Report: US Gave Nazis 'Safe Haven'

In the aftermath of World War II, numerous Nazis turned to an unlikely safe haven: the United States of America. The New York Times has obtained a hotly sought-after Justice Department report, which Justice itself tried to block for four years, that details the US government's twisted and complex past with Nazis and their collaborators. Among its most damning disclosures is the extent to which the CIA knowingly allowed Nazi scientists to enter the US. "America, which prided itself on being a safe haven for the persecuted, became—in some small measure—a safe haven for persecutors as well,” it reads.

The report, for instance, alleges that CIA officials worked with Otto Von Bolschwing, an associate of Adolph Eichmann. It also tells the story of Arthur Rudolph, a Nazi scientist who was brought to the US for his rocket-making expertise and was later honored by NASA. A 1949 Justice Department memo urges immigration to let Rudolph into the US from Mexico, saying refusal to do so "would be to the detriment of the national interest.” Justice emphasizes that the report is not official and contains many errors; it did not specify for the Times what those errors are. For the entire 617-page report, click here.
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