CIA tried to recruit French writer born to Ottoman and Indian royalty

The renowned French journalist, Keneiz Murad, was born in 1939, the daughter of an Ottoman princess and an Indian prince. She worked as a war correspondent for nearly 15 years before authoring several books, including a best-selling novel adapted from her mother's extraordinary life in exile. Her diverse background and experiences shaped her unique perspective as a writer and journalist.

A striking investigation recently published by *The Sunday Times* has shed new light on the decades-old murder of a foreign correspondent. The investigation reveals that Murad, now 85, was recruited by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) while working as a Middle East correspondent in the 1970s. This revelation adds a complex layer to her already fascinating career.

Murad claims she initially agreed to work for the American intelligence agency to write an article about its operations, but later changed her mind. She is best known for her novel, *Greetings from a Dead Princess*, which tells the story of her mother, Princess Selma, the granddaughter of Sultan Murad V. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the young Turkish Republic abolished the Caliphate, and Princess Selma, along with other members of the Ottoman royal family, were expelled from Istanbul, her family relocating to Beirut.

In the years that followed, strong connections developed between members of the Ottoman royal family and wealthy rulers of the Indian subcontinent. The seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, a billionaire prince and one of the world's wealthiest Muslim rulers, financially supported the exiled last Caliph, Abdulmejid II, who resided on the French Riviera. This support network highlights the intricate web of relationships that existed among displaced royalty and influential figures.

The investigation also revealed that several spies were employed as journalists at *The Sunday Times* around the time of Holden's murder. They were hired by Ian Fleming, the foreign manager of *The Sunday Times* and the legendary author of the James Bond novels. Fleming himself was a former intelligence officer, and he knowingly hired these individuals despite their roles as spies. This paints a picture of the media landscape during the Cold War, where espionage and journalism often intertwined.

Following Holden's murder, Murad told journalist Peter Gillman that she had encountered Holden by chance in Damascus, Syria, on November 29, 1977, and then again in Amman, Jordan, where she had dinner with him on December 2nd and 3rd. On the second night, she went to his hotel room for a drink and stayed until 1 a.m. She said the last time she saw him was on the morning of December 4th, when he left for the occupied West Bank. Murad then traveled to Damascus. Her account provides a detailed timeline of her interactions with Holden in the days leading up to his disappearance.

However, secret memoranda from the CIA station inside the U.S. embassy in Tehran, recovered after the 1979 revolution, list Murad as a CIA asset, recruited in Paris in the fall of 1973 to monitor Chinese diplomats and "Near East targets." The memoranda record that she changed her mind a month later. "The idea seemed exciting," she wrote to her contact. "But I realized in the end that it went against my feelings… It would be a constant struggle in my head." This discrepancy between her account and the CIA documents raises questions about the true nature of her involvement.

However, a memorandum records that "operational approval was canceled in April 1979." Murad vehemently told *The Sunday Times* that she "neither followed David Holden nor collected any information" in 1977. "I have never worked for American intelligence in my life or thought about it!" She recalled meeting an American diplomat in 1973 and said she was "appalled" when he tried to recruit her into the CIA. Her denial underscores the controversy surrounding her alleged involvement with the intelligence agency.

Initially, she planned to agree so she could write an article about the CIA recruiting left-wing journalists. But later, "I realized I was a fool, and I couldn’t write an article about the CIA, risking terrible reprisals. I shouldn’t have let them know I played a game, letting them believe I could work for them. I was even afraid to confront the man, which is why I sent a letter, pretending I was very sorry, I thought I could, but I couldn’t." Murad was subsequently asked why her "operational approval" was recorded as lasting for nearly six years.

"I imagine it was just a bureaucratic error," Murad said. "Or perhaps they didn’t want to admit their failure?" There is no suggestion that Murad was involved in the murder. But the episode – one of many in the writer’s dazzlingly international life – illustrates the extent to which European journalists were embroiled in espionage during the height of the Cold War. This incident serves as a reminder of the complex and often clandestine relationships that existed during that era.