13-12-2009, 01:51 PM
John Singlaub, Ray S. Cline, etc. and The United States Council for World Freedom which was the official U. S. Chapter in the World Anti-Communist League, superceding both the California Anti-Communist League of Rev. Gerald L. K. Smith and the Anti-Communist League of the Caribbean started by Maurice Gatlin and Guy Bannister a former FBI agent from Chicago. These guys pulled off Iran Contra and some of them took part in the JFK murder.
Senator John McCain was recently called out for associating with these turkeys.
Acronym/Code: USCWF
Updated: 10/90
Category: Military
Background: The U.S. Council for World Freedom (USCWF) is the United States affiliate of the World Anti-Communist League (WACL). The first WACL branch in the U.S., the American Council for World Freedom (ACWF), was founded in 1970 by Lee Edwards. Edwards had worked with the Young Americans for Freedom. The chapter was discredited in 1973 when board member Stefan Possony of the Hoover Institute circulated a report in the name of ACWF about the fascist elements in WACL, calling for their expulsion from WACL. ACWF, after a two-year struggle, left the League.(4) A new U.S. chapter of WACL, the Council on American Affairs, was formed in 1975 by Roger Pearson, an anthropologist who authored numerous books about racial supremacy. Pearson attempted to bring anti-semitism to the forefront of the WACL cause, but in 1980 his attempts to oust more moderate WACL chapters failed. Pearson left WACL and the U.S. chapter once again dissolved.(2,4,5,6) This internal struggle and the notoriety in the press coming from the connection with fascism brought WACL to a low point in its history.(4)
In 1980, retired Major General John K. Singlaub went to Taiwan to speak at the WACL annual convention.(4) A year later he was asked to start a new U.S. chapter which was funded by a $16,500 loan from Taiwan. With that loan and generous funding from beer baron Joseph Coors, Singlaub began the United States Council for World Freedom (USCWF).(2,3) Joining Singlaub from the ACWF board were John Fisher, Stefan Possony, Lev Dobriansky, J. A. (Jay) Parker, and Fred Schlafly.(4) Because Singlaub is not only the leading figure in USCWF but also a driving force in coordinating the activities of the New Right, it is important to present information on his background and connections. He was an officer in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)--the forerunner to the CIA--during World War II. He served on the China desk of the CIA in 1948 and 1949 and became deputy chief of the CIA in Seoul during the Korean War.(7) He served for two years in Vietnam during the 1960s. There he was commander of the Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force (MACVSOG), the outfit that ran Operation Phoenix. Infamous for its assassinations and counterterror tactics, Operation Phoenix was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Vietnamese civilians. Singlaub denies involvement with Operation Phoenix.(4)
As chief of staff of the United Nations Command in Korea in 1978, he publicly condemned the decision of President Jimmy Carter to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Korea. He was then forced to retire.(4) USCWF's purpose as stated in a membership recruitment flyer is "to promote the cause of Individual and National freedom from International Communism and all other forms of totalitarianism." Its objectives, as stated in the recruitment packet, are to provide education on the dangers of the communist threat; to counteract "the subversion, disinformation, and news manipulation that fuels the Communist drive toward world domination," and to provide non-military technical assistance, supplies and "moral support" directly to freedom fighters throughout the world.(8) Since its inception USCWF has provided greatly needed new energy and leadership to WACL.(4)
After 1984 when Singlaub became chairman of WACL, the support for anticommunist insurgent groups around the world increased greatly.(4) In 1981, USCWF incorporated as a nonprofit group. In 1982, it applied for and received tax-exempt status--501�(3)--from the Internal Revenue Service. The status was granted after the Los Angeles district office referred the issue to the national level as it could find no precedents for such a group receiving tax exemption as a charitable or educational organization.(5)This status was revoked by the IRS in December 1987 because of complaints lodged against the group for its activities with the contra support network.(9,13,16,21)
Funding: A good deal of USCWF's funding comes from private individuals. Joseph Coors of the Coors Beer family, Nelson Bunker Hunt and Herbert Hunt from the wealthy Texas family that tried to corner the silver market, oil fortune heiress Tarlton "Topsy" King, Scott Parrott of the Parrott Oil fortune, John Howell of Howell Instruments, Burt Hurlbut of First Texas Royalty and Exploration Co, and Dallas oil tycoon Harry Lucas were reported to be generous supporters of USCWF, but exact amounts of the donations are unknown.(4) Singlaub once stated that private contributions were coming in at the rate of $50,000 a month.(3,4,10,50) Dallas heiress Ellen Garwood donated $65,000 to purchase a helicopter for the Nicaraguan rebels known as the "contras."(3) Singlaub reported that he received commitments for $100,000 from a fundraising campaign with fellow members of the Council for National Policy.(3) WACL/USCWF activities in support of the contra forces in Central America have reportedly received funding from other WACL chapters around the world.
Singlaub told the Washington Post in May of 1985 that the Brazil and Argentina chapters of WACL were actively contributing, and another Washington Post article attributed donations of $100,000 yearly from the Saudi Arabian chapter.(3,4) A Time magazine article reported that the Taiwan chapter of WACL, a group close to the ruling Kuomintang party, had raised $100,000, mostly from private sources.(41) Burt Hurlbut of the USCWF board stated that Taiwan and Korea were providing $50,000 a month to the contras.(11) The financial statements of USCWF do not reflect these donations. Public reports, however, indicate that USCWF was coordinating private efforts to get money and supplies of all kinds to the contras in Central America, at least until the Iran-Contra scandal broke. The USCWF financial reports show income of $41,262 in 1984 and $280,798 in 1985--nothing like the $10 million Singlaub reported to members of the press. Singlaub said that many of the contributions he mentioned were in-kind or were given directly to the vendor and did not pass through USCWF.(12,13)
Activities: From its inception in 1981 through its near demise in 1987, USCWF assumed a leadership position in WACL.(4) Until 1984, the activities of USCWF and of WACL received little notice as the U.S. government was funding and otherwise supporting the contra forces in Central America. When the Congress cut off all military support to the contras in 1984, WACL and the USCWF were among several private organizations which stepped in to fill the gap.
At its 1984 convention, WACL, led by Singlaub, passed a resolution and formed committees to support the anticommunist rebel groups in Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.(4) At the 1984 convention the Nicaraguan contra delegation from the Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN) led by Adolfo Calero requested the USCWF to act as a clearinghouse and disseminator of current information and needs of the FDN to all WACL chapters.(4) In 1984 the USCWF and Soldier of Fortune established a private training academy for Salvadoran police forces and Nicaraguan contras. The Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) was designed to replace the U.S. Police Academy, a government group that trained the secret police of Uruguay, El Salvador, and Panama, among others.(4) The IRIS is or was headed by Alexander McColl, the military affairs editor of Soldier of Fortune magazine. The USCWF and Soldier of Fortune also joined forces in 1984 to form Refugee Relief International, an organization of former Special Forces soldiers, paratroopers, and pilots. This group provided medical, financial, and other assistance directly to people displaced by "communist terrorism."(4)
In 1985, USCWF and the Committee for a Free Afghanistan established Project Boots. Directed by Ted Abbott, the project solicited money, boots, and blankets for the rebels in Afghanistan.(19) In late 1985, the group started a similar project, the Freedom Fighter Friendship Kits, soliciting items such as insect repellant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, disposable razors, and the like, to be sent to the Nicaraguan contras. This project was carried out in conjunction with Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum.(20,22) Singlaub was selected by the White House in 1984 to be the chief private fundraiser for the contras. The key private and foreign governmental funders were to be wealthy business people, Taiwan, South Korea, and "an anti-communist organization with close ties to those governments," (i.e. WACL).(17) Singlaub's testimony from the Iran-Contra hearings reveal that he had numerous contacts with National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Oliver North and felt his fundraising activities for the contras had the tacit approval of the executive branch of government.(13) In the same year, Singlaub assisted WACL in Canada in cleaning up its image by ridding itself of its pro-Nazi leadership in the persons of Patrick Walsh and Robert Thompson. John Gamble, a former Conservative Party member of parliament was selected to be the chairman. Gamble set up the Canadian Freedom Fdn and worked to support Singlaub's efforts.
