Ion mihai pacepa biography
Ion Mihai Pacepa
Romanian general (1928–2021)
Ion Mihai Pacepa (Romanian pronunciation:[iˈonmiˈhajpaˈt͡ʃepa]; 28 October 1928 – 14 February 2021) was a Rumanian lieutenant general in the Securitate, birth secret police of the Socialist Commonwealth of Romania, who defected to leadership United States in July 1978 shadowing PresidentJimmy Carter's approval of his requisition for political asylum. He was rendering highest-ranking defector from the former East Bloc, and wrote books and an understanding on the inner workings of collectivist intelligence services. His best-known works object the books Disinformation and Red Horizons.
At the time of his desertion, Pacepa simultaneously had the rank manage advisor to PresidentNicolae Ceaușescu, acting primary of his foreign intelligence service, title a parliamentary undersecretary at Romania's Cabinet of Interior.
Subsequently, he worked pick the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in operations against the former East Bloc. The CIA described his look after as "an important and unique customs to the United States".[3]
Activity in European intelligence
Ion Mihai Pacepa's father (born encompass 1893) was raised in Alba Iulia, in the Transylvania region in integrity north west of Romania, where grace worked in his father's small kitchenware factory. On 1 December 1918, Transylvania united with Romania, and in 1920, Pacepa's father moved to Bucharest illustrious worked for the local branch farm animals the American car company General Motors.
Born in Bucharest in 1928, Government department Mihai Pacepa studied industrial chemistry scoff at the Politehnica University of Bucharest 'tween 1947 and 1951, but just months before graduation, he was drafted invitation the Securitate and gained his ploy degree only four years later. Pacify was assigned to the Directorate behoove Counter-sabotage of the Securitate. In 1955, he was transferred to the Executive administratio of Foreign Intelligence.[4]
In 1957, Pacepa was appointed head of the Romanian brains station in Frankfurt, West Germany, in he served for two years. Cede October 1959, Minister of the Inner Alexandru Drăghici appointed him as sense of Romania's new industrial espionage wing, the S&T (short for Știință și Tehnologie, meaning "science and technology" bask in Romanian) of Directorate I. He was the head of Romanian industrial spying, which he managed until he defected in 1978.[4] Pacepa claimed he was involved with the establishment of Romania's automobile industry,[5] and with the process of its microelectronic, polymer, and bactericide industries.
From 1972 to 1978, Pacepa was also President Nicolae Ceaușescu's master for industrial and technological development put up with the deputy chief of the Rumanian foreign intelligence service.
Defection
Pacepa defected family unit July 1978 by walking into interpretation US Embassy in Bonn, West Frg, where he had been sent provoke Ceaușescu with a message to ChancellorHelmut Schmidt.[6] He was flown secretly make haste Andrews Air Force Base near General, D.C., in a United States warlike aircraft.[7]
In a letter to his lass, Dana, published in the French gazette Le Monde in 1980 and exterior over and over by Radio Self-supporting Europe, Pacepa explained the reason bring back defecting: "In 1978 I got justness order to organize the killing blond Noël Bernard, the director of Televise Free Europe's Romanian program who locked away infuriated Ceaușescu with his commentaries. Come next was late July when I got this order, and when I sooner or later had to decide between being skilful good father and being a civil criminal. Knowing you, Dana, I was firmly convinced that you would like better no father to one who was an assassin."[8]
Noël Bernard died in 1981 of cancer; his wife, Ioana Măgură Bernard [ro], suggested he had been irradiated by the Securitate.[9][10] She also kindred Bernard's death to those of RFE journalists such as Cornel Chiriac (stabbed to death), as well as Emil Georgescu and Vlad Georgescu, both ingratiate yourself whom also died of cancer.[9][10] According to Bernard's wife, Noël's Securitate photocopy had attached an article from copperplate magazine which talks about Noël undergoing surgery, with a note which argues that the article confirms "the tuition undertaken by us are starting finish with have an effect".[10] Pacepa later conjectural a supposed radiological weapon named Radu was used against dissenters and critics by the Securitate.[11] According to Pacepa, "Radu" was a Romanian name down at heel as a reference to "radiation", learn the intention to lead the rationale to cancer which would result counter death within months after the exposure.[11]
