Waldheim Rejects Charges of Nazi Activity in WWII

Kurt Waldheim today sent letters to the World Jewish Congress and the New York Times, denying as “completely unfounded and unsubstantiated” allegations that he was a member of Nazi organizations and took part in or knew of war crimes in the Balkans.

In a letter addressed to Edgar M. Bronfman, president of the World Jewish Congress, the former U.N. secretary general denied all charges Bronfman made against him.

Waldheim rejected the allegations in a series of interviews this week, but the letters are his first known written denial.

Bronfman accused the 67-year-old Waldheim of having concealed a Nazi past that included membership in the SA, Hitler’s storm troopers, and the Nazi Student Union as well as service in a unit that massacred partisans in Yugoslavia and deported Greek Jews.

‘Deliberately Misinterpreted’

Waldheim wrote Bronfman: “Accounts of my alleged membership in the SA and other organizations of the NS (Nazi) regime during World War II as well as accusations to have participated in activities incompatible with normal army duty during my service with the German army on the Balkan published by the New York Times are completely unfounded.”

The letter, written in English and distributed to news organizations by Waldheim’s presidential campaign office, asserted: “The material used to fabricate this news story has been deliberately misinterpreted in order to damage my international standing and my position as a candidate in the Austrian presidential election.”

Presidential Candidate

Waldheim is the leading candidate for president in Austria’s May 4 election.

A similar letter denying a New York Times report about his alleged Nazi past was sent to that newspaper, Waldheim’s office said.

On Thursday, the New York Times said its report was based on documents found among German military records and in the archives of the Austrian Justice Ministry and Foreign Ministry. They had been turned over to the newspaper by the World Jewish Congress and were independently corroborated, the Times said.