104-10326-10022 SECRET RYBAT 97-9265318 SECRET BRP: STAFF ODPD, RYBAT, FILE, C/CE, CE/BOG, CE/BOGBT, CE/BOGIS, CED/CIC (7/P) 97 9265318 ASP PAGE 001 SECRET STAFF 301610Z DIRECTOR 522218 FROM: LIMITED DISSEM CE/BOGYA INFO CE/BOGIS, CE/BOG, CED/CIC, DCCE/BA SLUGS: WNINTEL RYBAT SUBJECT: TRACE RESPONSE «- NIKOLA KAVAJA REF: 20520 97 9106046 TEXT : 1. ACTION REQUIRED: NONE, FYI ONLY. 9. PER REF, HOS HAS CONFIRMED THAT NIKOLA ((KAVAJA)) IS THE SUBJECT OF 201-0764698. PROVIDED BELOW ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE EXTENSIVE NVTAG SOURCE REPORTING COMPILED ON KAVAJA OVER THE [YEARS . BASED ON OUR REVIEW, THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS THAT KAVAJA HAS EVER BEEN IN CONTACT WITH TOQHIGHROAD. PER PARA 5 REF, BELOW NFORMATION CAN BE SHARED WITH THE RSO AND COM . 3. FOLLOWING IS DRAWN FROM DIRECTOR 824658 DATED 17 FEB 84: A. NIKOLA ((KAVAJA)) WAS BORN 3 OCTOBER 1933 IN ISTINIC, UGOSLAVTA. “AFTER HIGH SCHOOL HE GRADUATED FROM THE YUGOSLAV MILITARY ACADEMY. BETWEEN 1947 AND 1952, HE SERVED AS A FIGHTER PILOT WITH THE YUGOSLAV AIR FORCE, HOLDING THE RANK OF FIRST LIEUTENANT . IN THE COURSE OF THIS SERVICE HE BECAME DISENCHANTED WITH THE COMMUNIST REGIME AND WAS COURT-MARTIALED. HE WAS ACCUSED OF BEING A MEMBER OF A SECRET ANTI-COMMUNIST, TERRORIST ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO OVERTHROWING THE COMMUNIST REGIME OF *YUGOSLAVIA, AND WAS ALSO CHARGED WITH THE<ASSASSINATION>OF THREE BORDER GUARDS (KAVAJA DENIED BEING GUILTY OF THIS CHARGE). HE WAS FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED. TO EIGHTEEN AND ONE-HALF YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT . RB. ON 15 AUG 57, KAVAJA ESCAPED FROM PRISON WITH ANOTHER YUGOSLAV. THE TWO MEN CROSSED INTO AUSTRIA ON 21 AUGUST 57 AT DOLINA RADONJA. THEY PROCEEDED TO SALZBURG AND TURNED THEMSELVES IN TO THE POLICE. AFTER SPENDING 21 DAYS IN JAIL THEY WERE GRANTED POLITICAL ASYLUM . =o KAVACEA REREEER—WORKEDSAS A PAINTER AND JOINED A LOCAL ANTI-COMMUNTST ORGANIZATION IN AUSTRIA y“"HEe = SECRET er a Ce ee Ee ee CONF: CE/BOGYA INFO: CE/BOGB, CEDORECORD, DCCE/BA, LIMITED, MDSX, TOT: 301610Z SEP 97 DIRECTOR 522218
SECRET ENSIND: RYBAT PAGE: 2 MHENO : Shen y re MARRIED MAR FE—HLMOSEG)})" ON 13 JUNE 59. FIVE DAYS LATER, HE LEF‘S HIM AND MOVED TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. HE HAS NEVER OBTAINED A DIVORCE FROM HER, THOUGH HE CONSIDERS THAT THEY ARE SEPARATED. HE REMAINED IN AUSTRIA UNTIL 15 AUGUST 61 WHEN HE DEPARTED FOR THE U.S. om KAVAJA WORKED IN THE U.S. AS A PART TIME PAINTER FOR VARIOUS EMPLOYERS IN THE PATERSON, NEW JERSEY AREA FOR NEARLY EIGHT MONTHS. DURING NOVEMBER 1962, KAVAJA LEFT PATERSON FOR CHICAGO, WHERE HE TOOK A JOB WITH THE SERBIAN NATIONAL DEFENSE COUNCIL (SND). HIS DUTIES INCLUDED SUPPORT FOR THE EMIGRE PUBLICATION "SLOBODA," AND ACTING AS CUSTODIAN AND WATCHMAN FOR THE BUILDING. HE SAID A WATCHMAN WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE THE COUNCIL CONSIDERS THE YUGOSLAV CONSULATE IN CHICAGO TO BE AN ENEMY. AS PART OF HIS SALARY, KAVAJA WAS PROVIDED FURNISHED QUARTERS IN THE BUILDING. KAVAJA REMAINED WITH THE SND UNTIL DECEMBER 1963. FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS HE SUPPORTED