Secret Societies, Narcoterrorism, International Fascism, and the World Anti-Communist League Part V

Yes folks, it is now time to revisit this classic series. I initially wrapped it up all the way back in 2013, which seems like a lifetime ago. As the title implies, the series chronicles the history of the dread World Anti-Communist League (WACL). During the height of the Cold War, WACL was very much the visible personification of the Fascist International. It had it's origins in the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations (ABN) and the Asian People's Anti-Communist League (APACL). These outfits had their roots in Nazi Germany and the narco-state of Taiwan, respectively. This lineage was discussed in the first installment of this series.

Drug trafficking has always been a major component of WACL. Many of the early works on it, such as the Andersons' Inside the League, neglected this aspect. The great Peter Dale Scott touched on it in various works, but it had never been subjected to an extensive examination, as best I could tell. Hence, much of parts two and three are pre-occupied with outing WACL's links to the international drug trade. 

Part three also delves extensively into the mysterious Mexican secret society known as Los Tecos. In many ways, it was Mexico's answer to Propaganda Due (P2), effectively controlling the Mexican security services on behalf of the United States. As far as I'm aware, this is the longest English-language account of Los Tecos since the publication of Inside the League in 1986. Frankly, I wish I didn't have that distinction. Los Tecos is an important and highly neglected subject, one that really deserves a researcher who can read Spanish. 

Carlos Cuesta Gallardo, a WWII-era Nazi collaborator and longtime Tecos head

For what was the last installment, I delved into the hardest topic involving WACL: the genocide it helped perpetuate across Latin America and other parts of the developing world during the final decades of the Cold War. By the 1980s, virtually every nation blessed with a WACL chapter had developed it's own "freedom fighters," anti-Communist militias. The phrase "dirty war" was coined to described the methods embraced by these WACL-backed regimes. 

While the operations of WACL proper wound down decades ago, it's legacy is still with us. Consider WACL's chairman during its absolute 1980s pinnacle, Major General John Singlaub. Singlaub was a special forces legend who deployed with the Jedburg teams during WWII, and later helped manage the Phoenix Program during Vietnam. Singlaub's contributions to special operations forces are succh that the US Army Special Operations Command began handing an award named after Singlaub in 2013. Yeah, the same year I finished writing this series chronicling the genocidal legacy of WACL, one of the principal '80s architects got his own award named after him from the US Army. So it goes. 

Singlaub

Nor is the US Army the only outfit naming awards after Singlaub these days. Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum followed suite in 2018 when it announced the inaugural Singlaub Award. The first recipient? Why, General Michael T. Flynn, the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and Trump's inaugural National Security Adviser. He's also been a leading figure behind the QAnon LARP. Singlaub had to be pleased. He would latter beg Attorney General William Barr to address the "miscarriage of justice" against Flynn during early 2020. 

Flynn

In a way, it was inevitable. Singlaub is set to turn 100 this July, further confirming that the truly evil never die young. But sooner or later (and probably sooner), Singlaub must shed his mortal coil. When that happens, it will truly be the end of an era. Singlaub is the last of the OSS "China Cowboys," a curious clique that included other storied figures such Ray S. Cline, Lucien Conein, Mitchell WerBell III, and E. Howard Hunt (noted here). Many of the old China cowboys would play instrumental roles in WACL, as well as the international drug trade and various death squads the world over. They turn up in the Phoenix Program and later Iran-Contra. Their modus operandi largely revolved around using narco-financed anti-Communist militias to terrorize the peoples of developing nations. 

It was a bloody business to be sure, but one that was necessary to the objectives of the American Empire. Unfortunately for men like Singlaub, the generation of CIA officers that came of age after the Cold War just weren't up to snuff. Relics like Singlaub were necessary to continue filling the gap. That is, until the rise of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Men like Flynn, his longtime boss General Stanley McChrystal, and General William Boykin, had not only the will to revive the Phoenix Program, but to implement it on a truly international scale for the Global War on Terror. This topic was discussed at length in my debut work, Strange Tales of the Parapolitical: Postwar Nazis, Mercenaries, and Other Secret History. 

McChrystal (top) and Boykin (bottom)

Flynn and company seem well on their way to reviving the private networks so favored by Singlaub and earlier generations as well. But instead of using a litany of anti-Communist networks, these young guns prefer to work through a host of interlocking private military and intelligence companies. In this sense, the SCL Group and the host of companies surrounding it (including Cambridge Analytica) provide us with a vision of how a twenty-first century version of WACL operates. This sleek, corporate version, centered around the boardrooms of London and NYC, is a far cry from the aging Nazis and their charges deep in the jungles of South America. But it is no less lethal. 

