## Page 1

AAA

1104-10326-100:

2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

MHENO

97-9265318

SECRET

SENSIND :

RYBAT

SECRET

PAGE :

-FR-P-:

STAFF

CONF: CE/BOGYA

INFO: CE/BOGB, CEDORECORD, DCCE/BA, LIMITED,

MDSX,

ODPD, RYBAT, FILE, C/CE, CE/BOG, CE/ BOGBI,

CE/BOGIS, CED/CIC (7/P)

97 9265318

ASP

PAGE

001

TOT: 301610Z SEP 97

DIRECTOR 522218

SECRET

STAFE

TO :

3016102 DIRECTOR

522218

PRIORITY BELGRADE.

FROM: LIMITED DISSEM CE/BOGYA INFO CE/BOGIS, CE/BOG, CED/CIC,

DCCE / BA

SLUGS: WNINTEL RYBAT

SUBJECT: TRACE RESPONSE - NIKOLA KAVAJA

REF: BELGRADE 20520 97 9106046

TEXT :

1. ACTION REQUIRED: NONE, FYI ONLY.

2. PER REF, HQS HAS CONFIRMED THAT NIKOLA ( (KAVAJA) ) IS THE

SUBJECT OF 201-0764698.

PROVIDED BELOW ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE

EXTENSIVE NTAG SOURCE REPORTING COMPILED ON KAVAJA OVER THE

BASED ON OUR REVIEW, THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS THAT KAVAJA

HAS EVER BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THIGHROAD.

PER PARA 5 REF, BELOW

INFORMATION CAN BE SHARED WITH THE RSO AND COM.

3. FOLLOWING IS DRAWN FROM DIRECTOR 824658 DATED 17 FEB 84:

NIKOLA ((KAVAJA)) WAS BORN 3 OCTOBER 1933 IN ISTINIC,

YUGOSLAVIA. AFTER HIGH SCHOOL HE GRADUATED FROM THE YUGOSLAV

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) .

FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED. TO EIGHTEEN AND ONE-HALF YEARS OF

IMPRISONMENT.

B. ON 15 AUG 57, KAVAJA ESCAPED FROM PRISON WITH ANOTHER

YUGOSLAV.

THE TWO MEN CROSSED INTO AUSTRIA ON 21 AUGUST 57 AT

DOLJNA RADONJA.

THEY PROCEEDED TO SALZBURG AND TURNED THEMSELVES

IN TO THE POLICE.

AFTER SPENDING 21 DAYS IN JAIL THEY WERE

GRANTED POLITICAL ASYLUM. - KAVATA THEREAFTER-WORKED-AS A PAINTEI

IND JOINED A LOCAL ANTI-COMMUNIST ORGANIZATION IN AUSTRIA HE

SECRET

---

## Page 2

13-00000

SECRET

MHENO :

97-9265318

-SENSIND: RYBAT

-============-=

-======--===--=

MARRIED MARIE- ((MOSEE)) ON 13 JUNE 59.

FIVE DAYS LATER, SHE LEFT-

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.

PAGE :

C.

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

TAKING ODD-JOBS-PAINTING.

D.

IN MARCH 1964 KAVAJA DROVE WITH A FRIEND TO CALIFORNIA.

-AFTER-THEIR_ARRIVAL IN THE LOS-ANGELES AREA, THEY WERE ARRESTED

FOR POSSESSION OF A .45 CALIBER AUTOMATIC RISTOL WHICH RAVAJA HAI

LEET ON THE BACK SEAT OF THE AUTOMOBILE. THE LOS ANGELES POLICE

DETAINED KAVAJA FOR TWENTY DAYS. A LOCAL BUSINESSMAN WHO

INTERPRETED-AT THE HEARING FOR ZAVAJ, INDICATED THAT KAVAJA WAS

"CRAZY AND A LOUDMOUTH, " WHO WAS INTENT ON KILLING CASTRO.

HIS RELEASE FROM JAIL HE RETURNED TO CHICAGO, AND THEN TO PATERSON

TO WORK ON OBTAINING HIS CITIZENSHIP.

IN OCTOBER 64 HE RETURNED TO CHICAGO.

SOMETIME BEFORE

THE SUMMER OF 1966, HTS VIVE-IN (MARRIED) GIRLERIEND GAVE BIRTH IO

IN JUNE 1977, YUGOSLAV CONSULATE GENERAL,

CONSULAR OFFICER TOMISLAV DUORDJEVIC, 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

IN NOVEMBER 1977, NEW YORK CONSULATE

OFFICIAL PETAR G. ( (BOZINOVIC)), ALSO CONSIDERED IO 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

KAVAJA WAS A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION. DJORDJEVIC,

HIS 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.

THEY INDICATED THAT KAVAJA HAD RECENTLY HIJACKED AN AIRPLANE

OUTSIDE CHICAGO TO NEW YORK CITY, AND THEN TO SHANNON, IRELAND,

WHERE HE SURRENDERED TO THE IRISH AUTHORITIES.

DURING THIS

MEETING, THEY AGREED THAT KAVAJA, WHO WAS AT THE TIME IN A U.S.

PRISON, DESERVED TO BE PUNISHED.

