U.S. Government Cover Up of Counter Reformation Crimes

Protecting Croatia's Ante Pavelic and Alois Stepinac

Your tax dollars went towards protecting the grisliest of the Nazi-allies.

http://www.jasenovac-info.com/cd/biblioteka/pavelicpapers/pavelic/ap0027.html

Memorandum from Agent William Gowen

From the US Army File on Ante Pavelic: This document contains the most widely quoted passage in the entire US Army dossier on Ante Pavelic, related to his incriminating relationship with the Vatican. The reference to Krunoslav Draganovic, the organizer of the Vatican's Ratline, indicates that Agent Gowen had put together the entire puzzle behind the development of a nest of Nazis inside the Holy See. This is the last substantial report submitted by the Counter Intelligence Corps before Pavelic left for Argentina one year later.

MEMORANDUM FOR THE OFFICER IN CHARGE:

SUBJECT: PAVELIC, Ante

Re: Present Status

1. The following information concerning subject has been the result of further investigation of Case No. 5650 as per instructions Supervising Agent, this detachment following the request of AC of S, G-2, MTOUSA.

2. Between five (5) and ten (10) days ago, PAVELIC underwent a serious operation. Reputedly, he barely survived this operation. Indirect contact is being maintained with oneof [sic] Subject's acquaintances through DRAGANOVIC, Krunoslav. The name of this acquaintance is not known to these Agents and apparently the man in question is not as yet aware of the interest of an American agency.

3. These agents have received the following impression of PAVELIC's contact with the VATICAN.

PAVELIC's contacts are so high and his present position is so compromising to the VATICAN, that any extradition of Subject would deal a staggering blow to the Roman Catholic Church.

AGENTS' COMMENTS:

It is the opinion of these Agents that an interview can be arranged with Subject on extraterritorial ground when the condition of his health permits his movement.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

It is recommended that the final disposition of Subject's case await the clarification that such an interview as described above could bring.

LOUIS S. CANIGLIA, Special Agent, CIC.
WILLIAM E.W. GOWEN, Special Agent, CIC.

APPROVED:
GONO MORENA
Supervising Agent.

http://www.jasenovac-info.com/cd/biblioteka/pavelicpapers/pavelic/ap0026.html

Memorandum from Agent William Gowen

From the US Army File on Ante Pavelic: There are many explanations for this document. Loftus and Aarons in Unholy Trinity believe Gowen, who had worked harder than any other agent on the case, was told of the change of plans - that Pavelic would not be arrested, but simply allowed to flee Europe for South America - and put the best face on it. Other sources claim Gowen was set up by forces in the State Dept. who never wanted Pavelic to be captured - or the Ratline exposed - in the first place. Whatever the case, within 45 days, the Counter Intelligence Corps has gone from planning for Pavelic's imminent arrest to looking at him as a misunderstood man whose victims, the Serbs, wish him to go free. Note paragraphs five (about Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac), six (rationale for the Vatican's protective umbrella around the Ustase), and thirteen and the Agent's Comments (allegation that Pavelic is being protected not just by the Vatican but the British.)

COUNTER INTELLIGENCE CORPS
ROME DETACHMENT
ZONE FIVE
A. P. O. 512, U. S. ARMY

WEWG/ms

29 August 1947

Case No. 5650

MEMORANDUM FOR THE OFFICER IN CHARGE:

SUBJECT: PAVELIC, Ante

1. Pursuant to the instructions of the Supervising Agent, this Detachment upon the request of the AC of S, G-2, MTOUSA, these Agents are herewith submitting the following information concerning Subject.

2. PAVELIC, Ante, former Chief of State of the Croat Independent State 1941-1945 and at present on the London War Criminal List recognized by Great Britain and the United States, is in hiding in Italy, probably in the Rome area. Though his present status cannot be concisely established, it is known that numbers of Croat guerillas [sic] in Yugoslavia are fighting and dying in his name.

