US influence on the outcome of the Civil War in Yugoslavia 1941-1944

Abstract

The White House, Washington, March 22, 1944 “Dear Bill (William Donovan), I understand that the matter of sending intelligence officers into the area controlled by Mihailovic’s forces has been in discussion between your people and State Department. The situation as it now stands is that with withdrawal of the British mission, including our liaison officers who were connected with the mission in the Mihailovic’s territory, we have no sources of intelligence whatever in a part of the Balkans which may become an important area at some stage of the war. I completely approve of the plan, which I understand you have proposed, and in which the State Department agrees that we should continue to obtain intelligence from that area, by sending in a new group only for that purpose. In order that there should be no misunderstanding, it should be made clear to the British that, in accordance with the established policy and practice, we intend to exercise this freedom of action for obtaining independent American secret intelligence.”1