World League for Freedom and Democracy

The World League for Freedom and Democracy (WLFD, formerly the World Anti-Communist League, WACL) is an international anti-communist political organization founded in 1966 in Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan), under the initiative of Chiang Kai-shek. It was founded with the aim of opposing Communism around the world through "unconventional" methods. It had eight regional branches, with a presence in up to 100 countries on six continents. The honorary life chairman of the WACL was Dr. Ku Cheng-Kang, a senior leader of the Kuomintang (KMT), and the president of Taiwan's National Assembly.

The U.S. chapter of WACL, the United States Council for World Freedom (USCWF), has been one of the most active branches. USCWF was founded in 1981 by Major General John K. Singlaub. This branch has generated controversy, as it prominently supported Nicaraguan guerrillas in the Iran–Contra affair^[1] and, in 1981, the USCWF was placed under watch by the Anti-Defamation League, which said that the organization had increasingly become "a point of contact for extremists, racists, and anti-Semites".^[2][3] During the 1980s, the USCWF and WACL conducted a purge of these elements, and invited ADL observers to monitor its conferences;^[4] by 1985, the Anti-Defamation League declared itself "satisfied that substantial progress has been made since 1981 in ridding the organization of racists and anti-Semites."^[5]

Contents 1 History 2 Some members or former members 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links

History

The WACL held annual conferences at various locations throughout the world. Its core activity involved providing financial and material aid to right-wing organizations and anti-communist militias around the globe, notably by providing scholarships for political warfare training at the Political Warfare Cadres Academy in Taiwan. However, by the mid-eighties WACL had become the leading non-governmental supplier of arms to anti-communist rebel movements in southern Africa, Central America, Afghanistan and the Far East.^[6]

It has been alleged but not proven that the League had close ties with the governments of Taiwan under Kuomintang rule, and (to a lesser extent) South Korea. Numerous groups participated, including the Unification Church of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The WACL also enjoyed support from both the Carter and Reagan administrations in the United States, particularly with regard to its role in Central America,^[7] and many U.S. Congressmen, most notably 2008 presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ),^[1][8] who sat on the USCWF Board of Directors in the early 1980s.^[9][10] McCain has said previously he resigned from the council in 1984 and asked in 1986 to have his name removed from the group's letterhead.^[11]

At the 17th Annual WACL Conference held in San Diego, California, John K. Singlaub, president of the WACL's US chapter, read a letter from President Ronald Reagan which said in part, "The World Anti-Communist League has long played a leadership role in drawing attention to the gallant struggle now being waged by the true freedom fighters of our day. Nancy and I send our best wishes for further success."^[12]

Singlaub was the former US Chief of Staff of both United Nations and American forces in South Korea, but was relieved in 1977 by U.S. President Jimmy Carter after publicly criticizing Carter's decision to reduce the number of troops on the peninsula. Singlaub became a member of the WACL in 1980, and founded and became president of its U.S. chapter, the United States Council for World Freedom.

In 1978, Roger Pearson became the World Chairman of the WACL. Pearson had close neo-Nazi associations,^[13] and sources report that as a result of an article in the Washington Post in 1978 critical of WACL and alleging extreme right wing politics of Pearson that either he was expelled from WACL or at least was pressured into resigning from his position as World Chairman.^[14]

During the 1980s, the WACL was particularly active in Latin America, notably by aiding the Contra forces in Nicaragua.^[15] During this period, WACL was criticized for the presence in the organization of neo-Nazis, war criminals, and people linked to death squads and assassinations.^[3]

The WACL produced numerous publications, such as Can the Two Chinas become One? by S. Senese and D. Pikcunas (1989).

The 21st WACL Conference was held in Geneva, 27–29 August 1988, and was addressed by U.S. Congressmen Richard Armey, former president of South Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu, George Wortley, and Major-General Singlaub.

The League held its 22nd World Conference in Brussels in July 1990. But following the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe in 1990 and 1991, WACL's main purpose, at least in Europe, became less clear.

On September 17, 1994, The Irish Times reported that the WACL is now known as the World League for Freedom and Democracy. It is still sponsored by Taiwan and South Korea, and now officially has turned itself to "global affairs, the need for peace initiatives and co-operating with developing countries."

Two further reports claim that the World League for Freedom and Democracy is responsible for producing what its opponents call "troops of killers", while ostensibly organizing to provide support for Corazon Aquino from the right-wing in the Philippines (The Village Voice, February 27, 1996), and for supporting the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) movement in Mozambique (The Guardian, August 6, 1994).

Some members or former members

•  Argentina - Videla right-wing military junta^[16]
•  Australia - Australian League of Rights^[17][18]
•  Bolivia – Nationalist Democratic Action^[19]
•  Canada - John A. Gamble
•  Republic of China – Kuomintang
•  Costa Rica – Free Costa Rica Movement
•  Croatia - Croatian Liberation Movement
•  El Salvador – Nationalist Republican Alliance^[20]
•  France – New Order
•  Germany - Paladin Group
•  Guatemala – National Liberation Movement
•  Italy – Italian Social Movement, National Vanguard^[21]
•  Japan – Liberal Democratic Party, Ryoichi Sasakawa
•  Mexico – The Tecos or Christ the King Legion^[22]
•  Nicaragua – The Contras
•  Paraguay - Colorado Party^[23]
•  Philippines - Nacionalista Party under Ferdinand Marcos, later Kilusang Bagong Lipunan^[24]
•  South Korea – Democratic Justice Party^[25] (after its merger into what is now the Hannara Dang, the Hannara Dang occupied its place in the WLFD), Unification Church
•  South Vietnam and Vietnamese diaspora - National Social Democratic Front^[26]
•  Spain – CEDADE
•  UK - Roger Pearson^[27][28]
•  USSR's diaspora communities (Ukrainian diaspora, Belarusian diaspora, Moldovan diaspora, etc.) - Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations^[29]
•  USA – Heritage Foundation, National Coalition of Peace through Strength, Alpha 66, United States Council for World Freedom,^[30]

See also

• Ron Gostick, white supremacist and anti-Semite who was another leader of a local Canadian branch of the WACL.
• Larry McDonald, U.S. Congressman and former WACL member.
• World Freedom Day

References

Further reading

• Witold S. Sworakowski, The Communist International & Its Front Organisations, The Hoover Institution, Stanford, California, 1965, Library of Congress Cat.no: 65-12622.
• Charles Hobday, Communist & Marxist Parties of The World, UK, 1986. ISBN 0-582-90264-9.
• Ian F.W. Beckett, The Roots of Counter-Insurgency, London, 1988. ISBN 0-7137-1922-2.
• Free World Report, January, 1989, p. 4.
• Scott Anderson and Jon Lee Anderson, Inside The League: The Shocking Expose Of How Terrorists, Nazis and Latin American Death Squads Have Infiltrated the World Anti-Communist League, Dodd Mead, New York, 1986. ISBN 0-396-08517-2.

External links

• World League for Freedom & Democracy
• World Anti-Communist League, background on WACL from Right Web: advocacy journalism and analysis of right-wing organizations