Operation gladio is the codename for clandestine staybehind operations of armed resistance that was planned by the western union wu, and subsequently by nato, for a potential warsaw pact invasion and conquest in europe. Jul 20, 2014 operation gladio was the codename for a clandestine nato postww2 staybehind false flag operation in europe during the cold war. May 10, 2019 of the many attempted coups and related highlevel political machinations engineered by gladio forces in italy 1963, 1970, 1976 and sicily more or less continually on tap throughout the decade, the kidnapping on march 16, 1978 and murder a month or so later of prime minister aldo moro was likely the most sensational. The role of the central intelligence agency cia in sponsoring gladio and the extent of its activities during the cold war era, and its relationship to rightwing terrorist attacks perpetrated in italy during the years of lead late 1960s to early 1980s and other similar clandestine operations, is the subject of ongoing debate and investigation but has never been proven. The unholy alliance between the vatican, the cia, and the mafia hardcover february 3, 2015. When gelli required additional funds to support p2 and operation gladio, he turned to p2 member roberto calvi, chairman of banco ambrosiano, the largest nonstate owned bank in italy. Operation gladio italy 1947 origins of gladio as early as 1947, the united states was constructing a clandestine network in northern italy to act in the event of a communist insurrection or electoral victory. Operazione gladio is the codename for a clandestine nato staybehind operation in europe during the cold war. A strategy of tension in 1990, the italian prime minister had confirmed that italys stay behind army, termed gladio sword, existed since 1958, with the approval of the italian government. Williams, prometheus books, dec 18, 2018, 416 pp on the hot summer morning of aug.
Operation gladio is the codename for clandestine staybehind operations of armed resistance that was planned by the western union wu, and later by nato, for a potential warsaw pact invasion and conquest in europe. Its 15,000 members were recruited from fascist wwii veterans groups and had access to 151 secret arms dumps. William egan colby and peter forbath 1978, honorable men. Jul 09, 2016 the birth of operation gladio a strategy of tension in 1990, the italian prime minister had confirmed that italys stay behind army, termed gladio sword, existed since 1958, with the approval of the italian government. But ganser fails to document his thesis that the cia, mi6, and nato and its friends turned gladio into a terrorist organization. The gladio network of operatives is alleged to have been involved in various acts of terrorism, trying to influence policies through the means of. These staybehind networks were, in essence, super secret armies in at least 14 european countries. Cia organized secret army in western europe the washington post. Operation gladio was the codename for a clandestine nato postww2 staybehind false flag operation in europe during the cold war. Italian government officials agree that a staybehind network called operation gladio had been formed against the contingency of a warsaw pact invasion of italy, but not terminated until 1990. It was the brainchild of allen dulles when he was negotiating the surrender in northern this book is about a secret operation set up by the oss, the predecessor to the cia, consisting of setting up sleeper counterinsurgency groups throughout western. Italian secret service, later replaced because it was suspected of involvement in a 1964 coup plot and the cia.
The series proves operation gladio gave rise to the cias current modus operandi. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and. O on december 12, 1969, a bomb exploded at the national agrarian bank, which killed 17 people and wounded 88 others. The unholy alliance between the vatican, the cia and the mafia. The operation was codenamed gladio, for the short swords used by roman gladiators in the arena. Although gladio specifically refers to the italian branch of the nato staybehind organizations, operation gladio is used as an informal name for. The operation lasted two decades and used ciacreated stay behind networks as part of a strategy of tension that coordinated multiple terrorist attacks from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. Search results for operation gladio the millennium report. May 12, 2018 operation gladio was a nato false flag terrorism operation that ran for more almost forty years. Armed forces will be compelled to form the military tribunals necessary to administer the uniform code of military justice. In my article, who may have been behind the abdication of pope benedict xvi. Operation gladio is likely to be a controversial book and may even be contested by several quarters.
Kennedys and king natos secret armies, operation gladio. Italian socialists were forced out of office by a rightwing coup orchestrated by the cia and gladio. Switzerland and belgium have had parliamentary inquiries into the matter. However, it belonged heart and soul to the usa cia. The birth of operation gladio a strategy of tension in 1990, the italian prime minister had confirmed that italys stay behind army, termed gladio sword, existed since 1958, with the approval of the italian government. Apr 25, 2016 the role of the central intelligence agency cia in sponsoring gladio and the extent of its activities during the cold war era, and its relationship to rightwing terrorist attacks perpetrated in italy during the years of lead late 1960s to early 1980s and other similar clandestine operations, is the subject of ongoing debate and. The unholy alliance between the vatican, the cia and the mafia, by paul l. Paul williams exposes one such operationgladioand courageously reveals the shadowy connections between us intelligence, the secret vatican bank, and the global mafia. Dec 20, 2019 officially, operation gladiothe code name of the clandestine staybehind netwas founded on november 26, 1956, to defend europe from invasion by warsaw pact nations. The fontofallknowledge, wikipedia, defines gladio as follows. Members of the project revealed that similar projects existed in most if not all countries of western europe. Moscow and sochi carrammings are gladio operations. Gladio killing sprees in belgium and italy were carried out for the purpose of frightening the. Its purpose was to continue anticommunist actions in the event of a soviet invasion and conquest.
Its purpose was to galvanize public opinion against the radical. Gladio is a red thread that binds the italian parliament with cia headquarters. The focus of the inquiry is a clandestine operation codenamed gladio, created decades ago to arm and train resistance fighters in case the soviet union and its warsaw pact allies invaded. History of the foreign relations of the united states. During the cold war the italian military secret service, servizio informazione sicurezza militare, had a branch called gladio, a topsecret part of the italian secret service. The national security act of 1947, which made foreign.
