The CIA plan to eliminate Enver Hoxha and protect Mehmet Shehu

Translated from: Zani i Malësisë

Embassy of the United States of America

Buenos Aires — Argentina

Translation of teletext no. 321–40–60, November 1975.

Object: To be placed in the embassy library.

Top secret.

Only for the recognition of Mr. Ambassador.

The issue of Albania

Last September, a meeting was held in New York with a friend, we call him “M 008” [Mehmet Shehu], leader of the Albanian Government. With that a number of conclusions were reached: M 008 vowed to take power, to completely replace Enver Hoxha and his followers. Our agent has significant power. He proposes to:

Invite Hoxha to dinner and slip poison in his drink to cause his death. Our agent told us that this is the only way. Moreover, it is necessary to do so, because Hoxha lives having a great love of the masses, the same as that of Gandhi.

Our friend considers it entirely possible that he will be elected to succeed Hoxha and in time, approximately one year, he will begin to replace Hoxha’s successors, replacing them with his trusted people. In case the movement wins, we have discussed a minimum program, which continues as follows:

1.— Establishing formal relations with all the most important countries of the West, mainly the United States of America. The Albanian gold conflict will be resolved by the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

2. — Albania will become a member of the international economic organization, the International Monetary Fund and other bodies created for this purpose.

3. — Make peace with neighboring countries (Yugoslavia and Greece) to first eliminate all the objections coming from the personal and ideological war of Enver Hoxha and his group and by signing a second treaty of peace, friendship and cooperation that opens the borders of the country.

4. — The government will be socialist, will not return to the previous regime. Compensation to former landowners will not be recognized, but Albania will abandon its policy of international isolation.

5. — The new government will be elected within a period of 3–5 years, accepting the rebirth of all political parties in a broad form.

If he fails in his attempt, it will be revealed. For this reason the agent has requested and it is ensured that he will be given political asylum in the U.S., and absence of this, in any friendly country. For this he has asked and is assured that he will be given 3 million U.S. dollars.

On this occasion, he pledged to denounce all types of crimes committed in Albania by Hoxha and his successors.

We are giving an explanation for the agent to keep in mind in the future:

He must be a very ambitious man, and such is his plan. He only joins us in the question of coexistence with the West and its neighbours. We have suggested that until the actions are carried out, he should be obedient of Hoxha and his successors, otherwise the plan may be revealed.

This would be fatal to his success. All these actions should be considered from the perspective that the plan will succeed. We must prepare to have full diplomatic relations. The topic is of a very secret character.

It will not be given to other embassies. The Ambassador of Buenos Aires (for this we will be informed by him) will be appointed Ambassador to Tirana in case of success.

Buenos Aires