[1]12 AAAAN
[2]104-10326-10022 | 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |
[4]SECRET
[7]MHENO:\97-9265318
[10]SECRET ERP '
[12]STAFF
[14]INFO: CE/BOGB, CEDORECORD, DCCE/BA, LIMITED, MDSX,
[15]CE/BOG, CE/BOGBT, CE/BOGIS, CED/CIC (7/P}
[17]PAGE 001
[18]TOT: 3016102 SEP 97 DIRECTOR 522218
[20]CONF: CE/BOGYA
[21]ODPD, RYBAT, FILE, C/CE,
[23]301610Z DIRECTOR 522218
[24]TO: PRIORITY BELGRADE. :
[26]FROM: LIMITED DISSEM CE/BOGYA INFO CE/BOGIS, CE/BOG, CED/CIC,
[28]DCCE/BA
[30]SLUGS: WNINTEL RYBAT
[31]4
[33]SUBJECT: TRACE RESPONSE - NIKOLA KAVAJA
[35]REF: BELGRADE 20520 97 9106046
[37]TEXT:
[39]1. ACTION REQUIRED: NONE, FYI ONLY.
[41]2. PER REF, HOS HAS CONFIRMED THAT NIKOLA ((KAVAJA)) IS THE
[42]SUBJECT OF 201-0764698. PROVIDED BELOW ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE
[43]EXTENSIVE NVTAG SOURCE REPORTING COMPILED ON KAVAJA OVER THE
[44][WEARS . BASED ON OUR REVIEW, THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS THAT KAVAJA
[45]HAS EVER BEEN IN CONTACT WITH TOHIGHROAD. PER PARA 5 REF, BELOW
[47]NFORMATION CAN BE SHARED WITH THE RSO AND COM .
[49]FOLLOWING IS DRAWN FROM DIRECTOR 824658 DATED 17 FEB 84:
[51]3.
[53]A. NIKOLA ((KAVAJA)) WAS BORN 3 OCTOBER 1933 IN ISTINIC,
[55]WUGOSLAVIA. “AFTER HIGH SCHOOL HE GRADUATED FROM THE YUGOSLAV
[57]MILTTARY ACADEMY. BETWEEN 1947 AND 1952, HE SERVED AS A FIGHTER
[59]PILOT WITH THE YUGOSLAV AIR FORCE, HOLDING THE RANK OF FIRST
[60]LIEUTENANT. IN THE COURSE OF THIS SERVICE HE BECAME DISENCHANTED
[61]WITH THE COMMUNIST REGIME AND WAS COURT-MARTIALED. HE WAS ACCUSED
[62]OF BEING A MEMBER OF A SECRET ANTI-COMMUNIST, TERRORIST
[63]ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO OVERTHROWING THE COMMUNIST REGIME OF
[64]*YUGOSLAVIA, AND WAS ALSO CHARGED WITH THE<ASSASSINATION>OF THREE
[65]BORDER GUARDS (KAVAJA DENIED BEING GUILTY OF THIS CHARGE). HE WAS
[66]FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED. TO EIGHTEEN AND ONE-HALF YEARS OF
[68]IMPRISONMENT .
[70]B. ON 15 AUG 57, KAVAJA ESCAPED FROM PRISON WITH ANOTHER
[71]YUGOSLAV. THE TWO MEN CROSSED INTO AUSTRIA ON 21 AUGUST 57 AT
[72]DOLINA RADONJA. THEY PROCEEDED TO SALZBURG AND TURNED THEMSELVES
[73]IN TO THE POLICE. AFTER SPENDING 21 DAYS IN JAIL THEY WERE
[74]GRANTED POLITICAL ASYLUM . >—-KAASIA> THEREAFTER WORKEDZAS A PAINTER
[75]AND JOINED A LOCAL ANTI-GOMMUNIST ORGANT 2 2N IN AUSTRIA -HE=™
[76]: SECRET
[79]13-00000
[81]SECRET
[83]PAGE : 2
[84]FIVE DAYS LATER, SHE LEFT
[85]HIM AND MOVED TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. HE HAS NEVER OBTAINED A
[86]DIVORCE FROM HER, THOUGH HE CONSIDERS THAT THEY ARE SEPARATED. HE
[87]REMAINED IN AUSTRIA UNTIL 15 AUGUST 61 WHEN HE DEPARTED FOR THE
[88]U.S.
