Documents / FOIA release
This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency dispatch from a Chief of Station to the Chief, Foreign Division, released in 2006 under the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act. It assesses the operational potential of the Hungarian emigre group led by Andras Zako, including its KOPJAS and MHBK elements. It reports that the group passed off refugee debriefings as agent reports, and it concludes that the group is politically worthless and unfit to serve as an intelligence or resistance network. The "UFO" in the text is an OCR error, not a reference to aerial phenomena.
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6. MO wan at first reluctant to receg,nize the authority of the
Hungarian National Counctl in Washington berauee its members (tie not
support his political views. Together with Ferenc Eisbarnaki RA2i sA, he
tried to form a "counter-council" in Europe. i.hen be realised, hoscver,
that the Hungarian National Council in Washington enjoys the 'mei:it: it of
• the U. S. Gov-rnment, he souttt recognition and representation is the
Cotutail. certain responsible leaders of the Council, e.g. Bela V APZA
and Ferenc MAU, hesitated to recognize the ZAKO group on the grnmvis
'• that the political past of the group might cast an unfavorable shlrle.m
over the Connell's activities. On the other hand, such rightist •embers
• . of the Connell an Tibor RCKHARDT end BAKAM-PFSSENTilli sew a chant-, to
increase their influence within the Council and so aligned thernse ;11..11
with ZAK°. After Tibor ISCVHARDT was charged by the Council with salters
of defense, he applied in July 1950 for membership in the {MIK.
eppeinted bitsoelf representative of the WNW on the Council, spilt v,ttly
using thn grov ae en soenue to greater influence ott thin the Co,', i I. and
ae a factor in dealings with the U.S. Government.
7. The present. 1:ettlook of the rightist element is beet ref t • nted in
an article published In Hungaria on 25 August. 1950. The follow!! is It
• partial translation of the article; the original is attached. t t..4ARITI !a
• telegram to Honseria: "Read with great interest the Hungarle. a s h -A*,
'Korea ani the Hungarian Soldiers'. If the writer proposes the : nix a t. 1 nrk
of a Hungarian Legion for Korea, I find the suggestion premature, i'efore
erecting a Hungarian mtlitary unit it would be necessary to seer:-Us
independence. Otherwise such a Legion would come under pent-neve tnter:...
national 00 a " •
8. Ou the above eubject, ZAKO wrote the following to the W.:. a' of
Hungarian "Only through the creation of certain preliminary politistl
-conditions ,could it be hoped that real and serious results, comtsseettrete
wit.1 the escrifices, would derive from the military efforts of the ead.eree.
These (preliminary conditions) are ae follows:
itecoy.nition as an ally by all Western powers e(
a unified et4potent Hungarian political leaderehlr zbls
to direct all efforts of the emigres.
kgreesent by Weatern powers to aid the new ally -
in the organization of an independent military force, •
fighting under its own national colors....
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'....Naturally, if developments in t he world e Ittieti or.r-
in Korea or at any other point—should offer opportontlt fee
by which we could attain Serious political objectives h• •.. . • nothing I rcre than the emigres' limited military effect°, .
there is no room for heettation or rigid adherence *o
retical piens. In such an event, we Should carry a ettare
cf the fight in keeping with the opportunities inherent in Not linked to a story yet.
FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 5 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.