizen in 1971. After several years as a sleeper
Sleeper agent
A sleeper agent is a spy who is placed in a target country or organization, not to undertake an immediate mission, but rather to act as a potential asset if activated...
he was hired by the CIA as a translator/analyst
Analyst
Analyst generally is a term for an individual of whom or which the primary function is a deep examination of a specific, limited area and may mean:* Accounting analyst, an accounting analyst evaluates and interprets public company financial statements...
in 1973 due to his fake dissident credentials and skills in a number of Eastern European languages. He was given high level security clearance
Security clearance
A security clearance is a status granted to individuals allowing them access to classified information, i.e., state secrets, or to restricted areas after completion of a thorough background check. The term "security clearance" is also sometimes used in private organizations that have a formal...
and given the job of translating and analyzing documents handed over by CIA agents and transcripts of wiretap
Telephone tapping
Telephone tapping is the monitoring of telephone and Internet conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connection was an actual electrical tap on the telephone line...
s and bugs. He quickly became one of the USSR's best sources of information, allowing them to mount an effective defense against CIA covert actions. He is believed to have betrayed Aleksandr Dmitrievich Ogorodnik
Aleksandr Dmitrievich Ogorodnik
Alexander Dmitrievich Ogorodnik was a Soviet "Diplomat", operating under the code name Trianon and Trigon who, while stationed in Bogotá, was blackmailed by Colombian intelligence agents into spying against the Soviet Union...
, a Soviet diplomat who spied for the CIA.
In 1975, however, Koecher was summoned back to a meeting with KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
head of counter-intelligence
Counter-intelligence
Counterintelligence or counter-intelligence refers to efforts made by intelligence organizations to prevent hostile or enemy intelligence organizations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence against them. National intelligence programs, and, by extension, the overall defenses of...
, Oleg Kalugin
Oleg Kalugin
Oleg Danilovich Kalugin , is a former KGB general. He was a longtime head of KGB operations in the United States and later a critic of the agency.-Early life and the KGB career:...
. Koecher claims that after testing Koecher, Kalugin argued that he was in fact a double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
and his information could not be trusted. Koecher then retired, leaving the CIA for a post in academia
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
. By the end of the 1970s Koecher was rehabilitated by the KGB. In 1980, with growing tensions due to the election of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, Koecher was one of a number of agents reactivated. He returned to work part-time for the CIA. Although the FBI asserts that it was at that time already on to him, no action was taken against him. To this day, neither the FBI nor the CIA will reveal what alerted them to Koecher's treachery. Koecher and other KGB officials claim it was Kalugin.
Apprehension
The FBI apprehended Koecher and brought him and, soon afterwards, his wife in for several days of questioning. Finally, Koecher agreed to become a double agent working for the Americans, provided that they agreed to grant him immunity from prosecution. This was done and Koecher attempted to convince the FBI that he was cooperating.However, it was then decided that Koecher was not reliable enough to be a double agent and was likely to defect and return to Czechoslovakia. On November 27, 1984, the day after the couple sold their apartment and hours before they were scheduled to fly to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Koecher and his wife were arrested in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Koecher was held on espionage charges and Hana Koecher as a material witness
Material witness
A material witness is a person with information alleged to be material concerning a criminal proceeding. The authority to detain material witnesses dates to the First Judiciary Act of 1789, but the Bail Reform Act of 1984 most recently amended the text of the statute, and it is now codified at...
. The arrest of the two agents was released to the media. U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani led the case.
It soon emerged that the FBI had badly blundered. Koecher's confession was given only after his interrogators promised him immunity as a ruse, and was thus invalid. His wife had been denied access to a lawyer despite frequent requests for one, which reportedly caused Justice Department officials to refuse to charge her. She refused to testify against Karl, asserting spousal privilege
Spousal privilege
In the law of the United States, the spousal privilege comprises two separate privileges, the marital confidences privilege and the spousal testimonial privilege....
, though prosecutors argued this did not apply given the two had been partners in crime. With little concrete evidence, it appeared that Koecher had a good chance of being acquitted.
Koecher claims he was the victim of an attempted stabbing by an unnamed inmate while in prison. The inmate supposedly lunged at Koecher with a pair of scissors in an attack Koecher said was foiled by a Hells Angel leader in the cell next door. Koecher claims the inmate was moved to another prison, and could not be located years later, which he says is proof of an attempt by US intelligence agencies to assassinate him.
Koecher, worrying about his own safety, sent through his lawyer a request to the KGB chairman that he be part of a prisoner exchange
Prisoner exchange
A prisoner exchange or prisoner swap is a deal between opposing sides in a conflict to release prisoners. These may be prisoners of war, spies, hostages, etc...
with the Soviets. KGB chairman Kryuchkov
Vladimir Kryuchkov
Vladimir Alexandrovich Kryuchkov was a former Soviet politician and Communist Party member, having been in the organization from 1944 until he was dismissed in 1991...
agreed, and so did the prosecutor’s office, concerned about the embarrassing chance of an acquittal. Koecher plead guilty on charges of conspiracy to commit espionage for Czechslovakia, and was sentenced to life in prison, which was reduced to time served provided he left the US and never returned. On February 11, 1986, Koecher and his wife were part of a nine person exchange at Glienicke Bridge
Glienicke bridge
The Glienicke bridge is a bridge on the edge of Berlin that spans the Havel River to connect the cities of Potsdam and Berlin near Klein Glienicke...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, of which the most prominent member was noted dissident Anatoly Shcharansky.
Return
Koecher returned to Czechoslovakia to a hero's welcome and was given a house and a Volvo car as a reward for his services. He was also given a job at the Prague Institute for Economic Forecasting, where he shared an office with Václav KlausVáclav Klaus
Václav Klaus is the second President of the Czech Republic and a former Prime Minister .An economist, he is co-founder of the Civic Democratic Party, the Czech Republic's largest center-right political party. Klaus is a eurosceptic, but he reluctantly endorsed the Lisbon treaty as president of...
, the future Czech president. It is said that Koecher played an organizing role in the early days of the Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
(1989), as he was seen by U.S. journalists issuing orders at the Laterna Magika
Laterna Magika
Laterna Magika is a Non-Verbal theatre located in Prague. Its origins are connected with the Expo '58 in Brussels. The plays are internationally comprehensible since they are silent. The performances are a combination of dance, film and black theatre...
theatre. Koecher denied any involvement in the Velvet Revolution, stating that U.S. journalists must have mixed him up with the then unknown Václav Klaus, who had a similar appearance.
The fall of communism has seen him fall from prominence, with the exception of his alleged involvement in a scheme run by self-professed former CIA operatives to defraud Mohammed Al-Fayed with false documents that would support his conspiracy theories about the death of Princess Diana
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales conspiracy theories
Although the initial French investigation found that Diana, Princess of Wales had died as a result of an accident, a number of researchers, and others, including most notably Mohammed Al-Fayed and the Daily Express have persistently raised conspiracy theories that she was assassinated...
. He continues to live in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
in relative obscurity. His wife, Hana Koecher, made the headlines in the Czech Republic, when she was fired from her new job as a translator for the British Embassy in Prague. The British were completely unaware of her espionage past until a Czech newspaper reporter notified them. A suit she filed against a media organisation for revealing her past as a spy, damaging her business, was rejected.
An episode of the 2004 Canadian documentary series 'Betrayal!' covered the Koecher case.