[90]C. KAVAGA WORKED IN THE U.S. AS A PART TIME PAINTER FOR
[91]VARIOUS EMPLOYERS IN THE PATERSON, NEW JERSEY AREA FOR NEARLY
[92]EIGHT MONTHS. DURING NOVEMBER 1962, KAVAJA LEFT PATERSON FOR
[93]CHICAGO, WHERE HE TOOK A JOB WITH THE SERBIAN NATIONAL DEFENSE
[94]COUNCIL (SND). HIS DUTTES INCLUDED SUPPORT FOR THE EMIGRE
[95]PUBLICATION "SLOBODA," AND ACTING AS CUSTODIAN AND WATCHMAN FOR
[96]THE BUILDING. HE SAID A WATCHMAN WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE THE
[97]COUNCIL CONSIDERS THE YUGOSLAV CONSULATE IN CHICAGO TO BE AN
[98]ENEMY. AS PART OF HIS SALARY, KAVAJA WAS PROVIDED FURNISHED
[99]QUARTERS IN THE BUILDING. KAVAJA REMAINED WITH THE SND UNTIL
[100]DECEMBER 1963. FOR THE NEXT THREE _MONTHS_HE_SUPPORTED HIMSELF BY
[101]PMT MG-ODD—JOBS_-RAENFENG |
[103]a D. IN MARCH 19644KAVAJ DROVE WITH A FRIEND TO CALIFORNIA.
[104]AFTER THEIR ARRIVAL IN THE LOS_ANGELES AREA, THEY WERE ASRESTED
[106]FOR POSSESSION OF A .45 CALIBER AUTOMATIC PISTOL WHICH KAVAJA nab)
[107]LEFT ON THE BACK SEAT OF THE AUTOMOBILE. }THE LOS ANGELES”POLICE
[108]DETAINED-KAVAJA”FOR TWENTY DAYS RK LOCAL BUSINESSMAN WHO
[109]INTERPRETED-AT/THE HEARING FOR £A INDICATED THAT fAYATA} WAS
[110]“CRAZY AND A LOUDMOUTH," WHO WAS INTENT ON KILLING CASTRO. AFTER
[112]HIS RELEASE FROM JAIL HE RETURNED TO CHICAGO, AND THEN TO PATERSON
[114]TO WORK ON OBTAINING HIS CITIZENSHIP.
[116]ge. \un OCTOBER 64 HE RETURNED TO CHICAGO. SOMETIME eee
[117](EE SUMMER OF 3oe8. HIS LIVE-IN (MARRIED) GIRLFRIEND GAVE BIRTH TO
[118]A DAUGHTER IN PATERSON. IN JUNE 1977, YUGOSLAV CONSULATE GENERAL,
[119]CONSULAR OFFICER TOMISLAV DJORDJEVIC, CONSIDERED TO BE SDB OFFICER
[120]BASED IN NEW YORK, LEARNED FROM THE CHICAGO CONSULATE THAT KAVAJA
[121]AND HIS GROUP OF RADICALS MAY BECOME ACTIVE, AND AS A RESULT WAS
[122]KEEPING CLOSE WATCH ON THEM. IN NOVEMBER 1977, NEW YORK CONSULATE
[123]PPPICIAL PETAR G. ((BOZINOVIC)), ALSO CONSIDERED TO BE SDB, WAS
[124]COLLECTING INFORMATION ON KAVAJA, AND MENTIONED THAT HE HAD BEEN
[125]ADVISED THAT KAVAJA WAS INSTRUCTING EMIGRES ON HOW TO MAKE BOMBS.
[126]py 4 AUGUST 79, AT A MEETING OF YUGOSLAV OFFICIALS AT THE NEW YORK
[127]CONSULATE GENERAL, KAVAJA WAS A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION. DJORDJEVIC,
[128]HIS SUCCESSOR (AND SDB OFFICER) NJEGOSLAV ((PANTELIC)), CONSULAR
[129]OFFICER NINO ((KOPAC)), OSMAN ((GASI)}, AND.CONSUL GENERAL VESELIN
[130]({VESKOVIC)) DISCUSSED ACTIVE ANTI-REGIME EMIGRES IN THE AREA.
[131]RIE INDICATED THAT KAVAJA HAD RECENTLY HIJACKED AN AIRPLANE
[132]OMS IDE CHICAGO TO NEW YORK CITY, AND THEN TO SHANNON, IRELAND,
[133]WHERE HE SURRENDERED TO THE IRISH AUTHORITIES. DURING THIS
[134]MEETING, THEY AGREED THAT KAVAJA, WHO WAS AT THE TIME IN A U.S
[135]erlTSON, DESERVED TO BE PUNISHED. DJORDJEVIC DISPLAYED A
[136]SERBO-CROATIAN REPORT ON KAVAJA ENTITLED "WHO ARE THE TERRORISTS ~-
[137]SOPO - END OF ONE CONSPIRACY."