In 1984 and 1985 Singlaub made numerous trips to Canada to raise money and supplies for the contras.(9) USCWF paid $125,000 to Freedom Marine in 1985 for the purchase of three "stealth boats" with hulls reinforced for machine gun mounts. In Honduras in 1986, the coastal resupply system for the contras inside Nicaragua utilized three stealth boats.(24) In 1985, USCWF hired Carter Clews public relations agency to improve Singlaub's public image in hopes of enhancing his fundraising efforts. The agency was recommended to USCWF by Rob Owen, a contract agent of the Nicaraguan Humanitarian Aid Organization. Owen also acted as a courier and liaison with the contras for Oliver North during the period when U.S. government support of the rebels was prohibited. The Carter Clews agency did the promotion and publicity for the 1985 WACL convention.(13)
In 1986, USCWF purchased a UH-1B Huey helicopter, Lady Ellen, with money donated by Ellen Garwood.(4) It received permission from the State Department in April to send the copter to Nicaragua for the purpose of evacuating injured and sick rebels from war zones.(31) USCWF employed pilots Ed Dearborn and Mike Timpani to fly the old military copter (with hard points--brackets that can be used to mount machine guns) to a contra base in Honduras.(4) Dearborn was or is the aviation adviser for USCWF. Dearborn has an extensive background with the CIA, and Timpani is a former army helicopter pilot involved in the Delta Force and the invasion of Grenada.(16) Dearborn oversaw the reconstruction of three other planes intended for contra use--a vintage Cessna L-19 spotter plane donated by a retired air force officer, a Cessna 337 utility plane donated by a retired officer in Hawaii, and a Helio Courier short-takeoff-and-landing plane.(29)
Joyce Downey of USCWF said the organization spent at least $500,000 in 1985 to reconstruct the planes.(31) In October of 1986 the New York Times reported a cargo plane shot down over southern Nicaragua--flown by Eugene Hasenfus, whose downing revealed the first glimpses of the Iran-Contra affair--was operated "an organization run by retired General John K. Singlaub." Singlaub in a statement relayed through Joyce Downey, executive director of USCWF, said the incident had nothing to do with USCWF.(30) The 1986 tax return of the rightwing Council for Inter-American Security reported a $13,000 contribution received from USCWF.(52)
In 1986 the Christic Institute filed a civil racketeering suit under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO Act) against Singlaub and other contra supporters including Oliver North, Rob Owen, Tom Posey, and Adolfo Calero.(42) The suit charged Singlaub with involvement in the bombing of La Penca, the jungle headquarters of Eden Pastora, in which various journalists and other on-lookers were killed or injured.(42) The suit was costly to Singlaub.(21) One part of the suit involved the USCWF's attempt to purchase a C-130A cargo plane from Arizona's Valley National Bank. USCWF offered the bank partial payment in cash and part in a "tax credit for the donation." (The bank refused the offer.) Ed Dearborn, aviation adviser for USCWF, said that this was one of several efforts to obtain a plane, and if it had been successful, the plane would have been operated by USCWF to deliver non-lethal supplies to the contras.(16) In December of 1987 the IRS revoked USCWF's tax-exempt status.
When interviewed, USCWF attorney Thomas Spencer said he felt the IRS action was the result of complaints about the organization's private aid to the contras being in violation of the neutrality laws. Others at USCWF felt it might have been a reprisal from the White House for Singlaub's candid testimony at the Iran-Contra hearings.(15) An article in This Magazine in 1988 reported that USCWF was suffering from financial problems as a result of losing its IRS tax-exempt status.(9) In 1988, General Daniel Graham, vice chair of USCWF, was one of an eight-man delegation that met with President Ronald Reagan in an effort to block the Geneva accords calling for a withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan.(23) The USCWF also co-sponsored an ad with the Conservative Caucus calling on citizens to contact their congresspeople and urge them not to support the United Nations efforts to achieve troop withdrawals in Namibia and Angola.(24) USCWF was listed among the 29 private groups still supporting the contra cause in the March/April 1988 Common Cause magazine.(28)
In late 1988, Singlaub was indicted in a second law suit regarding his activities around the contras. This one was brought by the stockholders of the Miami Bayshore Bank naming Singlaub as a participant with Barbara Studley--a TV personality and head of GeoMiliTech--in a scheme to loot the bank to buy arms for the contras. The bank failed in 1985, partly because it transferred $5 million to GeoMiliTech; the money was not repaid.(21) An August 31, 1989 newsletter from Don Devereux, an investigative journalist from Scottsdale, reported that the USCWF had closed its doors in Phoenix. It was also reported that former USCWF executive director, Joyce Downey had retained the USCWF office space and was launching her own organization--the U.S. Alliance of Freedom Fighters.(47) USCWF, however, apparently did not dissolve as an organization, but moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Because of continued financial difficulties, NARWACL (the North American Regional World Anti-Communist League made up of the U.S. and Canada WACL organizations) was unable to hold its annual meeting in 1988-1989.(48)
Principals: Major General John K. Singlaub (ret.), chairman; Lieutenant General Daniel O. Graham (ret.), vice chair; W.A."John" Johnson, president Research Publications, treasurer.(1) Joyce Downey, executive director (as of 1988).(21) Members of the board are: Dr. Anthony Bouscaren, professor of political science at Le Moyne University; Walter Chopiwskyj, National Captive Nations Committee; Anna C. Chennault, president, TAC International; Hon. Lev E. Dobriansky, U.S. Ambassador to Bahamas (in 1987); Sammy Y. Jung, business consultant; Dr. Anthony Kubek, professor of political science at Troy State University; Robert Morris, former chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Internal Security Subcommittee, J.A. Parker, chairman of the Lincoln Institute for Research and Education; Dr. Stefan Possony, senior fellow of the Hoover Institute; Major General J. Milnor Roberts (ret.), director of Committee for a Free Afghanistan; Kathleen Teague Rothschild, executive director of the American Legislative Exchange Council; Dr. Victor T. H. Tsuan, professor of international studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University; John LeBoutillier, former U.S. Congressman.(1) Advisory board members are: Jim Bishop, president, Bishop International Group; Dr. N.M. Camardese, chairman of the Americanism Fdn; Dr. J.A. Carroll; Mary Hope Condon; John Fisher, president of the American Security Council; Dr. Lucielle G. Ford, vice president of Ashland College; Prof. John Hutchinson, UCLA Graduate School of Management; Rt. Rev. Albion W. Knight, Jr, missionary bishop, United Episcopal Church of America and member of the American Security Council; Hon. John S. McCain, III, U.S. Senator; Andy Messing, chairman of the National Defense Council; Dr. Ralph Mortensen; Howard Phillips, president of The Conservative Caucus; Dr. George Roche III, president of Hillsdale College; Hon. Eldon Rudd, U.S. Congressman; Fred Schlafly, constitutional lawyer; Colonal Ray Sleeper, USAF (ret.); Hon. Gerald B. Solomon, U.S. Congressman; James L. Tyson, director of the Center for Public Diplomacy Studies; and General Lewis W. Walt USMC (Ret).(1) Ray Cline, a friend of Singlaub since they served together in the Office of Strategic Services (precursor to the CIA) in the 1940s, was also an important figure in organizing USCWF.(4) Roger Fontaine, former senior official in the National Security Council, often represented the United States at World Anti-Communist League meetings.(4)