***

Of course, I didn't opt for a new WACL post just to ruminate on the passing of the baton from Singlaub to Flynn. If you've been following my podcast, The Farm, then you probably have some inclination as to what this post is about. Beginning last summer, I embarked upon what was always going to be an ambitious project: a full-blown podcast miniseries chronicling the history of WACL. 

It seemed like a great idea for a variety of reasons: thanks to Kyle Burke's Revolutionaries for the Right and the Biden/Ukraine flap, interest in WACL is arguably as high as it's been since the early 1990s. And now, almost 30 years removed from the end of the Cold War, and with most of the leading figures having shed their mortal coils, lips are becoming looser and documents more plentiful. What it amounts to is that there is a far clearer picture of WACL available now in the historic records than in any previous era. And with rising tensions between the American Empire and China, and the corresponding attention the US will lavish on it's old WACL partners in Asia, this state of affairs may not last for long. Thus, it's crucial to document this important history while it's still possible. 

The miniseries was conceived of as running roughly 4-5 episodes, and clocking in around 10 hours. As with all projects I embark upon, this proved to be insanely optimistic. The final product will be eight full length episodes and two appendixes (thus far). And it probably goes without saying, but it consists of well over 20 hours of material, a good chunk of it wholly original research that has never been made available to the public before. 

This was due to the incredible group of researchers who took this journey with me: my research partner Keith Allen Dennis, We've Read the Documents' John Brisson, Unification Church defector "Don Diligent," and Ukrainian specialist Moss Robeson. Combined, these guys brought a wealth of material to the table, which enabled us to fill in some of the crucial historical gaps. But of course, I still did a lot of the heavy lifting for Los Tecos episode, though Keith did his part to set the table. 

One of the striking things about this endeavor, as opposed to the earlier WACL series I wrote for this blog, is how much better of a researcher I've become. This is largely due to Mr. Dennis. For the original WACL series, I was relying on the account of the Tecos presented in Inside the League, which in turn was largely based upon a report by Stefan Possony for the US chapter of WACL. This time around, I had a copy of Possony's actual report, along with everything he had on the Tecos from his papers at Hoover. But there'll be plenty of time for self-reflection in a moment. For now, the WACL series:

Part One

Here I'm joined by Moss Robeson to discuss the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (Bandera) (OUN-B), a WWII-era fascist organization. For decades, it was the driving force behind the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations (ABN). Several of the other Quisling outfits that comprised the ABN are also discussed, as well as it's links to Nazi Germany, the KGB and a host of other intrigues. 

Part Two

Here Moss returns, along with Keith Allen Dennis. Much of the discussion here is centered around the old (and new) China Lobby. We address the brutal history of the former narco-state of Taiwan; it's epic connection to the international drug trade; the Cooke-Pawley Expedition; the OSS "China Cowboys"; and the Fabulous MacArthur Boys. We also touch on the ABN again and the Captive Nations.

Part Three

You can't discuss the World Anti-Communist League without discussing the Unification Church. So, this is our epic Moonies episode. Naturally, our resident ex-Moonie Don Diligent was with us for this one, along with John Brisson, Keith and myself. This is one of the most complete accounts of the early history of the Unification Church one is likely to find. With this episode and the prior, we fleshed out the early history of the Asian People's Anti-Communist League (APACL). 

Part Four

Having fleshed out the two principal bodies behind WACL (the ABN and APACL) during the prior three episodes, we now turn our attention to WACL's founding. We begin with the infamous and semi-legendary 1958 Mexico City meeting, which marked the first attempt to launch WACL. It failed and the enterprise would not get off the ground until 1966. There were multiple attempts to sabotage WACL, with the Kennedy administration being a major thorn in the proverbial side. Keith takes center stage in this one as he lays out this pivotal moment in WACL's history. Myself, Moss, and Don are also present for this one. 

Part Five

This is my personal favorite, though I'm biased. It's just myself and Keith for this one. While nominally centered around Los Tecos, we delve deeply into the occulted history of Mexico. We consider the struggle between Freemasonry, the Vatican, and various populist movements for control of Mexico during the early twentieth century and its aftermath: the brutal dirty war that destabilized Mexico for nearly two decades. Los Tecos was born in the midst of the former struggle and was at the heart of the latter. 

