Editing Unification Church (section)

==CIA Connections==
Allegations of direct CIA ties are less substantiated but arise from the church’s anti-communist activities aligning with U.S. interests. A 1978 congressional report noted that the Unification Church was involved in weapons and munitions manufacturing in South Korea since the 1960s, which members justified as a requirement for doing business in the country. This raised speculation about CIA awareness or involvement, given the agency’s role in establishing the KCIA post-World War II.

In the 1980s, the church’s affiliate, CAUSA International, directly supported the CIA’s efforts to fund the [[Nicaraguan Contras]] after Congress cut off CIA funding. CAUSA, led by Bo Hi Pak, sponsored the documentary Nicaragua Was Our Home (1986) and paid for flights for Contra leaders, with supplies sourced from various U.S. groups, including Moon’s church, according to contemporary CIA reports. This suggests the church filled a funding gap for CIA-backed operations.

Claims of deeper CIA involvement, such as the church being a CIA creation, are largely based on secondary sources like Bob Fitrakis’ 2012 article, which alleges Moon was a CIA asset tied to the Bush family. These claims cite the church’s political lobbying, including alleged bribery of U.S. officials and support for conservative causes, but lack primary CIA documents. The CIA’s role in founding the KCIA is acknowledged, but assertions that the KCIA was a “Korean arm of the CIA” are debated, with critics noting the agencies operated independently despite shared interests.

The church’s ties to U.S. conservatives, including George H.W. Bush (who spoke at Moon’s events in the 1990s) and evangelical leaders like Jerry Falwell (whose Liberty University received Moon’s financial support), fueled speculation of CIA alignment, given the agency’s history of leveraging anti-communist groups.