Group Watch: United States Council for World FreedomGroupWatch: Profiles of U.S. Private Organizations and Churches, was compiled by the Interhemispheric Resource Center , Box 2178, Somerville, MA 88062. Check when each article was last updated as much material is no longer current. This material is provided as a source for historic research. Jump directly to these subsections:Category: Background: Countries: Funding: Activities: Principals: United States Council for World FreedomAcronym/Code: USCWFUpdated: 10/90 Category: Military Background: The U.S. Council for World Freedom (USCWF) is the United States affiliate of the World Anti-Communist League (WACL). The first WACL branch in the U.S., the American Council for World Freedom (ACWF), was founded in 1970 by Lee Edwards. Edwards had worked with the Young Americans for Freedom. The chapter was discredited in 1973 when board member Stefan Possony of the Hoover Institute circulated a report in the name of ACWF about the fascist elements in WACL, calling for their expulsion from WACL. ACWF, after a two-year struggle, left the League.(4) A new U.S. chapter of WACL, the Council on American Affairs, was formed in 1975 by Roger Pearson, an anthropologist who authored numerous books about racial supremacy. Pearson attempted to bring anti-semitism to the forefront of the WACL cause, but in 1980 his attempts to oust more moderate WACL chapters failed. Pearson left WACL and the U.S. chapter once again dissolved.(2,4,5,6) This internal struggle and the notoriety in the press coming from the connection with fascism brought WACL to a low point in its history.(4)In 1980, retired Major General John K. Singlaub went to Taiwan to speak at the WACL annual convention.(4) A year later he was asked to start a new U.S. chapter which was funded by a $16,500 loan from Taiwan. With that loan and generous funding from beer baron Joseph Coors, Singlaub began the United States Council for World Freedom (USCWF).(2,3) Joining Singlaub from the ACWF board were John Fisher, Stefan Possony, Lev Dobriansky, J. A. (Jay) Parker, and Fred Schlafly.(4) Because Singlaub is not only the leading figure in USCWF but also a driving force in coordinating the activities of the New Right, it is important to present information on his background and connections. He was an officer in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)--the forerunner to the CIA--during World War II. He served on the China desk of the CIA in 1948 and 1949 and became deputy chief of the CIA in Seoul during the Korean War.(7) He served for two years in Vietnam during the 1960s. There he was commander of the Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force (MACVSOG), the outfit that ran Operation Phoenix. Infamous for its assassinations and counterterror tactics, Operation Phoenix was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Vietnamese civilians. Singlaub denies involvement with Operation Phoenix.(4) As chief of staff of the United Nations Command in Korea in 1978, he publicly condemned the decision of President Jimmy Carter to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Korea. He was then forced to retire.(4) USCWF's purpose as stated in a membership recruitment flyer is "to promote the cause of Individual and National freedom from International Communism and all other forms of totalitarianism." Its objectives, as stated in the recruitment packet, are to provide education on the dangers of the communist threat; to counteract "the subversion, disinformation, and news manipulation that fuels the Communist drive toward world domination," and to provide non-military technical assistance, supplies and "moral support" directly to freedom fighters throughout the world.(8) Since its inception USCWF has provided greatly needed new energy and leadership to WACL.(4) After 1984 when Singlaub became chairman of WACL, the support for anticommunist insurgent groups around the world increased greatly.(4) In 1981, USCWF incorporated as a nonprofit group. In 1982, it applied for and received tax-exempt status--501�(3)--from the Internal Revenue Service. The status was granted after the Los Angeles district office referred the issue to the national level as it could find no precedents for such a group receiving tax exemption as a charitable or educational organization.(5)This status was revoked by the IRS in December 1987 because of complaints lodged against the group for its activities with the contra support network.(9,13,16,21) Funding: A good deal of USCWF's funding comes from private individuals. Joseph Coors of the Coors Beer family, Nelson Bunker Hunt and Herbert Hunt from the wealthy Texas family that tried to corner the silver market, oil fortune heiress Tarlton "Topsy" King, Scott Parrott of the Parrott Oil fortune, John Howell of Howell Instruments, Burt Hurlbut of First Texas Royalty and Exploration Co, and Dallas oil tycoon Harry Lucas were reported to be generous supporters of USCWF, but exact amounts of the donations are unknown.(4) Singlaub once stated that private contributions were coming in at the rate of $50,000 a month.(3,4,10,50) Dallas heiress Ellen Garwood donated $65,000 to purchase a helicopter for the Nicaraguan rebels known as the "contras."(3) Singlaub reported that he received commitments for $100,000 from a fundraising campaign with fellow members of the Council for National Policy.(3) WACL/USCWF activities in support of the contra forces in Central America have reportedly received funding from other WACL chapters around the world. Singlaub told the Washington Post in May of 1985 that the Brazil and Argentina chapters of WACL were actively contributing, and another Washington Post article attributed donations of $100,000 yearly from the Saudi Arabian chapter.(3,4) A Time magazine article reported that the Taiwan chapter of WACL, a group close to the ruling Kuomintang party, had raised $100,000, mostly from private sources.(41) Burt Hurlbut of the USCWF board stated that Taiwan and Korea were providing $50,000 a month to the contras.(11) The financial statements of USCWF do not reflect these donations. Public reports, however, indicate that USCWF was coordinating private efforts to get money and supplies of all kinds to the contras in Central America, at least until the Iran-Contra scandal broke. The USCWF financial reports show income of $41,262 in 1984 and $280,798 in 1985--nothing like the $10 million Singlaub reported to members of the press. Singlaub said that many of the contributions he mentioned were in-kind or were given directly to the vendor and did not pass through USCWF.(12,13) Activities: From its inception in 1981 through its near demise in 1987, USCWF assumed a leadership position in WACL.(4) Until 1984, the activities of USCWF and of WACL received little notice as the U.S. government was funding and otherwise supporting the contra forces in Central America. When the Congress cut off all military support to the contras in 1984, WACL and the USCWF were among several private organizations which stepped in to fill the gap. At its 1984 convention, WACL, led by Singlaub, passed a resolution and formed committees to support the anticommunist rebel groups in Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.(4) At the 1984 convention the Nicaraguan contra delegation from the Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN) led by Adolfo Calero requested the USCWF to act as a clearinghouse and disseminator of current information and needs of the FDN to all WACL chapters.(4) In 1984 the USCWF and Soldier of Fortune established a private training academy for Salvadoran police forces and Nicaraguan contras. The Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) was designed to replace the U.S. Police Academy, a government group that trained the secret police of Uruguay, El Salvador, and Panama, among others.(4) The IRIS is or was headed by Alexander McColl, the military affairs editor of Soldier of Fortune magazine. The USCWF and Soldier of Fortune also joined forces in 1984 to form Refugee Relief International, an organization of former Special Forces soldiers, paratroopers, and pilots. This group provided medical, financial, and other assistance directly to people displaced by "communist terrorism."(4) In 1985, USCWF and the Committee for a Free Afghanistan established Project Boots. Directed by Ted Abbott, the project solicited money, boots, and blankets for the rebels in Afghanistan.(19) In late 1985, the group started a similar project, the Freedom Fighter Friendship Kits, soliciting items such as insect repellant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, disposable razors, and the like, to be sent to the Nicaraguan contras. This project was carried out in conjunction with Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum.(20,22) Singlaub was selected by the White House in 1984 to be the chief private fundraiser for the contras. The key private and foreign governmental funders were to be wealthy business people, Taiwan, South Korea, and "an anti-communist organization with close ties to those governments," (i.e. WACL).