The State Department said Monday it has denied a visa to Markus Wolf, who once ran Communist East Germany's foreign spy service, on the grounds that he had in the past been involved in terrorist activities.
The State Department said it had no plans to waive the law for Wolf as it has done for Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA.Wolf, who had been seeking a visa to discuss the manuscript of his memoirs with his American publisher, said he would appeal.
In denying the visa, the State Department cited a law that bars aliens "who have engaged in terrorist activities."
Nancy Beck, a spokeswoman, said that as deputy minister of state security, East Germany's dreaded secret police, Wolf "was in a decision-making position" for the ministry's activities, which included "preparing and planning terrorist activity."
Wolf denied the accusation Monday. "I have never had anything to do with terrorists or terrorist activities," he said.