WikiLeaks: Secretary of State Extends Kudos to US Embassy for 'Top Bulgarian Criminals' Cable
Diplomacy | July 19, 2011, Tuesday // 16:43| views
At the end of 2009, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has send a cable to the American Embassy in Sofia, praising its report on the most wanted Bulgarian criminals. Photo by BGNES
A diplomatic cable of the US Embassy in Sofia, dated February 11, 2009, was released Tuesday on WikiLeaks, bringing out CDA John Ordway's report to Washington on Bulgaria's most wanted criminals.
The project for investigative journalism www.bivol.bg, partner of WikiLeaks for Bulgaria, comments that in the Wikileaks database there are a few cables sent by the US Department of State to the American Embassy in Sofia. One of them is remarkable for its highest level of classification and because it is singed personally by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The cable, sent on December 29, 2009 states the following:
SUBJECT: (S) KUDOS ON ORGANIZED CRIME REPORTING
(C-CN9-01995)
REF: SOFIA 000508
Classified By: ELISSA G. PITTERLE, DIRECTOR, INR/OPS. REASON: 1.4(C).
1. (S) WASHINGTON ANALYSTS APPRECIATE REF REPORTING ON
BULGARIA'S MOST WANTED. THIS IS EXACTLY THE TYPE AND QUALITY
OF REPORTING ANALYSTS LOOK FORWARD TO AND VALUE. ADDITIONAL
REPORTING ON PROMINENT ORGANIZED CRIMINALS, THE ACTIVITIES
THEY ARE INVOLVED IN, AND THEIR LINKS TO PROMINENT BUSINESS
PERSONS OR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WOULD ALSO BE GREATLY
APPRECIATED AS TIME, RESOURCES, AND SAFETY ALLOWS. AGAIN, WE
WOULD LIKE TO CONVEY OUR APPRECIATION FOR THIS REPORT NOTING
THAT IT IS PARTICULARLY TIMELY - A LONGER PAPER CRAFTED FOR
SENIOR POLICYMAKERS ON ORGANIZED CRIME IS NEARING COMPLETION.
WE WOULD LIKE TO OFFER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO HELP GUIDE
FUTURE REPORTING.
A. (S) PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE TYPES OF
INDUSTRIES AND NAMES OF COMPANIES BULGARIAN (OR FOREIGN
CRIMINALS) HAVE INVESTED IN, ACQUIRED, OR ARE AIMING TO
ACQUIRE.
B. (S) PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILED INFORMATION ON BANKS OWNED
AND INFORMATION ON TECHNIQUES CRIMINALS USE TO LAUNDER MONEY.
C. (S) PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILED INFORMATION ON LINKAGES
BETWEEN CRIMINALS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
2. (U) PLEASE CITE C-CN9-01995 IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF
REPORTING IN RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS.
CLINTON
The kudos was extended to then CDA of the American Embassy in Sofia, John Ordway, who was running the Embassy after the departure of Ambassador Nancy McEldowney in August 2009.
According to Bivol.bg, the cable, praised so highly by Clinton, has a very interesting history. It has never been released until now, even though it was cited by the French "Le Monde," in the paragraph dedicated to Bulgarian businessman Todor Batkov, classified by the highest level (S/NF) – Secret/Not for Foreigners.
The original Clinton cable read HERE.
The original Ordway cable read HERE and HERE.
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