Documents from the Stasi archives on the anti-Bulgarian campaign surrounding the investigation of the assassination attempt.
February 1, 1983
Telegram, Dimitar Stoyanov to Comrade Mielke
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Telegram
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Sender: Sofia – Stojanow [Dimitar Ivanov Stoyanov]
Recipient: Berlin – Mielke
Sofia, February 1, 1978 [sic; 1983]
Dear Comrade Mielke!
The analysis of the first phase of the anti-Bulgarian and anti-Soviet campaign that has been unleashed in the West and has already lasted for months, as well as the available reconnaissance information unequivocally indicate that preparations for large-scale propaganda measures aimed at discrediting the policies of the socialist states were already begun in 1980 by the Italian ministry of defense together with the NATO intelligence services at the initiative of the CIA. This occurred with the goal of realizing the decision regarding the positioning of intermediate-range missiles. The main organizer of the anti-Bulgarian campaign is the CIA, in close cooperation with intelligence services from Italy, Turkey, France, and other NATO states. This is also confirmed by the facts that a number of traitors from socialist countries with clearly proven links namely to the CIA have been drawn into this campaign and that the US ambassador to Moscow, according to statements that have been checked over, told the ambassadors of the NATO states that such a film as the NBC film from 10.21.1982 was in production long before its presentation and even shared information about its content, etc.
During the course of the campaign, it has become apparent that a close coordination of actions and a division of roles exist between the individual intelligence services.
The anti-socialist campaign is entering its second phase, in which in addition to the assassination attempt on the Pope, the exploitation of the problems of espionage, terrorism, weapons and narcotics trade, etc. has begun on a large scale. It is obvious that this step of the campaign will be drawn up in an even more large scale and long-term fashion. There are indications that in maintaining the main thrust against the USSR and the PRB the campaign will also exploit events in relation to other socialist countries.
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks for the concrete help which has been afforded to us by the brother services in the defense against the mean slander against the PRB, and at the same time express the opinion that the unfolding of this large-scale anti-socialist action demands the implementation of additional measures to uncover the role of the CIA as the organizer and the leader of this campaign, to constrain and defeat it and even go over to the offensive.
The Bulgarian Minister of the Interior writes to Erich Mielke on NATO efforts to discredit Bulgaria, the Soviet Union, and other communist states following the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II.
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