3. PAVELIC began his career as a political emigrant in 1929 after the Serbs had murdered RADIC, the leader of the Croats in the Yugoslav Parliament. The Subject, a violent Croat nationalist, subsequently fled from Yugoslavia, and the Serbs retaliated by killing off all members of his family. As a result of this, PAVELIC became even more radical and rose to the leadership of the Croat USTASCIA Movement in 1933 at which time he was in Geneva, Switzerland. Living in the boarding houses and third class hotels of Central and Western Europe, including those of Paris, Geneva, Rome and Budapest, in contact with the political intelligence agents of MUSSOLINI and HORTHY, in alliances against Yugoslavia with Balkan secret societies, and in league with the Roman Catholic Church in Croatia, combating the Serb Orthodox Church, Subject built up a large series of acquaintances in a number of countries. In 1935, he was responsible for the MARSEILIE [sic] assassination of King ALEXANDER of Yugoslavia and the French Foreign Minister, BARTHOU.

4. In the meantime, he had married a Jewess and now has three (3) children by her; two daughters and a son.

5. Though fanatically anti-Serb and to a slightly lesser degree anti-Orthodox, PAVELIC is a cultured person and a social liberal. It is said, with exactly what foundation is unknown, that Archbishop STEPINAC, Alois of Zagreb was the Subject's evil genius. STEPINAC was one of PAVELIC's close friends and is reputed to have taken him at the time of his political frustration when the tragedy of his family was still a fresh memory and to have turned him into a religious fanatic. The fact is, however, that during the early months of the PAVELIC regime about 150,000 persons of the Serb Orthodox faith were slaughtered - in many cases, it is a matter of record, they were offered salvation if they renounced their faith and became Catholics.

6. Thus, today, in the eyes of the VATICAN, PAVELIC is a militant Catholic, a man who erred, but who erred fighting for Catholicism. It is for this reason that Subject now enjoys VATICAN protection. Certain it is that the reports STEPINAC sent to the Holy City, concerning Subject must have been favorable.

7. Due to the Croat-Italian frontier question, PAVELIC slowly dropped his very close contact with the Italian Fascist Government and came to an agreement with the Germans sometime prior to 1941. This was not an unnatural step since Croatia had been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for hundreds of years with the middle and upper classes all speaking German, and with the Croat military and naval officers all graduates of Austrian academies. In April 1941, when Germany and Italy invaded Yugoslavia, PAVELIC declared the Independent Croat State and the Croat elements of the Yugoslav Armed Forces for the most part deserted and turned on the Serbs. PAVELIC's tie to the Germans tightened when the Italians formally annexed parts of Croatia and declared other regions occupied territory. (After the Italian Armistice, 8 September 1943, Subject incorporated these territories into Croatia). The Croats found this particularly odious because they themselves had turned over these areas to the Italians. The friction between PAVELIC and the Italians increased despite Subject's Rome visit to MUSSOLINI in 1941. Eventually, the Italian SIM (Intelligence) organized the sale of war materials to MIHAILOVIC for explicit use against the Croats.

8. During the war, when CHURCHILL was backing the idea of an Allied Balkan invasion and MIHAILOVIC commanded the major Allied Force in the area, the Chetnik Commander approached two of PAVELIC's ministers VOKIC and LORKOVIC. He did so seeking the eventual cooperation of the Croats in the supposedly impending Allied invasion. The Subject tolerated this relationship for some time; however, when this invasion failed to materialize, the two a/m ministers were tried, sentenced, and executed.

9. In May 1945, just prior to the final German collapse, when TITO had already been recognized by Britain and the United States, the remnants of the Croat Armed Forces were retreating towards southeast

[a page appears to be missing; the rest of paragraph 9, 10, 11, and much of 12 are not available]

Minister assassinated with Alexander in 1935. On the other hand, PAVELIC is known to be in contact with the VATICAN which sees in him the militant Catholic who yesterday fought the Orthodox Church and today is fighting communist atheism.

13. Since no emigrant political leader with as many enemies and as many acquaintances as the Subject could long hide from the eyes of the world without also positive assistance, indubitably, the Subject is today being supported and exploited by some power. Though it can be admitted that the VATICAN could successfully hide an individual, it must be brought to mind that he also has a wife and three (3) children who are also under cover and are being supported. Due to the regulations of the Roman Catholic Church, no man can live with his wife inside a religious institution. Allegedly PAVELIC's family came to Italy with PAVELICIC, a former Croat minister, and lived first in CECINA, Tuscany, for some time and then moved to Florence. His son is now reported studying at Bologna and one daughter is believed married. His wife with the remaining daughter supposedly remain in Florence. PAVELIC's family must have fled through the British lines from Croatia in 1945 and its location must have been known to the British at that time. Knowing something of the British Intelligence system, these agents feel sure that it must have been and continues to be closely surveilled by the British. It is also not excluded that the Italian authorities do not know of the exact location of PAVELIC's family.

