The election of a Polish cardinal as Pope during the Cold War sparked resistance against the communist government in Poland. In 1979, the USSR, fearing the Pope's influence, considered assassinating him. KGB head Yuri Andropov and Mikhail Gorbachev signed a report, but operational risks led them to involve the Bulgarian State Security. Turkish national Ali Agca, linked to a KGB-manipulated group, attempted to assassinate the Pope in 1981. The Pope survived, and Agca, sentenced to life, revealed KGB involvement. The "Bulgarian connection" was concealed for political reasons.