HIMSELF BY PAKTNG-OBD~JOBS—RALINFING? L D. TN MARCH 1964 AETERTHEIR_ARRIVAL IN THE LOS, ANGELES "AREAS T FOR POSSESSION OF A .45 CALIBER AUTOMATIC PISTOL WHI LEST ON THE BACK SEAT OF THE AUTOMOBILE. }THE LOS Ab DETAINED-KAVAIN” FOR TWENTY DAYS. A LOCAL BUSINESSMAN WHO INTER PRETED—AT/ THE HEARING FOR ZAVAGS, INDICATED THAT ‘KAVA JA} WAS "CRAZY AND A LOUDMOUTH," WHO WAS INTENT ON KILLING CASTRO. AFTER HIS RELEASE FROM JAIL HE RETURNED TO CHICAGO, AND THEN TO PATERSON TO WORK ON OBTAINING HIS CITIZENSHIP. SOMETIME BEFOR TURNED TO CHICAGO IN OCTOBER 64 : = OF 1966, HTS DIVE-iN (MARRTED) 6 GIRLFRI A DAUGHTER IN PATERSON. IN JUNE 1977, YUGOSLAV CONS ULATE GENERAL, CONSULAR OFFICER TOMISLAV DJORDJEVIC, CONSIDERED TO BE SDB OFFICER BASED IN NEW YORK, LEARNED FROM THE CHICAGO CONSULATE THAT KAVAJA AND HIS GROUP OF RADICALS MAY BECOME ACTIVE, AND AS A RESULT WAS KEEPING CLOSE WATCH ON THEM. IN NOVEMBER 1977, NEW YORK CONSULATE OPFICTAL PETAR G. ((BOZINOVIC)), ALSO CONSIDERED TO BE SDB, WAS COLLECTING INFORMATION ON KAVAJA, AND MENTIONED THAT HE HAD BEEN ADVISED THAT KAVAJA WAS INSTRUCTING EMIGRES ON HOW TO MAKE BOMBS. On 4 AUGUST 79, AT A MEETING OF YUGOSLAV OFFICIALS AT THE NEW YORK cSNSULATE GENERAL, KAVAJA WAS A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION. DJORDJEVIC, HYS SUCCESSOR (AND SDB OFFICER) NJEGOSLAV ({PANTELIC)), CONSULAR OFFICER NINO ((KOPAC)), OSMAN ((GASI)), AND CONSUL GENERAL VESELIN ( VESKOVIC) ) DISCUSSED ACTIVE ANTI-REGIME EMIGRES IN THE AREA. HEE NDICATED THAT KAVAJA HAD RECENTLY HIJACKED AN AIRPLANE UES EDE CHICAGO TO NEW YORK CITY, AND THEN TO SHANNON, IRELAND, ERE HE SURRENDERED TO THE IRISH AUTHORITIES. DURING THIS ETING, THEY AGREED THAT KAVAJA, WHO WAS AT THE TIME IN A U.S. TSON, DESERVED TO BE PUNISHED. DJORDJEVIC DISPLAYED A SERBO- CROATIAN REPORT ON KAVAJA ENTITLED "WHO ARE THE TERRORISTS - Edo - END OF ONE CONSPIRACY." 7) = 0). a TS, Sas a F. ONE SOURCE WHO TRAVELED TO YUGOSLAVIA IN APRIL 1981 REPORTED HE WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE SDB. HE WAS ASKED AMONG OTHER CTHINGE TO [DENTTFY-YUGOSTAV_EMIGRES WHO VISTTED KAVAIATIN- UATE SECRI 7 | aS
13-00000 . SECRET 97-9265318 IN 196494KAVAT% TOLD ONE SOURCE HE IS UNALTERABLY OPPOSED TO COMMUNISM WHEREVER IT 18 FOUND. HE PROFESSED GREAT ADMIRATION FOR AMERICAN DEMOCRACY BUT FELT THAT MORE THAN MERE WORDS WERE NEEDED IF AMERICA WAS TO WIN OUT OVER COMMUNISM. GZAMATS) INDICATED THAT HE WAS A MAN OF ACTION. HE ADDED THAT HE HAS DEDICATED HIMSELF TO THE ERADICATION OF COMMUNISM AND THAT AN OPPORTUNE TIME, HE WILL ACQUIRE AND CARRY A PISTOL, AS A PATRIOT, NOT AS A CRIMINAL, FOR USE AGAINST THE HEAD OF ANY COMMUNIST STATE INCLUDING @ITON\ SHC BND) CASTRO, REGARDLESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES TO HIMSELF “SE IIS RELATIVES. C&AVAJEQINDICATED THAT IN OCTOBER 1963 HE HAD STALKED (@(fohaT GE VORK CLTY, WILLTAMSBURG, AND WASHINGTON] FOR *THE PURPOSE OF<ASSASSINATING>HIM. HE WAS DRESSED IN THE BDACK CLERICAL GARR OF A PRIEST, AND HE WAS ARMED WITH A .45 CALIBER STOL AND 48 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION. HE SAID HE NEARLY SUCCEEDED / TN HIS EFFORT IN WERDIAMESURG, BUT WAS THWARTED WHEN “{I{O) LEFT THE | AREA BY HELICOPTER RATHER