14. For some time a number of rumors have been circulating concerning PAVELIC's supposed attempts to flee Italy using false passports. PAVELIC obviously has need of false documents andis [sic] probably in the possession of a large number of them. But these agents doubt that PAVELIC desires to leave Italy, the Vatican, his family, what remain of his organization, and the fight to which he has fanatically dedicated his life.

AGENTS' COMMENTS:

PAVELIC, after years of frustration and bitterness succeeded in returning to his homeland a conquering hero. He obviously is hoping and fighting for the same end today with all the fanaticism of a desperate and cornered revolutionary. For the reasons given above he is receiving the protection of the VATICAN whose view of the entire "PAVELIC Question" is that, since the Croat State does not exist and, since the TITO regime cannot be expected to give anybody a fair trial, the Subject should not be turned over to the present Yugoslav Regime with the excuse of bringing him to justice. The extradition of PAVELIC would only weaken the forces fighting atheism and aid Communism in its fight against the Church.

PAVELIC's crimes of the past cannot be forgotten, but he can only be tried by Croats representing a Christian and Democratic Government, the VATICAN maintains. While PAVELIC is allegedly responsible for the death of 150,000 persons, TITO is the agent of STALIN, who is responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of persons in the Ukraine, White Russia, Poland, the Baltic and the Balkan States over a period of about twenty-five (25) years.

It is the opinion of these Agents that the Subject has been closely linked to the British in the past and still is, though to what degree is unknown.

The present Chetnik view of PAVELIC is that he ought not to be turned over to TITO at the present time since his following trial would be used as a basis for more anti-American and pro-Communist propaganda.

Monsignor JURETIC, Agostino, reputedly the Chief Croat Peasant Party representative in Europe now that Dr. [Vladko] MACEK is in America and who went to school with Subject, recently stated in regard to PAVELIC's present status, "he has got all his faith in the British".

RECOMMENDATIONS:

These Agents recommend that the VATICAN and Chetnik views of PAVELIC be appreciated and that no direct police action be taken against him on the part of the American Military Authorities. Such an action would force his extradition to TITO and would bolster the present British anti-American propaganda campaign be waged [sic] among the political emigres in Western Europe. (In the case of the Croats the British state that while they have only extradited seven (7) Croats from Italy the United States has extradited ninety-eight (98) from Austria). If however, contact can be established through the VATICAN, as these Agents believe quite possible, and proof can be collected concerning British protection and cooperation with Subject, then the British could be forced to arrest and extradite him themselves. The ultimate disposal of PAVELIC is necessary if the Croat democratic and resistance forces are to ever be recognized by the United States. In the meantime, these Agents recommend that attempts be made to discover the whereabouts of PAVELIC's wife and three (3) children who are apparently still dispersed in Italy.

LOUIS S. CANIGLIA, Special Agent, CIC.
WILLIAM E.W. GOWEN, Special Agent, CIC.

APPROVED:
GONO MORENA
Supervising Agent.

Distribution:
To AC of S G-2 only as per
verbal request to investigative
Agents.

U.S policy to cover up the continuing counter reformation, so that the general public would remain unaware of the very nature of the events they were aware of.

His contacts are so high and his present position so compromising to the Vatican, that any extradition of the subject would deal a staggering blow to the Roman Catholic Church

U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps September 12 1947

That’s some policy. Cover up a major source of terrorism, inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution’s 1^st amendment bar against establishing a religion and in guaranteeing free speech, but consistent with the juxtaposition of Jesuit run Georgetown University established in 1789 and the government in Washington DC.

Why should the U.S. government be interested in covering up the Vatican’s (or any other entity’s) misdeeds? Is not this the same government that says it’s against religious terrorism?

The Vatican and the Nazis