United States Council for World Freedom
Last updated: January 9, 1990
Published by the International Relations Center / Interhemispheric Resource Center.
United States Council for World Freedom
Acronym/Code: USCWF
Updated: 10/90
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