Operation gladio was a nato false flag terrorism operation that ran for more almost forty years. The name gladio is the italian form of gladius, a type of roman shortsword. Although gladio specifically refers to the italian branch of the nato staybehind organizations. Gladio was a cia italian operation from the start and linked to nato. Its purpose was to prepare for, and implement, armed resistance in the event of a warsaw pact invasion and conquest. The history of how relationships were established among western nations after world war ii is interesting and valuable, as is the survey of pubic reaction to operation gladio. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Sep 21, 2011 instead it was used in massacres across mainland europe as part of a cia strategy of tension.
When gladio was exposed in 1990, the portuguese newspaper o jornal informed a stunned audience in the country that the secret network, erected at the bosom of nato and financed by the cia had a branch in portugal in the. Years of lead italy terrorist incidents in the 1960s. A belgian gendarme military force with civilian police duties an oss officer. The unholy alliance between the vatican, the cia, and the. Williams offers new and disturbing evidence to expose what he calls the unholy alliance. The existence of a clandestine paramilitary network codenamed operation gladio was disclosed last thursday by italian prime minister giulio andreotti in a speech to his nations senate. Instead it was used in massacres across mainland europe as part of a cia strategy of tension. Although gladio specifically refers to the italian branch of the nato. The cia has also been accused of publishing forged letters in order to discredit the leaders of the italian communist party pci.
Officially, operation gladiothe code name of the clandestine staybehind netwas founded on november 26, 1956, to defend europe from invasion by. In fact, it became a statesponsored rightwing terrorist network, involved in false flag operations and the subversion of. Yes, gladio is the word for a short doubleedged sword, a weapon used by gladiators in ancient rome. Williams demonstrates a level of courage i have seen in few authors today. It was discussed at the highest level and wealth of documented evidence proves that governments were committing terrorist attacks against their own populations. The operation lasted two decades and used ciacreated stay behind networks as part of a strategy of tension that coordinated multiple terrorist.
Elections were scheduled for 1948 and the pci was a virtual shoein not just in italy proper, but in sicily as well. Because operation gladio c is fundamentally a covert military operation, the u. Operation gladio felice casson is the italian magistrate who revealed the existence of operation gladio, the terrorist operation run by the cia and nato 50s. The history of the secret neofascist army in italy set up ostensibly to resist soviet invasion, but in reality to be used in the event of the working class growing too strong once again. Operation gladio was exposed in italy by the research of italian judge felice casson. This aid went towards financially supporting centrist italian governments and using the awarding of contracts to weaken the italian communist partys hold on labor unions. Elections were scheduled for 1948 and the pci was a virtual shoe in not just in italy proper, but in sicily as well. Underground knowledge a discussion group false flag. In 1947 the cia having, that year, superseded the oss was faced with its first daunting task, i. Operation gladio the untold story of the unholy alliance. In it, francovich interviewed numerous operation gladio primary witnesses and perpetrators, including the following individuals. Staybehind operations were prepared in many nato member. Of the many attempted coups and related highlevel political machinations engineered by gladio forces in italy 1963, 1970, 1976 and sicily more or less continually on tap throughout the decade, the kidnapping on march 16, 1978 and murder a month or so later of prime minister aldo moro was likely the most sensational.
Operation gladio hard evidence of government false flag. Operation gladio first came to light in italy in 1990, after over 40 years of clandestine operations. Then, as commander in chief, the prez can lock up the perps at guantanamo bay detention camp. The purpose of gladio was, it was apparently disbanded in 1990, despite not officially existing until then we are told, to act as a resistance group in the event of a warsaw pact invasion, a soviet takeover. That afternoon, three more bombs exploded in rome and milan. Gladio black operation and cia global psyop updated read. The italian staybehind network the origins of operation gladio.
Then, as commanderinchief, the prez can lock up the perps at guantanamo bay detention camp. Officially, operation gladio the code name of the clandestine staybehind net was founded on november 26, 1956, to defend europe from invasion by warsaw pact nations. Operation gladio is the codename for a clandestine north atlantic treaty organisation nato staybehind operation in italy during the cold war. Operation gladio project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Shipp, former cia operative and author of from the company of shadows. Nov 19, 2005 operation gladio italy 1947 origins of gladio as early as 1947, the united states was constructing a clandestine network in northern italy to act in the event of a communist insurrection or electoral victory. Nov 16, 1990 the focus of the inquiry is a clandestine operation codenamed gladio, created decades ago to arm and train resistance fighters in case the soviet union and its warsaw pact allies invaded.
This 3part series exposes the clandestine staybehind operation sponsored by the cia and nato to counter communist influence after world war ii in italy, as well as in other european countries. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 and five months later the italian socialists were ousted from government by a coup orchestrated by the cia right state drives and gladio. It was preparing to fight for two things, and thats where it. The purpose of gladio was, it was apparently disbanded in 1990, despite not. Officially, operation gladiothe code name of the clandestine staybehind netwas founded on november 26, 1956, to defend europe from invasion by warsaw pact nations. The role of the cia in gladiothe extent of its activities during the cold war era and any responsibility for terrorist attacks perpetrated in italy during the years of lead late 1960s to early 1980sare the subject of debate. In a new book operation gladio the unholy alliance between the vatican, the cia, and the mafia, paul l. Gladio was part of a postworld war ii program set up by the cia and nato supposedly to thwart future sovietcommunist invasions or influence in italy and western europe. Although gladio specifically refers to the italian branch of the nato staybehind organizations, operation gladio is. The role of the cia in gladiothe extent of its activities during the cold war.