Part Six

With this installment, Keith, Don, and myself close out the 1970s. This was a "colorful" decade for WACL, climaxing in Bolivia's "Cocaine Coup" of 1980. Here we really dig into the Nazi legacy in South America, Operation Condor, and the dirty wars in Chile and Argentina. 

Part Seven

Finally, we arrive at the 1980s, the absolute pinnacle of WACL. Parts seven and eight are effectively a two-parter with the entire cast on hand: Keith, Moss, Don, John, and myself are all present and accounted for. In this one, we consider the rise of the "New Right" and Reaganism in the 1980s as well William F. Buckley's not inconsiderate contributions to either. We also catch up on the Captive Nations, OUN-B, and, inevitably, Iran-Contra.

Part Eight

For the final installment we delve into the "Golden Lily" one final time, the Christic Institute, their "secret tram" allegations, and one of the most bizarre lawsuits of the latter stages of the Cold War. Brisson also dives into one of his favorite subjects, the Council for National Policy (CNP) and their links to WACL. Finally, I open up the floor for Moss, Don, John, and Keith to provide their reflections on WACL and this series. 

There are also (thus far) two Appendixes to the series, both them dealing with the OUN-B: 

Appendix I

This one is with Moss Robeson and myself. Here we discuss the continuation of the OUN-B as a kind of quasi-secret society in modern times. We also delve into how this factors into the Biden-Ukraine connections.

Appendix II

A follow up to the prior podcast, this time with John Brisson joining Moss and I. Here, we delve even deeper into the Biden-Ukraine connections. 

***

And now it's time for something I don't normally do: Reflect on this blog. But in this case, it seems so fitting as both the series and subject of it have meant so much to me. So, here are a few thoughts:

WACL is by far the hardest subject I've written about. This may surprise those of you who are long time readers. Over the course of my ten plus years blogging, I've covered a lot of dark subjects: Esoteric Nazism, child sex rings, and state-sanctioned human experimentation are re-occurring themes here. Outfits like the American Security Council (ASC) and Le Cercle have similar legacies of death squads, drugs/arms trafficking, and pedophilia. And of course, my second book traced the origins of Epstein's ring. So yeah, after doing this for over a decade, I am well familiar with the terrible things human beings are capable of and then some. 

But that doesn't make dealing with WACL any easier. It was all the things groups like the ASC and Le Cercle were, but on steroids. This was likely out of necessity. The core of the ASC and Le Cercle oversaw the strategy of tension in North America and Western Europe respectively, where a little black terror went a long way. 

Things were different in the developing world. There, legions of "former" Nazis and their Quislings, along with US and UK intelligence veterans, crafted their own private fiefdoms away from the prying eyes of human rights advocates. The gloves were firmly off and places like Colonia Dignidad embraced this freedom with "vigor." The Colony had a mass grave for it's victims, and it is not alone. WACL was the vehicle for a host unreconstructed Nazis and their sympathizers to live out their fantasies of making 120 Days of Sodom a reality in the developing world. And this was done largely with the tactical and financial support of the American Empire. 

To describe this as a national scandal is an understatement. It is completely and utterly sickening and morally reprehensible. It is a stain on the soul of this nation and a major factor that has led us to the administrations of Trump and Biden. 

And it is a stain upon my soul as well. Upon completing this series in October 2013, I was done with WACL. I never wanted to revisit it again. But WACL was not done with me. I would write about it again with my first book, and revisit it yet again with the current series up for discussion. 

In the intern, something truly bittersweet happened: WACL helped establish VISUP as a serious parapolitical blog in a big way. To date, the final installment in the original WACL series is my most widely viewed post, with 23.5k views over nearly eight years. It truly marked a turning point when I found my "voice" as a researcher. 

But beyond that, it had a totally unforeseen consequence: bringing many of the people who have subsequently become my closest friends into my life. Keith Allen Dennis first contacted me in 2016, informing me that a thesis paper he was working on was inspired by my WACL series. Much of the documentation we have for the podcast series came from Keith's time at Hoover researching that thesis. It was the first of what has subsequently become many communications. First, a few emails a year, now we're in almost daily contact with one another. 

Don came into my life some two years later, also partly because of the WACL series. We've also developed a friendship. I collected Brisson in 2019 and Moss in 2020, both due in part to the WACL series as well. And their have been others along the way, most notably "Scully" and "Annie Wilkes," who became two of my dearest friends. 

Suffice to say, this was the last thing I ever expected to come from this series when I started it all those years ago. And with that, I shall sign off, because frankly there are not words to describe what these people mean to me and how much better my life is because of them. Thank you all so much.