[139]\ F. ONE SOURCE WHO TRAVELED TO YUGOSLAVIA IN APRIL 1981
[141]Bone ao bat INTERVIEWED BY THE SDB. HE WAS ASKED AMONG OTHER
[143]WINGS TO IDENTEFFY-YUGOSLAV_EMIGRES WHO VITSTTED KAVASITS INTIAL
[144]SECRET
[147]13-00000 . >
[149]SECRET
[150]: SENS-END+—RYBAT. PAGE: 3
[151]—————————— | a. --- = eee
[152]IN 1964 GKAVAIR TOLD ONE SOURCE HE IS UNALTERABLY OPPOSED TO
[153]COMMUNISM WHEREVER IT IS FOUND. HE PROFESSED GREAT ADMIRATION FOR
[154]AMERICAN DEMOCRACY BUT FELT THAT MORE THAN MERE WORDS WERE NEEDED
[155]IF AMERICA WAS TO WIN OUT OVER COMMUNISM. GYR) INDICATED THAT
[156]HE WAS A MAN OF ACTION. HE ADDED THAT HE HAS DEDICATED HIMSELF TO
[157]THE ERADICATION OF COMMUNISM AND THAT AN OPPORTUNE TIME, HE WILL
[158]ACQUIRE AND CARRY A PISTOL, AS A PATRIOT, NOT AS A CRIMINAL, FOR
[159]USE AGAINST THE HEAD OF ANY COMMUNIST STATE INCLUDING @ITON
[160]KURUSICEEY RAND} CASTRO, REGARDLESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES TO HIMSELF
[161]“SR HIS RELATIVES. CRAVAJSQINDICATED THAT IN OCTOBER 1963 HE HAD
[163]STALKED Ctiohar GEw YORE CITY, WILLTAMSBURG, AND WASHINGTON] FOR
[165]*THE PURPOSE OP<ASSASSINATINGSHIM. HE WAS DRESSED IN THE BLACK
[167]CLERICAL GARB OF A PRIEST, AND HE WAS ARMED WITH A .45 CALIBER
[169]PISTOL AND 48 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION. HE SAID HE NEARLY_SUCCEEDED
[170]{ IN HIS EFFORT IN WiTLLTAMESURG), BUT WAS THWARTED WHEN (ITO) LEFT THE
[171]AREA BY HELICOPTER RATHER THAN BY CAR. GAVAJA) INDICATED THAT THE
[172]«COMMUNIST PARTY WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LATE<PRESIDENT KENNEDY’ S>
[173]* <ASSASSINATION , > Gi WAS ALSO HIS-OPINION THAT ‘UHE
[174](ES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FREQUENT BLACK RIOTS _IN THE EAST
[175]MENTIONED THAT HE AND HIS ASSOCIATES FELT THAT THE TIME HAD COME
[176]WHEN FORCEFUL AND AFFIRMATIVE STEPS MUST BE TAKEN, IF THE WORLD
[177]WAS TO AVOID A COMPLETE TAKE-OVER BY COMMUNISM.
[179]ZNOTHER SOURCE REPORTED THAT KAVAUR APPEARED TO a
[180]TDTPPERENT"_FROM THE AVERAGE MEMBER OF 2HEUSND, AND BE
[181]PPE HAVE MORE OF AN AGGRESSIVE NATURE. THE SOURCHJ~
[182]INDIC T KAVATEWOULD PROBABLY DO THINGS OTHER PEOPLE WOULL)
[183]Snor_po} NE OCCASION WAYACASCONFIDED TO THE7SOURCE THAT HE HAD
[184]BREEN PAID NEARLY USD 3,000 BY A© AN _ORTHODSZ_EISHOP)TO KILL
[185]C@ITO) THE DEAL INVOLVED HIS KIDNAPPING A FORMER LEADER OF THE
[186]ASTESHT) MOVEMENT RESIDENT IN THE GOSLSNGELES_ARES)TO AVENGE THE
[187]GeRgs KILLED DURING WORLD WAR II BY THECUSTASZI) HOWEVER, HE DID
[188]*Nogf SUCCEED IN THIS<ASSASSINATION>PLAN BECAUSE, WHILE HE WAS
[189]SeekKING OUT THE MAN’S RESIDENCE, HE WAS APPREHENDED BY THE POLICE
[191]AND ARRESTED FOR POSSESSION OF A HANDGUN.