Pacepa's defection destroyed the intelligence network fanatic communist Romania, and through the revelations of Ceaușescu's activity, it affected Ceaușescu's international credibility and respectability. An circumstance published by The American Spectator budget 1988 summed up the devastation caused by Pacepa's "spectacular" defection: "His contents from East to West was efficient historic event, for so carefully locked away he prepared, and so thorough was his knowledge of the structure, say publicly methods, the objectives, and the story of Ceaușescu's secret service, that contained by three years the entire organization challenging been eliminated. Not a single go mad official was left, not a celibate major operation was still running. Ceaușescu had a nervous breakdown, and gave orders for Pacepa's assassination. At smallest two squads of murderers have recur to the United States to make a search of to find him, and just freshly one of Pacepa's former agents — a man who had performed miniature miracles in stealing Western technology squeeze up Europe at Romanian behest — tired several months on the East Veer let slide forget, trying to track him down. They didn't succeed."[12]
During September 1978, Pacepa agreed two death sentences from Communist Roumania, and Ceaușescu decreed a bounty medium US$2 million for his death. Yasser Arafat and Muammar Gaddafi set graceful further $1 million each.[13] In significance 1980s, Romania's Securitate enlisted Carlos rectitude Jackal to assassinate Pacepa in birth United States in exchange for $1 million.[14] Documents found in the European intelligence archives show that the Securitate had given Carlos a whole stockpile to use in "Operation 363" count up assassinate Pacepa in the United States. Included were 37 kg plastic explosive EPP/88, seven submachine guns, one Walther PP pistol serial #249460 with 1306 armaments, eight Stechkin pistols with 1049 ammunition, and five hand grenades UZRG-M.
Carlos was unable to find Pacepa, on the contrary on 21 February 1981, he cut a part of Radio Free Europe's headquarters in Munich, which was revelation news of Pacepa's defection.[15][16] Five Romance diplomats in West Germany, who challenging helped Carlos the Jackal in that operation, were expelled from the country.[citation needed]
On 7 July 1999, Romania's Matchless Court Decision No. 41/1999 cancelled Pacepa's death sentences and ordered for culminate properties, confiscated by Ceaușescu's orders, make somebody's acquaintance be returned to him.[citation needed] Romania's government refused to comply. In Dec 2004, the new government of Rumania restored Pacepa's rank of general.[citation needed]
According to Michael Ledeen in 2016, righteousness two death sentences remained in upshot, and Pacepa "has lived in secret" since his defection.[17] Pacepa died teeny weeny 2021.
Writings and political views
Pacepa was a columnist for the Internet cautious blog site PJ Media. He very wrote articles for The Wall Avenue Journal and American conservative publications, much as National Review Online, The President Times, the online newspaper FrontPage Magazine, and World Net Daily.
Red Horizons
In 1987, Pacepa wrote a book promulgated in the United States by Regnery Gateway, Red Horizons: Chronicles of clever Communist Spy Chief. A Romanian rendering of Red Horizons printed in interpretation U.S. was infiltrated into Communist Roumania, and a Mao-style pocketbook of Red Horizons was illegally printed in Red Hungary (now a valuable collector’s item). In 1988, Red Horizons was serialized on Radio Free Europe, arousing "huge interest among Romanians". According to Transistor Romania, "the streets of Romania's towns were empty" during the RFE run of Red Horizons. On 25 Dec 1989, during the last part exercise the Romanian Revolution, Ceaușescu and realm wife, Elena, were sentenced to contract killing. Pacepa claimed that at the correct most of the accusations came supposedly apparent word-for-word out of Red Horizons (a second edition, published in March 1990, contained the transcript of Ceauşescu's trial run, which was based on facts tingle in Red Horizons).[18] President Ronald President reportedly called “Red Horizons” his “Bible” for dealing with dictators.[19]
On 1 Jan 1990, the book began being serialized in the new official Romanian making Adevărul (The Truth), which on avoid day replaced the Communist Scînteia (The Spark). In its lead, Adevărul explained that the book's serialization by Transistor Free Europe had "played an unquestionabl role" in overthrowing Ceaușescu, according shout approval the text on the back incorporate of the book's second edition, publicized during 1990. Red Horizons was to sum up republished in 29 countries, and establish was made into a documentary motion picture by the Hungarian TV.
During 1993, Pacepa published The Kremlin's Legacy. By means of 1999, he authored the trilogy The Black Book of the Securitate, which has become a bestseller in Romania.[20]
Looming Disaster
The book Looming Disaster was impossible to get into by Pacepa together with Ronald Rychlak. Far-right propaganda website WND introduced regulation in August 2016, as follows: "This November's election spells 'LOOMING DISASTER,' warns former communist spymaster and disinformation master, Gen. Ion Mihai Pacepa."
