Declassified US records reveal the nation's intelligence chiefs used hundreds of Nazis as spies and informants after World War Two. Some had served at the highest levels of the Nazi Party, and were recruited to work as spies for the US in Europe.
Records indicate that long-time FBI director J Edgar Hoover not only approved of the use of ex-Nazis as spies, but also dismissed the horrific acts they had been involved in during the war as Soviet propaganda. Further investigation showed that the US government had paid dozens of suspected Nazi war criminals millions of dollars in Social Security benefits after forcing them to leave the US.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29795749
Do you think that the US government's decision to use ex-Nazis as their spies was the right decision? Was it better to use war criminals in this fashion, or should they be forced to be punished for their actions?
I think that we should not have used ex-Nazis as spies. Their were far too many Nazis being used for this purpose and they should not have been rewarded after they committed such horrific crimes.
The use of former Nazis as spies post WWII was genius in my mind. I do agree they should have faced punishment for their inhumane crimes, however, their use allowed us to retrieve most of the U.S. soldiers sent into combat. I believe allowing our service men to return home was a much better trade off as opposed to executing/punishing those guilty and having to keep a presence overseas. In the long run, it allowed us to maintain eyes and ears over Germany post WWII and begin welcoming home our troops.
Using ex Nazis as American spies was in no way the right decision. There is so much evidence to prove that the Nazis did commit the terrible acts they are accused of, and they are in no way propaganda. The U.S. should have never been involved with the Nazis, even if it were for our benefit. They should have all been punished for their actions, not let off the hook.
J Edgar Hoover really believed that the ends justified the means, to him using Nazi's in order to protect the United States, was what needed to be done, even if it was morally wrong. By protecting and using the Nazi's as spies we would have been using war criminals as spies, not the kind of allies this nation would want to associate itself with.
I do not think that it was the right decision to use war criminals, especially ex-Nazis, as spies. It was wrong for their horrific acts during World War II to have been dismissed. They should have been punished. In addition, how could J. Edgar Hoover have been sure that the ex-Nazis wouldn't have back-stabbed the U.S?
i believe that there was probably a better approach to the situation then what was taken. but, I agree with dylan that it did allowed us to retrieve most of the U.S. soldiers sent into combat. and this was a very good thing. now, wether or not it was worth it? thats up toyou
It's important to remember that not all 'Nazis' supported Hitler for the whole war. Many turned against him as his truly evil ideology became more and more apparent to those serving him. They included scientists, regular soldiers, and even top generals of the Wehrmacht. Now if they were members of the SS, I would definitely agree that this was morally wrong, not because they could have stabbed us in the back (highly unlikely because nazis HATE communists), but they were rewarded with more than just a plea bargain of not being charged with war crimes.
I do not think the U.S. should have uses ex-Nazis as spies because of all the terrible war crimes they committed and they deserve to be harshly punished for all the innocent people they had killed. While they were helping to retrieve U.S. soldiers, I believe there could have been a different approach to this problem.
No, it wasn't right that the government to let Nazi's off. They did evil things to innocent people. And for them to get off abosolutely free is revolting. Perhaps maybe (and this is a HUGE maybe) they could have been spy's and had less of a sentence, but they still needed to be punished. And this option should only be opened for the younger memebers, who may not have been aware of what they should be doing.
