“Declassified US records reveal the nation’s intelligence chiefs used hundreds of Nazis as spies and informants after World War Two.”
“Central Intelligence Agency officials are said to have turned to the country’s former enemies to help beat the Soviet Union during the Cold War.”
“records indicate long-time FBI director J Edgar Hoover not only approved of the use of ex-Nazis as spies, he also dismissed the horrific acts they had been involved in during the war as Soviet propaganda.”
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“Coming on the heels of recent revelations that dozens of suspected Nazi war criminals pocketed millions of dollars worth of Social Security checks, the story of Otto von Bolschwing is one of many discussed in newly disclosed records. In all, historians told the New York Times, J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI and Allen Dulles’s CIA hired at least 1,000 Nazis — if not more. Bits of the story have been reported in the past, but the full scope of the operation has now been reported in Times reporter Eric Lichtblau’s new book, “The Nazis Next Door,” released today.”
“The FBI in 1980 declined to disclose records showing 16 Nazis had worked for the government hunting Communist sympathizers, saying it wanted to protect “the confidentiality of such sources of information to the fullest possible extent.” Then in an additional battle with the New York Times, the Justice Department refused for years to declassify a report that illustrated government agencies’ coziness with von Bolschwing, among others. Only “under the threat of a lawsuit” did it do so.”
Read more: US used Nazis as Cold War spies and How U.S. intelligence agencies used 1,000 Nazis as Cold War spies — then covered it up (archived)
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