AUTHOR: DOCUMENTS PROVE US RECRUITED RUSSIAN NAZIS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000404200048-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 6, 2010
• Sequence Number: 48
• Publication Date: February 19, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/06: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404200048-1
STAT
ARTICLE APFEAR$D
ON PAGE S
BOST0r GLOBE
19 February 1905
STAT
Author: Documents prove
US recruited Russian Nazis
By William F. Doherty
Globe Staff
A Rockland -lawyer. yesterday
released three formerly -classified _`-
documents that he said proved a.
clandestine State Department==
unit knowingly recruited the en-
tire leadership cadre of a group of
White Russian Nazi collaborators
and brought them into the United
States after World War II.
John Loftus, -a former Justice
Department investigator, said the
State Department planned to use
the White Russians to gain infor-
mation about the Soviet Union.
Byelorussia, sometimes known
as White Russia. was occupied by
the Nazis from 1941 to 1944.
The plan. however, turned into
a disaster, he said, because the
White Russians were "riddled
with Soviet agents.' He said at
least 300 are still living in the
United States, some of them work-
ing for government and quasi-gov-
ernment groups.:- . - -
Loftus said the declassified doc-
uments back up contentions he
made in a book he wrote and a
television movie based on It
Loftus said he timed the release
to back up assertions in a CBS
'television movie that was broad-
cast Saturday night. The movie,
"Kojak: The Belarus File," was
based on Loftus' book "The Be-
larus Secret." he said.
Loftus said he had access to
the documents while working as a
lawyer for the Justice Depart=ment's Office of Special Investiga-
tions, which investigates Nazi war
criminals, but had agreed not to
mention them when he wrote his
book after leaving the agency in
1981.
'He said the documents were
subsequently declassified and he
procured them about two months
ago under the Freedom of Informa-
Lion Act.
The "'smokinis gun" among the
'
tus said Ostrowsky's group was fi-
nanced by a State Department
front group.
Although many of those who
attended the convention have
documents. Loftus said, was a
' 'since died. Loftus said among
1952 setter Radaslau Ostrowskv. those alive is S'vyataslau Koush-
- former president of the Nazi pun- , .who Loftus said is the parish
,.pet state in Bvelorussta. wrote to priest of a Byelorussian Orthodox
the State Departments intelli- church in South River. N.J.
"
pence operation, the Office of Po11-
cv Coordination.
In the letter. which Loftus dis-
played, strowsf.?. offered to join
.. our modest fo1 with US intelh-
gence services. i
~-"*If vour^intelligence.-agencies,
come to the conclusion that they
would like to work in conjunctiop
with our modest forces, a condi-
tion of such collaboration would
be complete frankness and trust
between us." the letter said.
Loftus also released a roster of
100 Nazi leaders who attended a
1954 convention in South River.-'
N.J. of the Byelorussian Central
Council. The list included Os-
trowsky and his followers.
Loftus said the convention cos-
,ter proves the State Department
accepted Ostrowsky's offer. Most
of the Nazi collaborators who at-
tended the convention already
were living in the United States.
but some came from Germany.
i England, and Canada. Ostrowsky
1 died in Michigan in 1954.
. "By 1954 we had brought the,
ten tire leadership of the Nazi pup={
pret government in White Russia
.. to America." the lawyer said. Loft;
I am not hunting Nazis," Lof-
tus said at a press conference at
his home. "1 am hunting Nazi re-
cruiters."
Be said he has sent copies of
the documents to Congress and
hopes the publicity "might deter
some of these wild operations" in
the future.
However, he said, "I know
there are modern connections be-
tween the WhiteRussians and US
operations in Central America."
He refused to elaborate.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/06: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404200048-1