(17) Singlaub's testimony from the Iran-Contra hearings reveal that he had numerous contacts with National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Oliver North and felt his fundraising activities for the contras had the tacit approval of the executive branch of government.(13) In the same year, Singlaub assisted WACL in Canada in cleaning up its image by ridding itself of its pro-Nazi leadership in the persons of Patrick Walsh and Robert Thompson. John Gamble, a former Conservative Party member of parliament was selected to be the chairman. Gamble set up the Canadian Freedom Fdn and worked to support Singlaub's efforts. In 1984 and 1985 Singlaub made numerous trips to Canada to raise money and supplies for the contras.(9) USCWF paid $125,000 to Freedom Marine in 1985 for the purchase of three "stealth boats" with hulls reinforced for machine gun mounts. In Honduras in 1986, the coastal resupply system for the contras inside Nicaragua utilized three stealth boats.(24) In 1985, USCWF hired Carter Clews public relations agency to improve Singlaub's public image in hopes of enhancing his fundraising efforts. The agency was recommended to USCWF by Rob Owen, a contract agent of the Nicaraguan Humanitarian Aid Organization. Owen also acted as a courier and liaison with the contras for Oliver North during the period when U.S. government support of the rebels was prohibited. The Carter Clews agency did the promotion and publicity for the 1985 WACL convention.(13) In 1986, USCWF purchased a UH-1B Huey helicopter, Lady Ellen, with money donated by Ellen Garwood.(4) It received permission from the State Department in April to send the copter to Nicaragua for the purpose of evacuating injured and sick rebels from war zones.(31) USCWF employed pilots Ed Dearborn and Mike Timpani to fly the old military copter (with hard points--brackets that can be used to mount machine guns) to a contra base in Honduras.(4) Dearborn was or is the aviation adviser for USCWF. Dearborn has an extensive background with the CIA, and Timpani is a former army helicopter pilot involved in the Delta Force and the invasion of Grenada.(16) Dearborn oversaw the reconstruction of three other planes intended for contra use--a vintage Cessna L-19 spotter plane donated by a retired air force officer, a Cessna 337 utility plane donated by a retired officer in Hawaii, and a Helio Courier short-takeoff-and-landing plane.(29) Joyce Downey of USCWF said the organization spent at least $500,000 in 1985 to reconstruct the planes.(31) In October of 1986 the New York Times reported a cargo plane shot down over southern Nicaragua--flown by Eugene Hasenfus, whose downing revealed the first glimpses of the Iran-Contra affair--was operated "an organization run by retired General John K. Singlaub." Singlaub in a statement relayed through Joyce Downey, executive director of USCWF, said the incident had nothing to do with USCWF.(30) The 1986 tax return of the rightwing Council for Inter-American Security reported a $13,000 contribution received from USCWF.(52) In 1986 the Christic Institute filed a civil racketeering suit under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO Act) against Singlaub and other contra supporters including Oliver North, Rob Owen, Tom Posey, and Adolfo Calero.(42) The suit charged Singlaub with involvement in the bombing of La Penca, the jungle headquarters of Eden Pastora, in which various journalists and other on-lookers were killed or injured.(42) The suit was costly to Singlaub.(21) One part of the suit involved the USCWF's attempt to purchase a C-130A cargo plane from Arizona's Valley National Bank. USCWF offered the bank partial payment in cash and part in a "tax credit for the donation." (The bank refused the offer.) Ed Dearborn, aviation adviser for USCWF, said that this was one of several efforts to obtain a plane, and if it had been successful, the plane would have been operated by USCWF to deliver non-lethal supplies to the contras.(16) In December of 1987 the IRS revoked USCWF's tax-exempt status. When interviewed, USCWF attorney Thomas Spencer said he felt the IRS action was the result of complaints about the organization's private aid to the contras being in violation of the neutrality laws. Others at USCWF felt it might have been a reprisal from the White House for Singlaub's candid testimony at the Iran-Contra hearings.(15) An article in This Magazine in 1988 reported that USCWF was suffering from financial problems as a result of losing its IRS tax-exempt status.(9) In 1988, General Daniel Graham, vice chair of USCWF, was one of an eight-man delegation that met with President Ronald Reagan in an effort to block the Geneva accords calling for a withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan.(23) The USCWF also co-sponsored an ad with the Conservative Caucus calling on citizens to contact their congresspeople and urge them not to support the United Nations efforts to achieve troop withdrawals in Namibia and Angola.(24) USCWF was listed among the 29 private groups still supporting the contra cause in the March/April 1988 Common Cause magazine.(28) In late 1988, Singlaub was indicted in a second law suit regarding his activities around the contras. This one was brought by the stockholders of the Miami Bayshore Bank naming Singlaub as a participant with Barbara Studley--a TV personality and head of GeoMiliTech--in a scheme to loot the bank to buy arms for the contras. The bank failed in 1985, partly because it transferred $5 million to GeoMiliTech; the money was not repaid.(21) An August 31, 1989 newsletter from Don Devereux, an investigative journalist from Scottsdale, reported that the USCWF had closed its doors in Phoenix. It was also reported that former USCWF executive director, Joyce Downey had retained the USCWF office space and was launching her own organization--the U.S. Alliance of Freedom Fighters.(47) USCWF, however, apparently did not dissolve as an organization, but moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Because of continued financial difficulties, NARWACL (the North American Regional World Anti-Communist League made up of the U.S. and Canada WACL organizations) was unable to hold its annual meeting in 1988-1989.(48) Principals: Major General John K. Singlaub (ret.), chairman; Lieutenant General Daniel O. Graham (ret.), vice chair; W.A."John" Johnson, president Research Publications, treasurer.(1) Joyce Downey, executive director (as of 1988).(21) Members of the board are: Dr. Anthony Bouscaren, professor of political science at Le Moyne University; Walter Chopiwskyj, National Captive Nations Committee; Anna C. Chennault, president, TAC International; Hon. Lev E. Dobriansky, U.S. Ambassador to Bahamas (in 1987); Sammy Y. Jung, business consultant; Dr. Anthony Kubek, professor of political science at Troy State University; Robert Morris, former chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Internal Security Subcommittee, J.A. Parker, chairman of the Lincoln Institute for Research and Education; Dr. Stefan Possony, senior fellow of the Hoover Institute; Major General J. Milnor Roberts (ret.), director of Committee for a Free Afghanistan; Kathleen Teague Rothschild, executive director of the American Legislative Exchange Council; Dr. Victor T. H. Tsuan, professor of international studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University; John LeBoutillier, former U.S. Congressman.(1) Advisory board members are: Jim Bishop, president, Bishop International Group; Dr. N.M. Camardese, chairman of the Americanism Fdn; Dr. J.A. Carroll; Mary Hope Condon; John Fisher, president of the American Security Council; Dr. Lucielle G. Ford, vice president of Ashland College; Prof. John Hutchinson, UCLA Graduate School of Management; Rt. Rev. Albion W. Knight, Jr, missionary bishop, United Episcopal Church of America and member of the American Security Council; Hon. John S. McCain, III, U.S. Senator; Andy Messing, chairman of the National Defense Council; Dr. Ralph Mortensen; Howard Phillips, president of The Conservative Caucus; Dr. George Roche III, president of Hillsdale College; Hon. Eldon Rudd, U.S. Congressman; Fred Schlafly, constitutional lawyer; Colonal Ray Sleeper, USAF (ret.); Hon. Gerald B. Solomon, U.S. Congressman; James L. Tyson, director of the Center for Public Diplomacy Studies; and General Lewis W. Walt USMC (Ret).(1) Ray Cline, a friend of Singlaub since they served together in the Office of Strategic Services (precursor to the CIA) in the 1940s, was also an important figure in organizing USCWF.(4) Roger Fontaine, former senior official in the National Security Council, often represented the United States at World Anti-Communist League meetings.(4)
Senator John McCain was recently called out for associating with these turkeys.
