  We discuss the contribution of Population III stars to the near-IR (NIR)
cosmic infrared background (CIB) and its effect on spectra of high-$z$
high-energy gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). It is shown that if Population III were
massive stars, the claimed NIR CIB excess will be reproduced if only ~ 4+/-2%
of all baryons went through these stars. Regardless of the precise value of the
NIR CIB produced by them, they would leave enough photons to provide a large
optical depth for high-energy photons from high-z GRBs. Observations of such
GRBs are expected following the planned launch of NASA's GLAST mission. The
presence or absence of such damping in the spectra of high-$z$ GRBs will then
provide important information on the emissions from the Population III. The
location of this cutoff may also serve as an indicator of the GRB's redshift.
