A diplomatic cable of the US Embassy in Sofia, dated February 11, 2009, was released Tuesday on WikiLeaks, bringing out CDA John Ordway's report to Washington on Bulgaria's most wanted criminals.

The project for investigative journalism www.bivol.bg, partner of WikiLeaks for Bulgaria, comments that in the Wikileaks database there are a few cables sent by the US Department of State to the American Embassy in Sofia. One of them is remarkable for its highest level of classification and because it is singed personally by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The cable, sent on December 29, 2009 states the following:

SUBJECT: (S)  KUDOS ON ORGANIZED CRIME REPORTING

(C-CN9-01995)

REF: SOFIA 000508

Classified By: ELISSA G. PITTERLE, DIRECTOR, INR/OPS. REASON: 1.4(C).

1.  (S)  WASHINGTON ANALYSTS APPRECIATE REF REPORTING ON

BULGARIA'S MOST WANTED. THIS IS EXACTLY THE TYPE AND QUALITY

OF REPORTING ANALYSTS LOOK FORWARD TO AND VALUE.  ADDITIONAL

REPORTING ON PROMINENT ORGANIZED CRIMINALS, THE ACTIVITIES

THEY ARE INVOLVED IN, AND THEIR LINKS TO PROMINENT BUSINESS

PERSONS OR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WOULD ALSO BE GREATLY

APPRECIATED AS TIME, RESOURCES, AND SAFETY ALLOWS.  AGAIN, WE

WOULD LIKE TO CONVEY OUR APPRECIATION FOR THIS REPORT NOTING

THAT IT IS PARTICULARLY TIMELY - A LONGER PAPER CRAFTED FOR

SENIOR POLICYMAKERS ON ORGANIZED CRIME IS NEARING COMPLETION.

WE WOULD LIKE TO OFFER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO HELP GUIDE

FUTURE REPORTING.

A.  (S)  PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE TYPES OF

INDUSTRIES AND NAMES OF COMPANIES BULGARIAN (OR FOREIGN

CRIMINALS) HAVE INVESTED IN, ACQUIRED, OR ARE AIMING TO

ACQUIRE.

B.  (S)  PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILED INFORMATION ON BANKS OWNED

AND INFORMATION ON TECHNIQUES CRIMINALS USE TO LAUNDER MONEY.

C.  (S)  PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILED INFORMATION ON LINKAGES

BETWEEN CRIMINALS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

2.  (U)  PLEASE CITE C-CN9-01995 IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF

REPORTING IN RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS.

CLINTON

The kudos was extended to then CDA of the American Embassy in Sofia, John Ordway, who was running the Embassy after the departure of Ambassador Nancy McEldowney in August 2009.

According to Bivol.bg, the cable, praised so highly by Clinton, has a very interesting history. It has never been released until now, even though it was cited by the French "Le Monde," in the paragraph dedicated to Bulgarian businessman Todor Batkov, classified by the highest level (S/NF) – Secret/Not for Foreigners.

The original Clinton cable read HERE.

The original Ordway cable read HERE and HERE.

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