Acronym/Code: USCWF
Updated: 10/90
Category: Military
Background: The U.S. Council for World Freedom (USCWF) is the United States affiliate of the World Anti-Communist League (WACL). The first WACL branch in the U.S., the American Council for World Freedom (ACWF), was founded in 1970 by Lee Edwards. Edwards had worked with the Young Americans for Freedom. The chapter was discredited in 1973 when board member Stefan Possony of the Hoover Institute circulated a report in the name of ACWF about the fascist elements in WACL, calling for their expulsion from WACL. ACWF, after a two-year struggle, left the League.(4) A new U.S. chapter of WACL, the Council on American Affairs, was formed in 1975 by Roger Pearson, an anthropologist who authored numerous books about racial supremacy. Pearson attempted to bring anti-semitism to the forefront of the WACL cause, but in 1980 his attempts to oust more moderate WACL chapters failed. Pearson left WACL and the U.S. chapter once again dissolved.(2,4,5,6) This internal struggle and the notoriety in the press coming from the connection with fascism brought WACL to a low point in its history.(4)
In 1980, retired Major General John K. Singlaub went to Taiwan to speak at the WACL annual convention.(4) A year later he was asked to start a new U.S. chapter which was funded by a $16,500 loan from Taiwan. With that loan and generous funding from beer baron Joseph Coors, Singlaub began the United States Council for World Freedom (USCWF).(2,3) Joining Singlaub from the ACWF board were John Fisher, Stefan Possony, Lev Dobriansky, J. A. (Jay) Parker, and Fred Schlafly.(4) Because Singlaub is not only the leading figure in USCWF but also a driving force in coordinating the activities of the New Right, it is important to present information on his background and connections. He was an officer in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)--the forerunner to the CIA--during World War II. He served on the China desk of the CIA in 1948 and 1949 and became deputy chief of the CIA in Seoul during the Korean War.(7) He served for two years in Vietnam during the 1960s. There he was commander of the Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force (MACVSOG), the outfit that ran Operation Phoenix. Infamous for its assassinations and counterterror tactics, Operation Phoenix was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Vietnamese civilians. Singlaub denies involvement with Operation Phoenix.(4)
As chief of staff of the United Nations Command in Korea in 1978, he publicly condemned the decision of President Jimmy Carter to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Korea. He was then forced to retire.(4) USCWF's purpose as stated in a membership recruitment flyer is "to promote the cause of Individual and National freedom from International Communism and all other forms of totalitarianism." Its objectives, as stated in the recruitment packet, are to provide education on the dangers of the communist threat; to counteract "the subversion, disinformation, and news manipulation that fuels the Communist drive toward world domination," and to provide non-military technical assistance, supplies and "moral support" directly to freedom fighters throughout the world.(8) Since its inception USCWF has provided greatly needed new energy and leadership to WACL.(4)
After 1984 when Singlaub became chairman of WACL, the support for anticommunist insurgent groups around the world increased greatly.(4) In 1981, USCWF incorporated as a nonprofit group. In 1982, it applied for and received tax-exempt status--501�(3)--from the Internal Revenue Service. The status was granted after the Los Angeles district office referred the issue to the national level as it could find no precedents for such a group receiving tax exemption as a charitable or educational organization.(5)This status was revoked by the IRS in December 1987 because of complaints lodged against the group for its activities with the contra support network.(9,13,16,21)
Funding: A good deal of USCWF's funding comes from private individuals. Joseph Coors of the Coors Beer family, Nelson Bunker Hunt and Herbert Hunt from the wealthy Texas family that tried to corner the silver market, oil fortune heiress Tarlton "Topsy" King, Scott Parrott of the Parrott Oil fortune, John Howell of Howell Instruments, Burt Hurlbut of First Texas Royalty and Exploration Co, and Dallas oil tycoon Harry Lucas were reported to be generous supporters of USCWF, but exact amounts of the donations are unknown.(4) Singlaub once stated that private contributions were coming in at the rate of $50,000 a month.(3,4,10,50) Dallas heiress Ellen Garwood donated $65,000 to purchase a helicopter for the Nicaraguan rebels known as the "contras."(3) Singlaub reported that he received commitments for $100,000 from a fundraising campaign with fellow members of the Council for National Policy.(3) WACL/USCWF activities in support of the contra forces in Central America have reportedly received funding from other WACL chapters around the world.
Singlaub told the Washington Post in May of 1985 that the Brazil and Argentina chapters of WACL were actively contributing, and another Washington Post article attributed donations of $100,000 yearly from the Saudi Arabian chapter.(3,4) A Time magazine article reported that the Taiwan chapter of WACL, a group close to the ruling Kuomintang party, had raised $100,000, mostly from private sources.(41) Burt Hurlbut of the USCWF board stated that Taiwan and Korea were providing $50,000 a month to the contras.(11) The financial statements of USCWF do not reflect these donations. Public reports, however, indicate that USCWF was coordinating private efforts to get money and supplies of all kinds to the contras in Central America, at least until the Iran-Contra scandal broke. The USCWF financial reports show income of $41,262 in 1984 and $280,798 in 1985--nothing like the $10 million Singlaub reported to members of the press. Singlaub said that many of the contributions he mentioned were in-kind or were given directly to the vendor and did not pass through USCWF.(12,13)
Activities: From its inception in 1981 through its near demise in 1987, USCWF assumed a leadership position in WACL.(4) Until 1984, the activities of USCWF and of WACL received little notice as the U.S. government was funding and otherwise supporting the contra forces in Central America. When the Congress cut off all military support to the contras in 1984, WACL and the USCWF were among several private organizations which stepped in to fill the gap.
At its 1984 convention, WACL, led by Singlaub, passed a resolution and formed committees to support the anticommunist rebel groups in Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.(4) At the 1984 convention the Nicaraguan contra delegation from the Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN) led by Adolfo Calero requested the USCWF to act as a clearinghouse and disseminator of current information and needs of the FDN to all WACL chapters.(4) In 1984 the USCWF and Soldier of Fortune established a private training academy for Salvadoran police forces and Nicaraguan contras. The Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) was designed to replace the U.S. Police Academy, a government group that trained the secret police of Uruguay, El Salvador, and Panama, among others.(4) The IRIS is or was headed by Alexander McColl, the military affairs editor of Soldier of Fortune magazine. The USCWF and Soldier of Fortune also joined forces in 1984 to form Refugee Relief International, an organization of former Special Forces soldiers, paratroopers, and pilots. This group provided medical, financial, and other assistance directly to people displaced by "communist terrorism."(4)
In 1985, USCWF and the Committee for a Free Afghanistan established Project Boots. Directed by Ted Abbott, the project solicited money, boots, and blankets for the rebels in Afghanistan.(19) In late 1985, the group started a similar project, the Freedom Fighter Friendship Kits, soliciting items such as insect repellant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, disposable razors, and the like, to be sent to the Nicaraguan contras. This project was carried out in conjunction with Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum.(20,22) Singlaub was selected by the White House in 1984 to be the chief private fundraiser for the contras. The key private and foreign governmental funders were to be wealthy business people, Taiwan, South Korea, and "an anti-communist organization with close ties to those governments," (i.e. WACL).(17) Singlaub's testimony from the Iran-Contra hearings reveal that he had numerous contacts with National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Oliver North and felt his fundraising activities for the contras had the tacit approval of the executive branch of government.(13) In the same year, Singlaub assisted WACL in Canada in cleaning up its image by ridding itself of its pro-Nazi leadership in the persons of Patrick Walsh and Robert Thompson. John Gamble, a former Conservative Party member of parliament was selected to be the chairman. Gamble set up the Canadian Freedom Fdn and worked to support Singlaub's efforts.
