Code Name Jackal: Action Plan Against Noel Bernard and Radio Free Europe ©

 

Wrath of the Chief Architect: Ceausescu‘s War against RFE and Romanian Émigrés

IICCR International Conference

"Ways to Consider Communism"

Bucharest, Romania

15 November 2007

(Excerpt)

Code Name Jackal: Action Plan Against Noel Bernard 

 

For 16 years, Noel Bernard was one of the most respected Directors of RFE/RL’s Romanian Broadcast Service. He died of cancer on 13 December 1981, and his death was considered suspicious. In the summer of 2007, the Romanian External Intelligence Service (SIE) released a copy of a ten-page report that gave prima facie evidence that Romanian agents murdered Noel Bernard. Below are summary highlights and analysis from an 18 August 1980 Securitate Action plan against Noel Bernard (Code Name Jackal) and Radio Free Europe (RFE) that were included in the released report: 

 

Ministry of Internal Affairs Strictly Secret Department of State Security, (DSS) Copy Nr. 1 U.M. 0544,
Nr. 225/f.9/0025323, dated 18.08.1980

Approved Measure Plan in the case of Noel Bernard, Codename Jackal

Bearing in mind the dangerousness of the activity carried on by the “Jackal” against our country, it becomes imperative and urgent to take more qualified and energetic security measures to 

 

·      Applying special measures to paralyze the activity of the RFE objective and neutralize some employees by damaging and destroying buildings and facilities of the radio, homes, and personal means of transportation, as well as by producing physical harm to the most active employees and contributors of RFE.

·      In addition to the present plan, we'll take steps to prepare radical measures against the Jackal. By March 30, 1981, we'll table the radical measures we will implement in the case of the Jackal.

·      Identifying and studying the location of the homes of some employees and the possibilities to penetrate them in order to place their containers and parcels with explosives.

·      Identifying the places where RFE employees park their cars or have them fixed in order to place explosives or to operate technical changes on their cars able to cause serious accidents.

·      To recruit Marcu, a friend and physician of the Jackal's family, so as to obtain compromising data on the Jackal and his wife, and to prepare for applying radical measures against the Jackal.

 

The document mentions the informer Kraus, a journalist and friend of the Jackal,. according to the document, 

 

·      Kraus (identified as Ivan Denes) will suggest to the Jackal that the anonymous letters against him have been typed on the typewriter of Pfeiller Adelheid, the mistress of Emil Georgescu.

·      An employee of the radio, named Vlaicu in the document, known as an enemy of the Jackal, should be recruited and used to compromise the Jackal and foment the animosity between Romanians and Jews within the Romanian BD.

 

A former informer named Manole, employed by RFE as a technician, was planned to be reactivated and used for "special measures". Also mentioned are Filip and Florica, a couple from Germany with "direct links" to the American management of RFE. These informers should be reactivated and used to discredit the Jackal and his wife as having ties to both the Soviet intelligence service and the Romanian Securitate. 

 

Also, two agents from West Germany codenamed 'Helmut' and 'Martin' were summoned to Bucharest for a special training session, attended by the leadership of CIE (according to the file). 'Helmut' was the most active agent in Emil Georgescu’s case. He even arranged the beating of Georgescu for DM 10,000. His report about that incident is included in the file.'

 

Martin' was, however, more important because he had a prominent position in the leadership of the Saxon community in West Germany, with access to the German government officials. He was instructed to spread the rumor about the Bernards' alleged affiliation with Russian and Romanian secret services. In a "Staged Report" the officers boasted about Martin’s supposed successes:

 

·      Prepare collaborator Danciu, an electronic engineer from within the country, in order to send him permanently outside and infiltrate him at RFE with the mission of causing damage to and destruction of RFE’s installations and buildings;

·      Reactivation of informant Barta Geza of West Germany, auto mechanic, who is being used by some RFE employees to repair their cars, to cause damage to their cars.?

·      Through sources Riva, Protopopescu, Kraus, Barta Geza , and others, we shall study the buildings and installations of the Free Europe radio station, the guard and security system, vulnerable points, etc., to find ways and concrete solutions for the use of adequate means with a view to damaging and destroying the buildings and installations of the Free Europe radio station, by planting explosives, causing fires etc

·      In order to give credibility to our version, we will train Ilie Ciurescu to get in touch with the Jackol‘s wife in a foreign country. (Ciurescu was a popular TV announcer, Ioana’s former colleague and friend, and a known Securitate agent.

 

According to the file, the purpose was to accredit the idea that he is supposedly the liaison between her and the Romanian security organs. The officers preferred the meeting between the two be held in a hotel in order to make it possible for those interested to verify afterward that the encounter had indeed taken place.

 

Even more incriminating documents are telegrams from Germany to Bucharest regarding Noel Bernard. For example, on 22 October 1980,:

Concerning the compromising and liquidation of N. Bernard we are attaching:

Hans Bergel, known to the studio, is interested in learning details about the way N. Bernard intends to obtain German citizenship for Aurora Magura, his mother-in-law since she is Romanian and has nothing in common with German origin. We are in possession of a photocopy of the decision by the Bavarian Authorities rejecting A. Magura's appeal. Through the means available to us, steps have been taken in order to perform the action documented by the Chief Architect. The file follows.

 

Another one is a telegram dated 1 March 1981, after Noel Bernard’s cancer became public knowledge: 

 

Noel Bernard convalescent (attached is the article translated from German). Comrade Colonel Bogdan,

The data published by B.I.R.E. confirms that the measures we took started to show effects. We should intensify measures to compromise Emil Georgescu and Ioana Magura, intimidate them, and remove them from the radio.

 

In the summer of 1992, my office arranged for a check of the Romanian Service Director’s inner and outer offices at RFE/R, plus Noel Bernard's apartment and automobile. No traces of radiation were found.