World Anti-Communist League

History

The World Anti-Communist League (WACL), later renamed the World League for Freedom and Democracy (WLFD) in 1990, was an international organization founded in 1966 in Taipei, Taiwan, to oppose communism globally. Its roots trace back to the Asian Peoples’ Anti-Communist League (APACL), established in 1954 by Chiang Kai-shek (Republic of China), Syngman Rhee (South Korea), and Elpidio Quirino (Philippines), with support from figures like General Charles A. Willoughby and Ku Cheng-kang. The APACL aimed to counter communist expansion in Asia, driven by Cold War tensions and the perceived threat of Soviet and Chinese influence.

The WACL emerged from the APACL’s expansion, formalized at a 1966 Seoul conference where its charter was adopted, effective April 1967. It grew into a transnational network with chapters in over 60 countries, organized into six regional divisions (Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America). Key founding members included the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations (ABN), led by figures like Yaroslav Stetsko, and it attracted a mix of anti-communist groups, politicians, and regimes. The organization was heavily influenced by right-wing ideologies, with ties to the U.S., Taiwanese, and South Korean governments, and alleged CIA involvement through figures like Ray Cline.

Throughout the Cold War, the WACL pursued militant anti-communism, supporting counter-insurgency, psychological warfare, and arms supplies to anti-communist movements in regions like Latin America (e.g., Nicaraguan Contras), Southern Africa, Afghanistan, and Southeast Asia. Notable activities included training at Taiwan’s Political Warfare Cadres Academy and conferences that drew diverse delegates, including controversial figures like ex-Nazis, fascist collaborators, and Latin American death squad leaders. The U.S. chapter, the United States Council for World Freedom, founded by General John Singlaub in 1981, was linked to the Iran-Contra affair, drawing scrutiny for extremism.

The WACL faced criticism for its associations with neo-Nazis, anti-Semites, and war criminals, notably in the 1970s under chairman Roger Pearson. A 1978 statement by British anti-communist Geoffrey Stewart-Smith called it a haven for “Nazis, Fascists, anti-Semites, and vicious racialists.” In the 1980s, under pressure from groups like the Anti-Defamation League, the WACL purged some extremist elements, though its core anti-communist mission remained unchanged.

After the Cold War, the WACL rebranded as the WLFD in 1990, emphasizing “freedom and democracy” but retaining its anti-communist roots. Headquartered in Taipei, it continues to hold annual World Freedom Day events, commemorating anti-communist struggles, led by figures like Yao Eng-chi. Critics argue its historical ties to authoritarian regimes and questionable allies undermine its democratic claims.

Paramilitary Groups

The World Anti-Communist League (WACL) had documented ties to paramilitary groups, particularly during the Cold War. These connections were driven by its militant anti-communist agenda, which supported armed resistance against communist regimes and insurgencies.

• Latin America: The WACL’s Latin American chapter, the Confederación Anticomunista Latinoamericana (CAL), included members linked to right-wing paramilitary groups and death squads. In the 1980s, CAL was associated with groups like the Nicaraguan Contras, whom the WACL supported through fundraising and logistics. The U.S. chapter, led by John Singlaub, was implicated in funneling arms to the Contras during the Iran-Contra affair. Guatemalan and Salvadoran anti-communist militias, tied to state-sponsored death squads, also attended WACL conferences.

• Southern Africa: The WACL backed anti-communist paramilitary movements like UNITA in Angola and RENAMO in Mozambique, providing propaganda and material support against Marxist governments, often in coordination with South Africa’s apartheid regime.

• Asia: The WACL supported anti-communist guerrillas in Southeast Asia, such as the Khmer People’s National Liberation Front in Cambodia and Hmong fighters in Laos, through training and resources. Taiwan’s Political Warfare Cadres Academy, a WACL hub, trained paramilitary operatives.

• Europe and Ukraine: The Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations (ABN), a WACL affiliate, included former members of Ukrainian nationalist groups like the OUN-B, which had paramilitary wings during World War II. These groups maintained anti-Soviet activities during the Cold War, with WACL support.

The WACL’s ties to paramilitary groups were facilitated by its network of anti-communist regimes, intelligence operatives, and private donors, including CIA involvement. Conferences often featured paramilitary leaders alongside politicians, and the organization’s rhetoric endorsed “liberation” through armed struggle. Critics, including reports from the Anti-Defamation League and journalists like Scott and Jon Lee Anderson, highlighted these links as evidence of the WACL’s extremism. Data from declassified documents and investigations (e.g., Iran-Contra hearings) confirm these connections.