In 1984 and 1985 Singlaub made numerous trips to Canada to raise money and supplies for the contras.(9) USCWF paid $125,000 to Freedom Marine in 1985 for the purchase of three "stealth boats" with hulls reinforced for machine gun mounts. In Honduras in 1986, the coastal resupply system for the contras inside Nicaragua utilized three stealth boats.(24) In 1985, USCWF hired Carter Clews public relations agency to improve Singlaub's public image in hopes of enhancing his fundraising efforts. The agency was recommended to USCWF by Rob Owen, a contract agent of the Nicaraguan Humanitarian Aid Organization. Owen also acted as a courier and liaison with the contras for Oliver North during the period when U.S. government support of the rebels was prohibited. The Carter Clews agency did the promotion and publicity for the 1985 WACL convention.(13)
In 1986, USCWF purchased a UH-1B Huey helicopter, Lady Ellen, with money donated by Ellen Garwood.(4) It received permission from the State Department in April to send the copter to Nicaragua for the purpose of evacuating injured and sick rebels from war zones.(31) USCWF employed pilots Ed Dearborn and Mike Timpani to fly the old military copter (with hard points--brackets that can be used to mount machine guns) to a contra base in Honduras.(4) Dearborn was or is the aviation adviser for USCWF. Dearborn has an extensive background with the CIA, and Timpani is a former army helicopter pilot involved in the Delta Force and the invasion of Grenada.(16) Dearborn oversaw the reconstruction of three other planes intended for contra use--a vintage Cessna L-19 spotter plane donated by a retired air force officer, a Cessna 337 utility plane donated by a retired officer in Hawaii, and a Helio Courier short-takeoff-and-landing plane.(29)
Joyce Downey of USCWF said the organization spent at least $500,000 in 1985 to reconstruct the planes.(31) In October of 1986 the New York Times reported a cargo plane shot down over southern Nicaragua--flown by Eugene Hasenfus, whose downing revealed the first glimpses of the Iran-Contra affair--was operated "an organization run by retired General John K. Singlaub." Singlaub in a statement relayed through Joyce Downey, executive director of USCWF, said the incident had nothing to do with USCWF.(30) The 1986 tax return of the rightwing Council for Inter-American Security reported a $13,000 contribution received from USCWF.(52)
In 1986 the Christic Institute filed a civil racketeering suit under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO Act) against Singlaub and other contra supporters including Oliver North, Rob Owen, Tom Posey, and Adolfo Calero.(42) The suit charged Singlaub with involvement in the bombing of La Penca, the jungle headquarters of Eden Pastora, in which various journalists and other on-lookers were killed or injured.(42) The suit was costly to Singlaub.(21) One part of the suit involved the USCWF's attempt to purchase a C-130A cargo plane from Arizona's Valley National Bank. USCWF offered the bank partial payment in cash and part in a "tax credit for the donation." (The bank refused the offer.) Ed Dearborn, aviation adviser for USCWF, said that this was one of several efforts to obtain a plane, and if it had been successful, the plane would have been operated by USCWF to deliver non-lethal supplies to the contras.(16) In December of 1987 the IRS revoked USCWF's tax-exempt status.
When interviewed, USCWF attorney Thomas Spencer said he felt the IRS action was the result of complaints about the organization's private aid to the contras being in violation of the neutrality laws. Others at USCWF felt it might have been a reprisal from the White House for Singlaub's candid testimony at the Iran-Contra hearings.(15) An article in This Magazine in 1988 reported that USCWF was suffering from financial problems as a result of losing its IRS tax-exempt status.(9) In 1988, General Daniel Graham, vice chair of USCWF, was one of an eight-man delegation that met with President Ronald Reagan in an effort to block the Geneva accords calling for a withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan.(23) The USCWF also co-sponsored an ad with the Conservative Caucus calling on citizens to contact their congresspeople and urge them not to support the United Nations efforts to achieve troop withdrawals in Namibia and Angola.(24) USCWF was listed among the 29 private groups still supporting the contra cause in the March/April 1988 Common Cause magazine.(28)
In late 1988, Singlaub was indicted in a second law suit regarding his activities around the contras. This one was brought by the stockholders of the Miami Bayshore Bank naming Singlaub as a participant with Barbara Studley--a TV personality and head of GeoMiliTech--in a scheme to loot the bank to buy arms for the contras. The bank failed in 1985, partly because it transferred $5 million to GeoMiliTech; the money was not repaid.(21) An August 31, 1989 newsletter from Don Devereux, an investigative journalist from Scottsdale, reported that the USCWF had closed its doors in Phoenix. It was also reported that former USCWF executive director, Joyce Downey had retained the USCWF office space and was launching her own organization--the U.S. Alliance of Freedom Fighters.(47) USCWF, however, apparently did not dissolve as an organization, but moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Because of continued financial difficulties, NARWACL (the North American Regional World Anti-Communist League made up of the U.S. and Canada WACL organizations) was unable to hold its annual meeting in 1988-1989.(48)
Principals: Major General John K. Singlaub (ret.), chairman; Lieutenant General Daniel O. Graham (ret.), vice chair; W.A."John" Johnson, president Research Publications, treasurer.(1) Joyce Downey, executive director (as of 1988).(21) Members of the board are: Dr. Anthony Bouscaren, professor of political science at Le Moyne University; Walter Chopiwskyj, National Captive Nations Committee; Anna C. Chennault, president, TAC International; Hon. Lev E. Dobriansky, U.S. Ambassador to Bahamas (in 1987); Sammy Y. Jung, business consultant; Dr. Anthony Kubek, professor of political science at Troy State University; Robert Morris, former chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Internal Security Subcommittee, J.A. Parker, chairman of the Lincoln Institute for Research and Education; Dr. Stefan Possony, senior fellow of the Hoover Institute; Major General J. Milnor Roberts (ret.), director of Committee for a Free Afghanistan; Kathleen Teague Rothschild, executive director of the American Legislative Exchange Council; Dr. Victor T. H. Tsuan, professor of international studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University; John LeBoutillier, former U.S. Congressman.(1) Advisory board members are: Jim Bishop, president, Bishop International Group; Dr. N.M. Camardese, chairman of the Americanism Fdn; Dr. J.A. Carroll; Mary Hope Condon; John Fisher, president of the American Security Council; Dr. Lucielle G. Ford, vice president of Ashland College; Prof. John Hutchinson, UCLA Graduate School of Management; Rt. Rev. Albion W. Knight, Jr, missionary bishop, United Episcopal Church of America and member of the American Security Council; Hon. John S. McCain, III, U.S. Senator; Andy Messing, chairman of the National Defense Council; Dr. Ralph Mortensen; Howard Phillips, president of The Conservative Caucus; Dr. George Roche III, president of Hillsdale College; Hon. Eldon Rudd, U.S. Congressman; Fred Schlafly, constitutional lawyer; Colonal Ray Sleeper, USAF (ret.); Hon. Gerald B. Solomon, U.S. Congressman; James L. Tyson, director of the Center for Public Diplomacy Studies; and General Lewis W. Walt USMC (Ret).(1) Ray Cline, a friend of Singlaub since they served together in the Office of Strategic Services (precursor to the CIA) in the 1940s, was also an important figure in organizing USCWF.(4) Roger Fontaine, former senior official in the National Security Council, often represented the United States at World Anti-Communist League meetings.(4)