DJORDJEVIC DISPLAYED A

SERBO-CROATIAN REPORT ON RAVAJA ENTITLED "WHO ARE THE TERRORISIS -

SOPO - END OF ONE CONSPIRACY. "

F. ONE SOURCE WHO TRAVELED TO YUGOSLAVIA IN APRIL 1981

REPORTED HE WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE SDB. HE WAS ASKED AMONG OTHER

THINGS TO IDENTIFY-YUGOSLAV EMIGRES WHO VISITED KAVAJA IN-JAI:

---

## Page 3

13-00000

SPHENDA

197-9265318

SECRET

-SENS-IND:-RYBAT

IN 1964HKAVAJA TOLD ONE

SOURCE HE IS UNALTERABLY OPPOSED TO

COMMUNISM WHEREVER IT IS 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. (KAVAZA) INDICATED THAT

HE WAS A MAN OF ACTION.

HE ADDED THAT HE HAS DEDICATED HIMSELE TO

THE ERADICATION OF COMMUNISM AND THAT AN OPPORTUNE TIME, HE WILL

ACQUIRE AND CARRY A PISTOL, AS A PATRIOT, NOT AS A CRIMINAL,

USE AGAINST THE HEAD OF ANY COMMUNIST STATE INCLUDING CITOS

KHRUSHCHEV AND CASTRO, REGARDLESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES TO HIMSELF

OR HIS RELATIVES.

(KAVAJAZINDICATED THAT IN OCTOBER 1963 HE HAD

STALKED GIROAT NEW YORK CITY,

WILLIAMSBURG,

AND WASHINGTONJ FOR

*THE PURPOSE OF<ASSASSINATING>HIM.

HE WAS DRESSED IN THE BLACK

CLERICAL GARB OF A PRIEST, AND HE WAS ARMED WITH A . 45 CALIBER

PISTOL AND 48 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION. HE SAID HE NEARLY SUCCEEDED

IN HIS EFFORT IN WILLTAMSBURG, BUT WAS THWARTED WHEN TIPO LEFT THE

AREA BY HELICOPTER RATHER THAN BY CAR. RAVAJA INDICATED THAI THE

*COMMUNIST PARTY WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LATE<PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S>

* ASSASSINATION. > STI WAS ALSO HIS-OPINION THAT THE COMMUNIST PARTY

WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FREQUENT BLACK RIOTS-IN THE EAST KAVAJA

MENTIONED THAT HE AND HIS ASSOCIATES FÉLT THAT THE TIME HAD COME

WHEN FORCEFUL AND AFFIRMATIVE STEPS MUST BE TAKEN, IF THE WORLD

WAS TO AVOID A COMPLETE TAKE-OVER BY COMMUNISM.

ANOTHER SOURCE REPORTED THAT KAVAJA APPEARED TO BÉ-

SOMEWHAT "DIFFERENT" FROM THE AVERAGE MEMBER OF THE SNR, AND SE

CAPPEARED TO HAVE MORE OF AN AGGRESSIVE NATURE.

THE SOURCH-

ON ONE OCCASION KAVAJASCONFIDED TO THE SOURCE THAT HE HAD

BEEN PAID NEARLY USD 3,000 BY A SERBIAN ORTHODOX EISHOPSTO KILL

THE DEAL INVOLVED HIS KIDNAPPING A FORMER LEADER OF THE

CUSTASHTS MOVEMENT RESIDENT IN THE LOS_ANGELES ARRATO AVENGE THE

SERBS KILLED DURING WORLD WAR II BY THELUSTASHI

HOWEVER, HE DID

NOT SUCCEED IN THIS<ASSASSINATION>PLAN BECAUSE, WHILE HE WA

STAKING OUT THE MAN'S RESIDENCE, HE WAS APPREHENDED BY THE POLICE

AND ARRESTED FOR POSSESSION OF A HANDGUN.

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

OPPORTUNIST, A BULLY, AND AN UNTRUSTWORTHY TYPE OF PERSON WHO WAS

PRIMARILY INTERESTED IN HIMSELF.

WITH REGARD TO KAVAJA'S CLAIMS

OF BEING AN ANTI-COMMUNIST, THE SOURCE ADDED THAT HE HAD NO

INFORMATION ON HIS POLITICAL SYMPATHIES, EXCEPT THAT HE WAS

EXTREMELY PREJUDICED AGAINST NON-SERB SLAVS.

HE WAS REPORTEDLY

NOT LIKED BY PELLOW 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.

THE SOURCE

INDICATED THAT SOME SERBS-V-TEWED-KAVAJA-AS-A-HERO--

4.

LACCORDING TO CIA 823841,- DATED_02_SEP 84, TOHICHROAD

PAGE :

3

---

## Page 4

13-00000

SECRET

MHENO

-97-9265318

SENSIND: RYBAT

PAGE:

a..r=..

RECEIVED A REQUESI FROM-AUSTRIAN LIAISON FOR INFORMATION-ON-NIKOLA

THE AUSTRIANS CARRIED SUBJECT AS A TERRORIST WHO MAY TRY

TO DISRUPT THE SARAJEVO OLYMPIC GAMES USING AUSTRIA AS A STAGING

THEY PLANNED TO ENTER INFORMATION INTO THEIR COMPUTERS AT

BORDER CROSSING POINTS TO ENABLE THEM TO PREVENT KAVAJA FROM

ENTERING YUGOSLAVIA VIA AUSTRIA.

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

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

6.

FILE: 201-0764698. CL BY:

2184825,

CL REASON:

1.5

(C), DECL ON:

X1, DRV FROM: HUM 4 - 82 .

CABLETYPE:

GECO STAFF 4.0.1.>

RELNO: DORELS0100792925

ORIE-CE/BOGYA(XDEBRUC, 51706)--AUTH:-DC/CE/BOGYA(DEL_PRINCIPE)_;~

INFO: CE/TRG (FRREEMAN) ; REL: C/CE/BOGYA (PIPKIN) •

END OF MESSAGE

SECRET

SECRET

4

---