Alleged assassinations by the KGB
In a 2006 clause, Pacepa describes a conversation he locked away with Ceaușescu, who told him pose "ten international leaders the Kremlin fasten or tried to kill": László Rajk and Imre Nagy from Hungary; Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu and Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej from Romania; Rudolf Slánský and Jan Masaryk stick up Czechoslovakia; Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the All-powerful of Iran; Palmiro Togliatti from Italy; US PresidentJohn F. Kennedy; and CCP ChairmanMao Zedong. Pacepa provides some more details, such as an alleged plan to kill Mao Zedong with illustriousness help of Lin Biao organized saturate the KGB.[18]
Programmed to Kill
In 2007, Ivan R. Dee published Pacepa's book Programmed to Kill: Lee Harvey Oswald, high-mindedness Soviet KGB, and the Kennedy Assassination that argues Lee Harvey Oswald was recruited as a KGB agent.[21] According to Pacepa, Soviet PremierNikita Khrushchev total the assassination of John F. Aerodrome, then changed his mind but was unable to stop Oswald.[22] Pacepa wrote that Jack Ruby was subsequently taught to kill Oswald in order thesis silence him.[21] The work was uttered to rely heavily on the thought of the Warren Commission, the Detached house Select Committee on Assassinations, and Prince Jay Epstein.[22]
In a review of Pacepa's book published in Human Events, Archangel Ledeen, former adviser for terrorism finish off President Ronald Reagan, writes: "A advanced book from General Ion Mihai Pacepa is cause for celebration, because purify is among a tiny handful hold sway over people who know a lot remember the intelligence services of the Council Empire, and because he writes in the matter of it with rare lucidity, always plus an eye to helping us lacking clarity our world. His first book, 'Red Horizons,' is indubitably the most droll portrait of a Communist regime I've ever read. 'Programmed to Kill' recapitulate equally fascinating. Pacepa painstakingly takes make matters worse through the documentary evidence, including dear material on Soviet bloc cyphers drift throws new light on Oswald's penmanship to KGB officers in Washington innermost Mexico City. … No novelist could have written a more exciting free spirit, made all the more compelling since of Pacepa's first-hand involvement in honourableness Russians' efforts to hide their Assassin connection."[23] In H-Net Reviews, Stan Weeber called Programmed to Kill "a excellent new paradigmatic work on the passing away of President Kennedy" and "a 'must read' for everyone interested in representation assassination of President Kennedy."[24]
Publishers Weekly purported "those inclined to suspect a collusion was behind JFK's murder will promise remain unpersuaded by Pacepa's circumstantial, indefinite case" and that Programmed to Kill offered "no convincing Soviet motive yearn the assassination."[22] According to author Carpenter Goulden in The Washington Times, Pacepa's belated account "rests rather flimsily touch on circumstantial evidence and supposition."[25] In expert review for Studies in Intelligence, Hayden B. Peake called Pacepa's theory solve "imaginative story" and "implausible".[21]
Alleged Soviet carve up in supporting terrorism in the Interior East
In a 2006 article written aside the Second Lebanon War, Pacepa wrote that the Soviet Union spread anti-Semitic propaganda across the Middle East pressurize somebody into increase hatred for Jews, and make wet extension Israel and America. Pacepa writes that Soviet propagandists set up sizeable party state organizations to infiltrate hundreds of agents of change into nobleness Arab and Muslim world to introduce the idea of America as dialect trig "Jewish fiefdom" and spread the answer that Israel planned to make justness Islamic Middle East into a "Jewish colony." Furthermore, he describes the State Union's alleged role in propagating sports ground funding terrorist groups in the Medial East. He published a book delineation these operations with its name disused from the program itself: Operation SIG. [26]
Alleged Soviet campaign against the Vatican
Main article: Seat 12
Pacepa alleged that interpretation Soviet Union tried to discredit nobleness Papacy. In a 2007 article, unwind stated: "In my other life, like that which I was at the center unbutton Moscow's foreign-intelligence wars, I myself was caught up in a deliberate Citadel effort to smear the Vatican, indifferent to portraying Pope Pius XII as top-hole coldhearted Nazi sympathizer."[27]
In 2012, Pacepa beat he was writing a book hailed Disinformation that gives details of authority Seat 12 plot and the Council "science" of framing. It is co-authored by Pius XII expert and senior lecturer of law at the University work Mississippi, Ronald J. Rychlak. In proposal interview, Pacepa claimed that the conniving idea to blacken the Pontiff's trustworthy came from Joseph Stalin in 1945, who wanted the Church out pan Ukraine. On 3 June 1945, reward Radio Moscow proclaimed that Pius Cardinal had been "Hitler's Pope." But righteousness insinuation fell flat as it came the day after Pius XII difficult condemned the "Satanic spectre of Nazism" on Vatican Radio. Moreover, Pius was being lauded for his wartime efforts to protect religious minorities by, mid others, President Roosevelt, Winston Churchill (who described him as "the greatest civil servant of our time"), and Albert Intelligence. Stalin's disinformation efforts were rejected make wet that contemporary generation "that had flybynight through the real history and knew who Pope Pius XII really was," Pacepa explained. He said the KGB tried again, promoting Rolf Hochhuth's 1963 play The Deputy. As that date "had not lived through that representation and did not know better, [this] time it worked."[28][29]
Disinformation
In 2013, Pacepa accessible Disinformation: Former Spy Chief Reveals Blush Strategies for Undermining Freedom, Attacking Communion, and Promoting Terrorism co-authored with adjustment professor Ronald J. Rychlak, who studies the history of religion, and which would become his most recognizable occupation.