Group Watch: United States Council for World FreedomGroupWatch: Profiles of U.S. Private Organizations and Churches, was compiled by the Interhemispheric Resource Center , Box 2178, Somerville, MA 88062. Check when each article was last updated as much material is no longer current. This material is provided as a source for historic research. Jump directly to these subsections:Category: Background: Countries: Funding: Activities: Principals: United States Council for World FreedomAcronym/Code: USCWFUpdated: 10/90 Category: Military Background: The U.S. Council for World Freedom (USCWF) is the United States affiliate of the World Anti-Communist League (WACL). The first WACL branch in the U.S., the American Council for World Freedom (ACWF), was founded in 1970 by Lee Edwards. Edwards had worked with the Young Americans for Freedom. The chapter was discredited in 1973 when board member Stefan Possony of the Hoover Institute circulated a report in the name of ACWF about the fascist elements in WACL, calling for their expulsion from WACL. ACWF, after a two-year struggle, left the League.(4) A new U.S. chapter of WACL, the Council on American Affairs, was formed in 1975 by Roger Pearson, an anthropologist who authored numerous books about racial supremacy. Pearson attempted to bring anti-semitism to the forefront of the WACL cause, but in 1980 his attempts to oust more moderate WACL chapters failed. Pearson left WACL and the U.S. chapter once again dissolved.(2,4,5,6) This internal struggle and the notoriety in the press coming from the connection with fascism brought WACL to a low point in its history.(4)In 1980, retired Major General John K. Singlaub went to Taiwan to speak at the WACL annual convention.(4) A year later he was asked to start a new U.S. chapter which was funded by a $16,500 loan from Taiwan. With that loan and generous funding from beer baron Joseph Coors, Singlaub began the United States Council for World Freedom (USCWF).(2,3) Joining Singlaub from the ACWF board were John Fisher, Stefan Possony, Lev Dobriansky, J. A. (Jay) Parker, and Fred Schlafly.(4) Because Singlaub is not only the leading figure in USCWF but also a driving force in coordinating the activities of the New Right, it is important to present information on his background and connections. He was an officer in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)--the forerunner to the CIA--during World War II. He served on the China desk of the CIA in 1948 and 1949 and became deputy chief of the CIA in Seoul during the Korean War.(7) He served for two years in Vietnam during the 1960s. There he was commander of the Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force (MACVSOG), the outfit that ran Operation Phoenix. Infamous for its assassinations and counterterror tactics, Operation Phoenix was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Vietnamese civilians. Singlaub denies involvement with Operation Phoenix.(4) As chief of staff of the United Nations Command in Korea in 1978, he publicly condemned the decision of President Jimmy Carter to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Korea. He was then forced to retire.(4) USCWF's purpose as stated in a membership recruitment flyer is "to promote the cause of Individual and National freedom from International Communism and all other forms of totalitarianism." Its objectives, as stated in the recruitment packet, are to provide education on the dangers of the communist threat; to counteract "the subversion, disinformation, and news manipulation that fuels the Communist drive toward world domination," and to provide non-military technical assistance, supplies and "moral support" directly to freedom fighters throughout the world.(8) Since its inception USCWF has provided greatly needed new energy and leadership to WACL.(4) After 1984 when Singlaub became chairman of WACL, the support for anticommunist insurgent groups around the world increased greatly.(4) In 1981, USCWF incorporated as a nonprofit group. In 1982, it applied for and received tax-exempt status--501�(3)--from the Internal Revenue Service. The status was granted after the Los Angeles district office referred the issue to the national level as it could find no precedents for such a group receiving tax exemption as a charitable or educational organization.(5)This status was revoked by the IRS in December 1987 because of complaints lodged against the group for its activities with the contra support network.(9,13,16,21) Funding: A good deal of USCWF's funding comes from private individuals. Joseph Coors of the Coors Beer family, Nelson Bunker Hunt and Herbert Hunt from the wealthy Texas family that tried to corner the silver market, oil fortune heiress Tarlton "Topsy" King, Scott Parrott of the Parrott Oil fortune, John Howell of Howell Instruments, Burt Hurlbut of First Texas Royalty and Exploration Co, and Dallas oil tycoon Harry Lucas were reported to be generous supporters of USCWF, but exact amounts of the donations are unknown.(4) Singlaub once stated that private contributions were coming in at the rate of $50,000 a month.(3,4,10,50) Dallas heiress Ellen Garwood donated $65,000 to purchase a helicopter for the Nicaraguan rebels known as the "contras."(3) Singlaub reported that he received commitments for $100,000 from a fundraising campaign with fellow members of the Council for National Policy.(3) WACL/USCWF activities in support of the contra forces in Central America have reportedly received funding from other WACL chapters around the world. Singlaub told the Washington Post in May of 1985 that the Brazil and Argentina chapters of WACL were actively contributing, and another Washington Post article attributed donations of $100,000 yearly from the Saudi Arabian chapter.(3,4) A Time magazine article reported that the Taiwan chapter of WACL, a group close to the ruling Kuomintang party, had raised $100,000, mostly from private sources.(41) Burt Hurlbut of the USCWF board stated that Taiwan and Korea were providing $50,000 a month to the contras.(11) The financial statements of USCWF do not reflect these donations. Public reports, however, indicate that USCWF was coordinating private efforts to get money and supplies of all kinds to the contras in Central America, at least until the Iran-Contra scandal broke. The USCWF financial reports show income of $41,262 in 1984 and $280,798 in 1985--nothing like the $10 million Singlaub reported to members of the press. Singlaub said that many of the contributions he mentioned were in-kind or were given directly to the vendor and did not pass through USCWF.(12,13) Activities: From its inception in 1981 through its near demise in 1987, USCWF assumed a leadership position in WACL.(4) Until 1984, the activities of USCWF and of WACL received little notice as the U.S. government was funding and otherwise supporting the contra forces in Central America. When the Congress cut off all military support to the contras in 1984, WACL and the USCWF were among several private organizations which stepped in to fill the gap. At its 1984 convention, WACL, led by Singlaub, passed a resolution and formed committees to support the anticommunist rebel groups in Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.(4) At the 1984 convention the Nicaraguan contra delegation from the Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN) led by Adolfo Calero requested the USCWF to act as a clearinghouse and disseminator of current information and needs of the FDN to all WACL chapters.(4) In 1984 the USCWF and Soldier of Fortune established a private training academy for Salvadoran police forces and Nicaraguan contras. The Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) was designed to replace the U.S. Police Academy, a government group that trained the secret police of Uruguay, El Salvador, and Panama, among others.(4) The IRIS is or was headed by Alexander McColl, the military affairs editor of Soldier of Fortune magazine. The USCWF and Soldier of Fortune also joined forces in 1984 to form Refugee Relief International, an organization of former Special Forces soldiers, paratroopers, and pilots. This group provided medical, financial, and other assistance directly to people displaced by "communist terrorism."(4) In 1985, USCWF and the Committee for a Free Afghanistan established Project Boots. Directed by Ted Abbott, the project solicited money, boots, and blankets for the rebels in Afghanistan.(19) In late 1985, the group started a similar project, the Freedom Fighter Friendship Kits, soliciting items such as insect repellant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, disposable razors, and the like, to be sent to the Nicaraguan contras. This project was carried out in conjunction with Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum.(20,22) Singlaub was selected by the White House in 1984 to be the chief private fundraiser for the contras. The key private and foreign governmental funders were to be wealthy business people, Taiwan, South Korea, and "an anti-communist organization with close ties to those governments," (i.e. WACL).