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'''Simon Samuel Krafsur''' (January 10, 1913 – June 1983) was a Boston-born journalist who worked for the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] news agency [[TASS (USSR)|TASS]] during [[World War II]]. He was also known as '''Bill Krafsur'''.
'''Simon Samuel Krafsur''' (January 10, 1913 – June 1983) was a Boston-born journalist who worked for the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] news agency [[TASS (USSR)|TASS]] during [[World War II]]. He was also known as '''Bill Krafsur'''.<ref>[http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:zvSmw-tjBF8J:www.alba-valb.org/volpdf/vol_1938_04.pdf+%22Bill+Krafsur%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us The Volunteer For Liberty, Vol. 1, No. 3, April, 1938]</ref>.
Krafsur was mentioned in the [[Venona]] intercepts under the codename IDE. He was used by the [[KGB]] during the war as a source of information and for recruiting journalists as informants and agents, and is referred to in the [[NSA]] archives as a "KGB agent" <ref>National Security Agency Archives[http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps33230/www.nsa.gov/docs/venona/monographs/monograph-1.html], National Cryptological Museum, [http://www.nsa.gov/museum/museu00040.cfm] Custodian of documents for the Army Signals Intelligence Corp.</ref>[http://www.nsa.gov/venona/venon00116.cfm?CFID=2412771&CFTOKEN=59316524&jsessionid=c830b21ad087a$5FoV$B#17].
Krafsur was mentioned in the [[Venona]] intercepts under the codename IDE. He was used by the [[KGB]] during the war as a source of information and for recruiting journalists as informants and agents, and is referred to in the [[NSA]] archives as a "KGB agent" <ref>National Security Agency Archives[http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps33230/www.nsa.gov/docs/venona/monographs/monograph-1.html], National Cryptological Museum, [http://www.nsa.gov/museum/museu00040.cfm] Custodian of documents for the Army Signals Intelligence Corp.</ref>[http://www.nsa.gov/venona/venon00116.cfm?CFID=2412771&CFTOKEN=59316524&jsessionid=c830b21ad087a$5FoV$B#17].
==Early career==
==Early career==
In the 1930's Krafsur joined the [[Communist Party of America]]. He attended Northeastern University for a year. He lived at 68 Phillips Street in Boston before going to [[Spain]] to fight with the [[Abraham Lincoln Brigade]] during the [[Spanish Civil War]], where he was wounded in 1937.
In the 1930's Krafsur joined the [[Communist Party of America]]. He attended Northeastern University for a year. He lived at 68 Phillips Street in Boston before going to [[Spain]] to fight with the [[Abraham Lincoln Brigade]] during the [[Spanish Civil War]], where he was wounded in 1937.
In 1938 Krafsur was a member of the editorial staff of ''The Volunteers for Liberty'' a newspaper which was an, "organ of the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade" organization out of 125 West 45 Street in New York City.<ref>[http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:zvSmw-tjBF8J:www.alba-valb.org/volpdf/vol_1938_04.pdf+%22Bill+Krafsur%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us The Volunteer For Liberty, Vol. 1, No. 3, April, 1938]</ref> In April of 1938 he was in charge of finding veterans to tell their war sories to be made into radio plays written by [[Irwin Shaw]].
In 1938 Krafsur was a member of the editorial staff of ''The Volunteers for Liberty'' a newspaper which was an, "organ of the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade" organization out of 125 West 45 Street in New York City.<ref>[The Volunteer For Liberty, Vol. 1, No. 3, April, 1938]</ref> In April of 1938 he was in charge of finding veterans to tell their war sories to be made into radio plays written by [[Irwin Shaw]].<ref>The Volunteer For Liberty, Vol. 1, No. 3, April, 1938</ref>.
He began working for TASS in 1941 after being recruited by the Soviet agent [[Vladimir Pravdin]]. Krafsur was considered an important asset to the KGB because of the many contacts he had with other newsmen. He was the deputy TASS bureau chief in [[Washington, D.C.]] and the [[FBI]] spent a lot of time and effort trying to identify who he was under his codename IDE.
He began working for TASS in 1941 after being recruited by the Soviet agent [[Vladimir Pravdin]]. Krafsur was considered an important asset to the KGB because of the many contacts he had with other newsmen. He was the deputy TASS bureau chief in [[Washington, D.C.]] and the [[FBI]] spent a lot of time and effort trying to identify who he was under his codename IDE.<ref>''Venona: Decoding Espionage in America'', John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, Yale University Press, (1999), pgs. 242–244, 248.</ref>
In May 1944, he was described in a KGB cable from New York to Moscow as, "absolutely devoted to the [[USSR]]." He provided at least twenty leads of people for possible recruitment including [[Josef Berger|Joseph Berger]], a personal aide to the chairman of the [[Democratic National Committee]], and [[I. F. Stone]].
In May 1944, he was described in a KGB cable from New York to Moscow as, "absolutely devoted to the [[USSR]]." He provided at least twenty leads of people for possible recruitment including [[Josef Berger|Joseph Berger]], a personal aide to the chairman of the [[Democratic National Committee]], and [[I. F. Stone]].<ref>''Venona: Decoding Espionage in America'', John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, Yale University Press, (1999), pgs. 242–244, 248.</ref>
In 1949, he left TASS and was later called before the [[House Committee on Un-American Activities]] where he chose not to cooperate. Later he worked in a toy store.
In 1949, he left TASS and was later called before the [[House Committee on Un-American Activities]] where he chose not to cooperate. Later he worked in a toy store.<ref>''Venona: Decoding Espionage in America'', John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, Yale University Press, (1999), pgs. 242–244, 248.</ref>
In the early 1960's he married the ex-wife of the secretary-treasurer of the Mine, Mill, and Smelters Union. He died, at the age of seventy, in St. Petersburg, Florida in 1983<ref>U. S. Social Security Death Index</ref>.
In the early 1960's he married the ex-wife of the secretary-treasurer of the Mine, Mill, and Smelters Union. He died, at the age of seventy, in St. Petersburg, Florida in 1983.<ref>U. S. Social Security Death Index</ref>
==Venona==
==Venona==