Operation Gladio

[Red Commissar]

In the past year and a half I come across stories and articles about Operation Gladio, the term for fall-back armies in NATO nations, particularly the one in Italy.

They've been seen as the perpetrator, or at least significantly exacerbating, the "Years of Lead" in Italy as a part of their plan of a strategy of tension to ensure the protection of their clients in Italy and that the Italian state remained in NATO's circles.

I would like to learn more about this group if you guys have any words from yourself and books, videos, interviews, articles, etc. to share.

[Sasha]

i assume you have read the exstensive wiki article? at the botom there is an gigantic list of references. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Gladio)
Not much to add myself, except that we by chance where also discussing gladio yesterday in the dutch section. ravachol reminded me of the fact that Max van der Stoel, former social-democratic goverment minster turned out to be the commander of the dutch gladio. While they never did (as far as we know) anything as bad as the italian and belgian sections their excistence and esp the fact that it was led by an social-democrat was quite a shocker for dutch society

[Red Commissar]

I know of the wiki article- I was just wandering whether there were some other resources. But I'll take a look through them again.

I didn't know about that bit about the Dutch section though. Interesting, thanks for sharing.

[Salyut]

I would very much like to find a decent book on it. The closest thing I've found was The Beast Reawakens, which is a fascinating bit of research on its own (I really recommended it).

[Red Commissar]

I was recommended by ComradeMan to take a look at a book called "NATO’s Secret Armies. Operation Gladio and Terrorism in Western Europe" by Frank Cass. My local University library has a copy of it so I'll take a look at it and see, but from what they had available as an online copy to read, it seemed pretty in depth- it covers not just their activities in Italy but in other NATO member states as well.