(17) Singlaub's testimony from the Iran-Contra hearings reveal that he had numerous contacts with National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Oliver North and felt his fundraising activities for the contras had the tacit approval of the executive branch of government.(13) In the same year, Singlaub assisted WACL in Canada in cleaning up its image by ridding itself of its pro-Nazi leadership in the persons of Patrick Walsh and Robert Thompson. John Gamble, a former Conservative Party member of parliament was selected to be the chairman. Gamble set up the Canadian Freedom Fdn and worked to support Singlaub's efforts. In 1984 and 1985 Singlaub made numerous trips to Canada to raise money and supplies for the contras.(9) USCWF paid $125,000 to Freedom Marine in 1985 for the purchase of three "stealth boats" with hulls reinforced for machine gun mounts. In Honduras in 1986, the coastal resupply system for the contras inside Nicaragua utilized three stealth boats.(24) In 1985, USCWF hired Carter Clews public relations agency to improve Singlaub's public image in hopes of enhancing his fundraising efforts. The agency was recommended to USCWF by Rob Owen, a contract agent of the Nicaraguan Humanitarian Aid Organization. Owen also acted as a courier and liaison with the contras for Oliver North during the period when U.S. government support of the rebels was prohibited. The Carter Clews agency did the promotion and publicity for the 1985 WACL convention.(13) In 1986, USCWF purchased a UH-1B Huey helicopter, Lady Ellen, with money donated by Ellen Garwood.(4) It received permission from the State Department in April to send the copter to Nicaragua for the purpose of evacuating injured and sick rebels from war zones.(31) USCWF employed pilots Ed Dearborn and Mike Timpani to fly the old military copter (with hard points--brackets that can be used to mount machine guns) to a contra base in Honduras.(4) Dearborn was or is the aviation adviser for USCWF. Dearborn has an extensive background with the CIA, and Timpani is a former army helicopter pilot involved in the Delta Force and the invasion of Grenada.(16) Dearborn oversaw the reconstruction of three other planes intended for contra use--a vintage Cessna L-19 spotter plane donated by a retired air force officer, a Cessna 337 utility plane donated by a retired officer in Hawaii, and a Helio Courier short-takeoff-and-landing plane.(29) Joyce Downey of USCWF said the organization spent at least $500,000 in 1985 to reconstruct the planes.(31) In October of 1986 the New York Times reported a cargo plane shot down over southern Nicaragua--flown by Eugene Hasenfus, whose downing revealed the first glimpses of the Iran-Contra affair--was operated "an organization run by retired General John K. Singlaub." Singlaub in a statement relayed through Joyce Downey, executive director of USCWF, said the incident had nothing to do with USCWF.(30) The 1986 tax return of the rightwing Council for Inter-American Security reported a $13,000 contribution received from USCWF.(52) In 1986 the Christic Institute filed a civil racketeering suit under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO Act) against Singlaub and other contra supporters including Oliver North, Rob Owen, Tom Posey, and Adolfo Calero.(42) The suit charged Singlaub with involvement in the bombing of La Penca, the jungle headquarters of Eden Pastora, in which various journalists and other on-lookers were killed or injured.(42) The suit was costly to Singlaub.(21) One part of the suit involved the USCWF's attempt to purchase a C-130A cargo plane from Arizona's Valley National Bank. USCWF offered the bank partial payment in cash and part in a "tax credit for the donation." (The bank refused the offer.) Ed Dearborn, aviation adviser for USCWF, said that this was one of several efforts to obtain a plane, and if it had been successful, the plane would have been operated by USCWF to deliver non-lethal supplies to the contras.(16) In December of 1987 the IRS revoked USCWF's tax-exempt status. When interviewed, USCWF attorney Thomas Spencer said he felt the IRS action was the result of complaints about the organization's private aid to the contras being in violation of the neutrality laws. Others at USCWF felt it might have been a reprisal from the White House for Singlaub's candid testimony at the Iran-Contra hearings.(15) An article in This Magazine in 1988 reported that USCWF was suffering from financial problems as a result of losing its IRS tax-exempt status.(9) In 1988, General Daniel Graham, vice chair of USCWF, was one of an eight-man delegation that met with President Ronald Reagan in an effort to block the Geneva accords calling for a withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan.(23) The USCWF also co-sponsored an ad with the Conservative Caucus calling on citizens to contact their congresspeople and urge them not to support the United Nations efforts to achieve troop withdrawals in Namibia and Angola.(24) USCWF was listed among the 29 private groups still supporting the contra cause in the March/April 1988 Common Cause magazine.(28) In late 1988, Singlaub was indicted in a second law suit regarding his activities around the contras. This one was brought by the stockholders of the Miami Bayshore Bank naming Singlaub as a participant with Barbara Studley--a TV personality and head of GeoMiliTech--in a scheme to loot the bank to buy arms for the contras. The bank failed in 1985, partly because it transferred $5 million to GeoMiliTech; the money was not repaid.(21) An August 31, 1989 newsletter from Don Devereux, an investigative journalist from Scottsdale, reported that the USCWF had closed its doors in Phoenix. It was also reported that former USCWF executive director, Joyce Downey had retained the USCWF office space and was launching her own organization--the U.S. Alliance of Freedom Fighters.(47) USCWF, however, apparently did not dissolve as an organization, but moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Because of continued financial difficulties, NARWACL (the North American Regional World Anti-Communist League made up of the U.S. and Canada WACL organizations) was unable to hold its annual meeting in 1988-1989.(48) Principals: Major General John K. Singlaub (ret.), chairman; Lieutenant General Daniel O. Graham (ret.), vice chair; W.A."John" Johnson, president Research Publications, treasurer.(1) Joyce Downey, executive director (as of 1988).(21) Members of the board are: Dr. Anthony Bouscaren, professor of political science at Le Moyne University; Walter Chopiwskyj, National Captive Nations Committee; Anna C. Chennault, president, TAC International; Hon. Lev E. Dobriansky, U.S. Ambassador to Bahamas (in 1987); Sammy Y. Jung, business consultant; Dr. Anthony Kubek, professor of political science at Troy State University; Robert Morris, former chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Internal Security Subcommittee, J.A. Parker, chairman of the Lincoln Institute for Research and Education; Dr. Stefan Possony, senior fellow of the Hoover Institute; Major General J. Milnor Roberts (ret.), director of Committee for a Free Afghanistan; Kathleen Teague Rothschild, executive director of the American Legislative Exchange Council; Dr. Victor T. H. Tsuan, professor of international studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University; John LeBoutillier, former U.S. Congressman.(1) Advisory board members are: Jim Bishop, president, Bishop International Group; Dr. N.M. Camardese, chairman of the Americanism Fdn; Dr. J.A. Carroll; Mary Hope Condon; John Fisher, president of the American Security Council; Dr. Lucielle G. Ford, vice president of Ashland College; Prof. John Hutchinson, UCLA Graduate School of Management; Rt. Rev. Albion W. Knight, Jr, missionary bishop, United Episcopal Church of America and member of the American Security Council; Hon. John S. McCain, III, U.S. Senator; Andy Messing, chairman of the National Defense Council; Dr. Ralph Mortensen; Howard Phillips, president of The Conservative Caucus; Dr. George Roche III, president of Hillsdale College; Hon. Eldon Rudd, U.S. Congressman; Fred Schlafly, constitutional lawyer; Colonal Ray Sleeper, USAF (ret.); Hon. Gerald B. Solomon, U.S. Congressman; James L. Tyson, director of the Center for Public Diplomacy Studies; and General Lewis W. Walt USMC (Ret).(1) Ray Cline, a friend of Singlaub since they served together in the Office of Strategic Services (precursor to the CIA) in the 1940s, was also an important figure in organizing USCWF.(4) Roger Fontaine, former senior official in the National Security Council, often represented the United States at World Anti-Communist League meetings.(4)