[195]H. ANOTHER SOURCE REPORTED THAT KAVAJA FREQUENTLY PROMISED
[196]TO COMMIT SOME ACT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST A COMMUNIST PERSON AND ON
[197]THIS BASIS COLLECTED MONEY FROM THE SERBS. HOWEVER, BECAUSE HE
[198]HAD NOT YET DELIVERED, SERBS IN THE CHICAGO AREA WERE DISENCHANTED
[199]WITH HIM.
[201]\ I. ACCORDING TO ANOTHER SOURCE, KAVAJA WAS DESCRIBED AS AN
[202]OPPORTUNIST, A BULLY, AND AN UNTRUSTWORTHY TYPE OF PERSON WHO WAS
[203]PRIMARILY INTERESTED IN HIMSELF. WITH REGARD TO KAVAJA’S CLAIMS
[204]oF BEING AN ANTI-COMMUNIST, THE SOURCE ADDED THAT HE HAD NO
[205]ANFORMAT ION ON HIS POLITICAL SYMPATHIES, EXCEPT THAT HE WAS
[206]EXTREMELY PREJUDICED AGAINST NON-SERB SLAVS. HE WAS REPORTEDLY
[207]NOT LIKED BY FELLOW SERBS, BUT FEARED BY THEM BECAUSE HE HAD THE
[208]REPUTATION OF BEING A FIGHTER AND ONE WHO USUALLY PICKS ON MEN WHO
[209]BRE EITHER SMALLER OR OLDER THAN HB. HOWEVER, THE SOURCE
[211]TDI GATED | THAT SOME SERBS-VEBWED-KAVATA—AS—A-HERO-
[213]4. ACCORDING TO CIA 823841, DATED _02_SEP_ 84 ,
[214]a SECRET
[216]TOHITGHROAD
[219]13-00000
[221]SECRET
[222]RYBAT
[224]MHENOG 4. 97-9265318 SENSIND:
[226]RECE-RVED_A_REQUESL—FROM—A
[227]KAVAJA. THE AUSTRIANS CARRIED SUBJECT AS A TERRORIST WHO MAY TRY
[228]TO DISRUPT THE SARAJEVO OLYMPIC GAMES USING AUSTRIA AS A STAGING
[229]AREA. THEY PLANNED TO ENTER INFORMATION INTO THEIR COMPUTERS AT
[230]BORDER CROSSING POINTS TO ENABLE THEM TO PREVENT KAVAJA FROM
[232]ENTERING YUGOSLAVIA VIA AUSTRIA.
[234]S. ON 31 JUL 93, NVTAG PROVIDED AN ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL
[235]FOR YUGOSLAVIAN TERRORISM IN THE UNITED STATES, WHICH WAS SENT TO
[237]SEVERAL TQHIGHROAD STATIONS. B
[239]THE ASSESSMENT WAS NOT PART OF THE
[240]U.S. TERRORIST THREAT WARNING SYSTEM, BUT JUST INTENDED TO
[241]PROVIDED INFORMATION TO ALL RECIPIENTS. IN THIS ASSESSMENT, NVTAG
[242]EVALUATED THE YUGOSLAVIAN DIPLOMATIC AND NON-OFFICIAL PRESENCE IN
[243]THE UNITED STATES. THE ASSESSMENT MENTIONED KAVAJA AS ONE OF THE
[244]INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE BOMBING OF THE YUGOSLAV EMBASSY IN
[245]WASHINGTON, D.C. KAVAJA WAS ALSO MENTIONED TO BE A MEMBER OF
[247]SOPO.
[249]6. FILE: 201-0764698. CL BY: 2184825, CL REASON: 1.5
[250](C), DECL ON: Xi, DRV FROM: HUM 4-82.
[251]CABLETYPE: GECO STAFF 4.9.1.>
[253]RELNO: DORELSOL00792925
[254]i
[256]ORT CE/ BOGY EN (XDEBRUCTSAH-0-6) _-AUPH:— DC /CE/BOGYA (D’
[257]Laxeo: CE/TRG(FRREEMAN); REL: C/CE/BOGYA(PIPKIN) .
[259]SECRET
[261]END OF MESSAGE
[263]SECRET