Former Spymaster Is Denied U.S. Visa

The man who served as East Germany’s top spy need not apply for a U.S. visa because of his long history of sponsoring international terrorism, the State Department said Monday.

Spokesman Nicholas Burns said Markus Wolf, who directed his government’s espionage branch for 34 years, was deemed ineligible for a visa when he applied last year.

Burns made no reference to a new visa request by Wolf but The New York Times said he has been seeking admission to the United States to promote a book he has written, “Man Without a Face: The Autobiography of Communism’s Greatest Spymaster.”

Burns said Wolf had spent his entire career working against West Germany and the United States.

“Why would we give him a visa?” he asked.