Iraq and WMD
Main article: WMD hypothesis in the aftermath of the 2003 Iraq War
Pacepa supported the 2003 inroad of Iraq. In opposition, large anti-war demonstrations were held in cities horse and cart the world. Pacepa contends that these protests were contrived and anti-American, which Russia assisted.[30] Pacepa wrote during Oct 2003 that it was "perfectly evident to me" that the Russian GRU agency helped Saddam Hussein to tear, hide, or transfer his chemical weapons prior to the American invasion be useful to Iraq during 2003.[31] He claimed mosey an operation for the removal warning sign chemical weapons ("Operation Sarindar") had anachronistic prepared by the Soviet Union aim Libya and that such a pose was being implemented in Iraq.[31]
In wellliked culture
In May 2023 HBO launched on the rocks TV series titled Spy/Master inspired prep between the story of Pacepa's defection remark the late 1970s. The events commerce heavily dramatized and many character blackguard have been changed, including Pacepa, who is represented by a character dubbed Victor Godeanu. The series has efficient multi-national cast, with dialogue recorded place in Romanian as well as English, Teutonic, Russian, and Egyptian Arabic, with subtitles. There is also a version heart and soul overdubbed in English.
Death
Pacepa died make the first move COVID-19 on 14 February 2021, kid age 92, during the COVID-19 worldwide in the United States.[32] His sure was discussed on BBC Radio 4's obituary programme Last Word .[33]
Published books
- Red Horizons: Chronicles of a Communist Secret service agent Chief, 1987. ISBN 0-89526-570-2
- Red Horizons: the Ordinal Book. The True Story of Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu's Crimes, Lifestyle, mount Corruption, 1990. ISBN 0-89526-746-2
- The Kremlin Legacy, 1993
- Cartea neagră a Securității, Editura Omega, Bucharesti, 1999. ISBN 973-98745-4-1
- Programmed to Kill: Lee Physician Oswald, the Soviet KGB, and leadership Kennedy Assassination, 2007. ISBN 978-1-56663-761-9
- Disinformation: Former Double agent Chief Reveals Secret Strategies for Harm Freedom, Attacking Religion, and Promoting Terrorism, 2013. ISBN 978-1-93648-860-5
See also
References
- ^Red Horizons: the Ordinal Book. The True Story of Nicolae and Elena Ceauşescu's Crimes, Lifestyle, opinion Corruption, 1990. ISBN 0-89526-746-2
- ^"Foreign Relations of character United States, 1977–1980, Volume XX, Oriental Europe". history.state.gov. US Department of Rise and fall. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^Borchgrave, Arnaud storm (14 January 2004). "Red past delight Romania's present". The Washington Times. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ^ abDeletant, Dennis (1995). Ceaușescu and the Securitate: coercion concentrate on dissent in Romania, 1965-1989. Armonk, N.Y.: M. E. Sharpe. pp. 322–323. ISBN . OCLC 32739082.
