Gladio: NATO’s secret cold war operation in Italy • FRANCE 24 English

Key Concepts

• Operation Gladio: A clandestine "stay-behind" paramilitary network established in Italy during the Cold War to resist potential communist occupation.
• Strategy of Tension: A political tactic involving a series of terrorist attacks attributed to far-right groups, intended to destabilize the country and prevent the Italian Communist Party from gaining power.
• NASCO (Nascosti): Clandestine arms and equipment depots hidden across Italy for use by Gladio agents.
• Stay-Behind Networks: Secret resistance organizations formed in over 10 European countries under NATO and CIA coordination.
• Cold War Geopolitics: The ideological struggle between the Western Bloc (led by the US/NATO) and the Eastern Bloc (Warsaw Pact).

1. Origins and Purpose of Operation Gladio

Operation Gladio was part of a broader network of "stay-behind" organizations across Europe, coordinated by NATO and the CIA. Following World War II, the primary objective was to create an underground resistance movement capable of fighting back in the event of a Soviet or Warsaw Pact invasion. In Italy, this operation became the most prominent and controversial, officially formalized in 1956 through an agreement between the Italian military secret service and the American CIA.

2. Methodology and Infrastructure

• Recruitment and Training: Agents were recruited in extreme secrecy. Training included topography, cartography, explosives, self-defense, tailing techniques, and the reception of air-dropped supplies.
• NASCO Depots: 139 official NASCOs were identified in Italy. These were hidden caches containing weapons, ammunition, and equipment supplied by the CIA, often buried in remote locations or under civilian structures like churches.
• Operational Secrecy: Members lived "double lives," often maintaining civilian jobs while participating in annual training exercises. The network was compartmentalized; members did not know the identities of others in their brigade to ensure security.

3. The "Strategy of Tension" and Political Violence

The video highlights a dark period in Italian history (1960s–1980s) characterized by deadly terrorist attacks, including:

• 1969: National Bank of Agriculture bombing in Milan (17 deaths).
• 1974: Piazza della Loggia bombing in Brescia (8 deaths, 100 wounded).
• 1980: Bologna Station bombing (85 deaths).

Key Argument: Researchers and victims' advocates argue that these attacks were not isolated incidents but part of a "strategy of tension." Evidence suggests that weapons from Gladio’s NASCO depots—specifically MK2 grenades—were diverted to neo-fascist groups like Ordine Nuovo. This implies a potential link between the clandestine state-sponsored network and the far-right extremists responsible for the violence.

4. Declassification and Public Revelation

The existence of Gladio remained a state secret for over three decades. It was officially acknowledged on October 24, 1990, by then-Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti. This revelation caused a massive political crisis, straining relations between the Italian government, NATO, and the United States.

Archival research, such as the 1948 US document uncovered by journalist Giovanni Fasanella, provides evidence of the American strategic doctrine: the US preferred a right-wing authoritarian regime in Italy over a communist one, justifying financial and military support for anti-communist underground elements.

5. Notable Quotes and Perspectives

• Manlio Milani (Victim of the 1974 Brescia bombing): "I have this need to know, to understand, not to let it go, even if it's really hard." Milani has spent over 50 years attending court hearings to seek justice for the victims of the Piazza della Loggia attack.
• Historical Context: The video emphasizes that understanding this violence requires placing it within the Cold War context, where the fear of the Italian Communist Party entering government drove Western powers to support subversive, anti-communist factions.

6. Synthesis and Conclusion

Operation Gladio serves as a stark example of the moral and political compromises made during the Cold War. While ostensibly created as a defensive measure against foreign invasion, the network became entangled in domestic political violence. The legacy of Gladio remains a source of deep division in Italy, as judicial investigations continue to probe the extent to which state-sponsored clandestine networks facilitated or protected neo-fascist groups. The ongoing trials, such as those attended by Manlio Milani, underscore the persistent struggle to reconcile historical memory with the quest for judicial truth.