Inside the League: The Shocking Expose of How Terrorists, Nazis, and Latin American Death Squads Have Infiltrated the World Anti-Communist League

by Scott Anderson, Jon Lee Anderson

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Terrorism, Conspiracy Theories

322 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1986

About the author

Scott Anderson is a veteran war correspondent who has reported from Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Northern Ireland, Chechnya, Sudan, Bosnia, El Salvador, and many other strife-torn countries. He is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, and his work has also appeared in Vanity Fair, Esquire, Harper's and Outside.

Reviews

[Philip Demers]

This book should have been huge and no one knows about it.

[Patrick]

Entertaining read. Some slight inaccuracies and due that the claims aren't really that well known, it's hard to find out if they are accurate or not or if there is any more to it.

The authors take a jab at the ADL / B'nai Brit for not wanting to share information with them. Which shows the right wing conservative agenda the ADL/BB had at the time.

[Bob]

It really goes into depth about the backing and funding of right wing terror in central and south america. It shows its orgins in Eastern Europe and Taiwan and how it had real effects south of the border.

[Dylan]

Harrowing! Terrifying! And when the protagonist dies in the end, i pissed myself and smashed my roommates face in with a teakettle!

[Gage Hoefer]

(Editing my previous review) Contains absolutely vital information about many political movers that are still intact and operating today. The WACL has shown a remarkable ability to shed its skin and adapt- so to speak- when it's facing too much external pressure. But these firings, name changes, and internal shifts of power are nothing but external drapery, hiding a dark mass at the center of it all. A bit too much liberal waffling at times, but the crux of the message is quite important and gets across.

[Zare]

Very interesting book about the anti-communist/anti-bolshevik organization created by Taiwan and South Korea after WW2 to mobilize the world (so called Free World, I like this euphemism) to fight against the [scare, scareeeee!] world communism.

Joking aside, Cold War was marked by myriad of proxy wars and government changes ont he world chess board and both camps (led by US and USSR) were not above using locals and instigating civil wars where needed. In order to get things going West created a truly fear mongering atmosphere in which everybody was expecting USSR tanks right around the corner. This was used to strengthen the grip on key areas in the world in any way possible because reds! And most important play field for this was of course Latin America.

But unfortunate element for West is that by providing shelter for various monsters that fought on German side, they created basis on which today's world rests. By leaving things unfinished and by supporting the survivors of atrocious governments West created the weapon to wield in years following end of Cold War. Weapon that leaves its blood trail even today in the very countries it came from (always for the sake of the "Free World" or in case of 1980's Afghanistan war veterans fighting for their view of the paradise - one of the cases when everything backfired).

While for majority of people role of death squads and fascist regimes in Western supported countries of Central and South America, role of surviving members of fascist and Nazi organizations from Eastern Europe and Balkans or role of surviving actual German Nazis and Italian and Spanish fascist will hardly be a surprise, I think that eyebrows will go up when one gets introduced to the historical role played by Taiwan (that benevolent Kuomingtang that just decided they own Formosa and destroyed locals) and South Korea. For me this was ...... what! moment. I wont spoil anything but the role played by Taiwan ..... unbelievable!

And as things of this nature usually go, when Reagan came to power all of these organizations, heads of a single hydra-like organism, got finally fully organized and streamlined by (unfortunately) zealous US special operations personnel, retired professionals and think tanks/PMCs (at the time still called advisors or mercenaries) led by general Singlaub. And this only paved the way for never ending war, constant struggle and use of paramilitaries (and discarding them as seen fit) to this very day.

Now, what makes this book interesting is that authors are no leftists, no. More than once they do note how these radical elements are doing the disservice to the true freedom fighters. They are aware of the "Red Danger: and to a degree they understand even WACL various chapters (radical or not). But at least (and this is something that is almost impossible to find in our modern times) they are aware that two bad things do not make good.

It is interesting how US special forces and CIA do get mentioned, but they are always in the background, like extras in the film. Which is strange because in 1980's US SF and CIA were running very elaborate support missions in Latin America in support of the repressive regimes.I assume authors had their reasons.

If after this book there is still doubt about role of Gladio and politics of constants tension ....... I truly do not know what to say.

Highly recommended.

[Sam]

Really interesting but reads like you're watching paint dry

[Cheyanne Zap]

DNF'd. While it was fascinating at first, it gets a little repetitive. The Behind the Bastards podcast series on the WACL is sufficient to gain an understanding.