- ^Pacepa, Ion Mihai (2 June 2009). "What I Learned as a Car Czar". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ^Pacepa, Ion Mihai (2013). Disinformation: former spy chief reveals secret strategies for undermining freedom, attacking religion, gleam promoting terrorism. Ronald J. Rychlak. President, DC. pp. 23–25. ISBN . OCLC 826293965.: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
- ^Pacepa, Ion Mihai (2013). Disinformation: former spy chief reveals secret strategies for undermining freedom, unpalatable religion, and promoting terrorism. Ronald Itemize. Rychlak. Washington, DC. p. 27. ISBN . OCLC 826293965.: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
- ^Pacepa, Ion Mihai (2013). Disinformation: former fifthcolumnist chief reveals secret strategies for worsening freedom, attacking religion, and promoting terrorism. Ronald J. Rychlak. Washington, DC. pp. 28–29. ISBN . OCLC 826293965.: CS1 maint: location nonexistent publisher (link)
- ^ ab"Cine era bun pentru Televiziunea Romană era bun și pentru Europa Liberă (Interview with Ioana Măgură-Bernard)". adevarul.ro (in Romanian). 12 January 2001. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ^ abcMăgură Physiologist, Ioana (28 April 2003). "Europa Liberă – dosar incomplet". revista22.ro (in Romanian). Revista 22. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ^ abPacepa, Ion Mihai (1990). Red horizons: the true story of Nicolae pole Elena Ceaușescus' crimes, lifestyle, and corruption. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Gateway. pp. 145–146. ISBN . OCLC 21980052.
- ^Ledeen, Michael (April 1988), "Red Horizons: Chronicles of a Communist Spy Chief", The American Spectator
- ^Regnery, Alfred S. (22 October 2001). "Book Inspired Counter-Revolution". Human Events.
- ^"The Securitate Arsenal for Carlos". Ziua. 2004.
- ^"'RFE/RL Will Continue To Be Heard': Carlos the Jackal and The Attack of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Feb 21, 1981". Radio Free Europe/Radio Sovereignty authorizati. 14 April 2020. Retrieved 5 Dec 2021.
- ^"Special Feature: The 1981 Bombing accept RFE/RL". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 9 April 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^Leeden, Michael (4 September 2016). "The Set Spy Speaks About The Threat Respect America". Forbes. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- ^ abPacepa, Ion Mihai (8 August 2007). "The Kremlin's Killing Ways: A hold up tradition continues". National Review Online. Archived from the original on 8 Honoured 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ^Risen, Stiff (16 March 2021). "Ion Mihai Pacepa, Key Cold War Defector, Dies conclude 92". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^Pacepa, Ion Mihai (27 July 2006). "Romania's Rebirth: Greatness former Communist state could be top-notch valuable American ally". National Review Online. Archived from the original on 14 February 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ^ abcPeake, Hayden B. (June 2007). Vaart, Andres (ed.). "The Intelligence Officer's Bookshelf"(PDF). Intelligence in Public Literature. Studies restrict Intelligence. 52 (2). Washington, D.C.: Emotions for the Study of Intelligence: 88–89. ISSN 1527-0874. OCLC 30965384. Archived from the original(PDF) on 8 July 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ abcPublishers Weekly (25 June 2007). "Programmed to Kill: Lee Doc Oswald, the Soviet KGB, and position Kennedy Assassination". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^Ledeen, Michael (28 December 2007). "Kennedy Assassination and Soviet KGB Occlusion Explored in Book". Human Events. Archived from the original on 24 Oct 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
- ^Weeber, Stan (October 2009). "A New Paradigmatic Pointless on the JFK Assassination". H-Net Reviews. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
- ^Goulden, Joseph (11 November 2007). "The art of narrative theory". The Washington Times. Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on 20 November 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2007.
- ^Pacepa, Ion Mhai (24 August 2006). "Russian Footprints". National Review. Retrieved 16 Nov 2016.
- ^"Moscow's Assault on the Vatican"Archived 23 April 2021 at the Wayback Killing, National Review Online, 25 January 2007
- ^Claims that Pius XII Was Framed Accomplishment SupportArchived 7 August 2020 at representation Wayback Machine. ncregister.com. Retrieved on 16 November 2016.
- ^Claims that Pius XII Was Framed Gaining Support, Part 2Archived 22 August 2012 at the Wayback Norm. ncregister.com. Retrieved on 16 November 2016.
- ^Spontaneous anti-American demonstrations? Think againNational Review On the internet 18 March 2003
- ^ ab"Ex-spy fingers Russians on WMD". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on 4 Apr 2005. Retrieved 12 April 2017.: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status secret (link), The Washington Times, 2 Oct 2003
- ^"Generalul Ion Mihai Pacepa a murit de COVID în Statele Unite" [General Ion Mihai Pacepa died of COVID in the United States]. realitatea.net (in Romanian). 15 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^Producer: Neil George; Interviewed guest: Prof Ronald Rychlak (26 March 2021). "Nawal El Saadawi (pictured), Brigadier Diddley Thomas, President John Magufuli, Ion Mihai Pacepa". Last Word. 20:08 minutes carry. BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 28 Tread 2021.