THAN BY CAR. AVAJS) INDICATED THAT THE «COMMUNIST PARTY WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LATE<PRESIDENT KENNEDY’ S> * ASSASSINATION. > GFE WAS” AUSO-HTS~OPINTON THEN? (RO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FREQUE BLACK ,RTOTS_Ih MENTIONED THAT HE AND aTS ASSOCIATES FELT THAT THE TIME HAD COME WHEN FORCEFUL AND AFFIRMATIVE STEPS MUST BE TAKEN, IF THE WORLD WAS TO AVOID A COMPLETE TAKE-OVER BY COMMUNTSM. HE SND, AND 2 SPERENT". FROM _ SOURCE XVE MORE OF AN AGGR KAVATA WOULD quote po) ON ONE OCCASION ‘KAVATASCT BEEN PAID NEARLY USD 3,000 BY A THE DEAL INVOLVED HIS KIDNAPPING NG A “FORMER LEADER OF THE AT\ MOVEMENT RESIDENT IN THE SLOS_ ANGELES TO AVENGE THE RBS) KILLED DURING WORLD WAR IT BY THE CSTR HOWEVER, HE DID snot SUCCEED IN THIS<ASSASSINATION> PLAN BECAUSE, WHILE HE WAS STAKING OUT THE MAN'S RESIDENCE, HE WAS APPREHENDED BY THE POLICE AND ARRESTED FOR POSSESSION OF A HANDGUN. ih H. ANOTHER SOURCE REPORTED THAT KAVAJA FREQUENTLY PROMISED TO COMMIT SOME ACT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST A COMMUNIST PERSON AND ON THIS BASIS COLLECTED MONEY FROM THE SERBS. HOWEVER, BECAUSE HE HAD NOT YET DELIVERED, SERBS IN THE CHICAGO AREA WERE DISENCHANTED WITH HIM. \ I. ACCORDING TO ANOTHER SOURCE, KAVAJA WAS DESCRIBED AS AN OPPORT UNIST, A BULLY, AND AN UNTRUSTWORTHY TYPE OF PERSON WHO WAS PRIMARTLY INTERESTED IN HIMSELF. WITH REGARD TO KAVAJA’S CLAIMS OF BEING AN ANTI-COMMUNIST, THE SOURCE ADDED THAT HE HAD NO JNFORMATION ON HIS POLITICAL SYMPATHIES, EXCEPT THAT HE WAS EXTREMELY PREJUDICED AGAINST NON-SERB SLAVS. HE WAS REPORTEDLY Not LIKED BY FELLOW SERBS, BUT FEARED BY THEM BECAUSE HE HAD THE REPUTATION OF BEING A FIGHTER AND ONE WHO USUALLY PICKS ON MEN WHO ARE EITHER SMALLER OR OLDER THAN HE. HOWEVER, THE SOURCE Lf TCATED THAT SOME SERBS-V-EEWED-KAVAGA-AS A-HERO NS 4. e ACCORD RDI ING | TO ot TA 822841, DATED O02 SER 84, 7 SECRET
13-00000 SECRET MHFNO 1_97-9265318 SENSIND: RYBAT PAGE: 4 RECBEVED 2 _ REQUESLT-EROM FOR INFORMATIONON-CNEKOLA ? KAVAJA. THE CARRIED SUBJECT AS A TERRORIST WHO MAY TRY “| TO DISRUPT THE SARAJEVO OLYMPIC GAMES USING AUSTRIA AS A STAGING AREA. THEY PLANNED TO ENTER INFORMATION INTO THEIR COMPUTERS AT BORDER CROSSING POINTS TO ENABLE THEM TO PREVENT KAVAJA FROM ENTERING YUGOSLAVIA VIA AUSTRIA. 5. ON 31 JUL 93, NVTAG PROVIDED AN ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL FOR YUGOSLAVIAN TERRORISM IN THE UNITED STATES, WHICH WAS SENT TO SEVERAL TOHIGHROAD STATIONS. THE ASSESSMENT WAS NOT PART OF THE U.S. TERRORIST THREAT WARNING SYSTEM, BUT JUST INTENDED TO PROVIDED INFORMATION TO ALL RECIPIENTS. IN THIS ASSESSMENT, NVTAG EVALUATED THE YUGOSLAVIAN DIPLOMATIC AND NON-OFFICIAL PRESENCE IN THE UNITED STATES. THE ASSESSMENT MENTIONED KAVAJA AS ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE BOMBING OF THE YUGOSLAV EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. KAVAJA WAS ALSO MENTIONED TO BE A MEMBER OF SOPO. 6. FILE: 201-0764698. CL BY: 2184825, CL REASON: 1.5 (C), DECL ON: Xi, DRV FROM: HUM 4-82. CABLETYPE: GECO STAFF 4.0.1.> RELNO: DORELSO100792925 OREG:—-CE/BOGYAL J 527-0-6-} + AUP: —_ DC. / CE /BOGYA(DEL.| — INFO: CE/TRG | REL: C/CE/BOGYA . END OF MESSAGE SECRET SECRET