Dr. Daniele Ganser, a Swiss historian and researcher at the University of Basel’s history department, spoke to Today’s Zaman about the history of the Gladio in Europe. Turkey is going through turbulent days with the ongoing investigation into Ergenekon, a shadowy criminal network suspected of plotting to topple the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government. Ergenekon is believed by some to be the last living extension of Gladio, a code name denoting the clandestine NATO stay-behind operation in Italy after World War II, intended to counter a possible communist invasion of Western Europe. Many in Turkey liken the legal process against Ergenekon to the “Clean Hands” anti-corruption operation against Gladio in Italy during the 1990s. Dr. Daniele Ganser, a Swiss historian and researcher at the history department of Basel University in Switzerland, says Europe has had similar experiments with state-born armies doing “inside jobs.” The author of “Nato’s Secret Armies,” he also says there was considerable resistance to investigating these secret armies in many countries, not unlike in Turkey. In an interview with Today’s Zaman, he cautions that there may still be secret armies might have remained in the West, particularly in the US.
How did Gladio operate and what instruments did it use?
Gladio was operating in total secrecy, in the dark. Most people had no idea that these networks existed. It was a network of secret armies, called “stay-behind”, which were set up by the US secret service, the CIA, and the British secret service, MI6, and coordinated by NATO. Gladio was the code name for the Italian stay-behind. It was operating as a branch of the Italian military secret service SISMI. The secret armies were designed to fight behind enemy lines in case of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe or to manipulate the political framework of a country in the absence of a Soviet invasion. The secret stay-behind armies possessed secret arms caches with guns, munitions and explosives. The members of the secret armies, drawn from the military and the secret services, were trained in secret warfare. In some countries, including Germany, right-wing extremists and former Nazis were members of the secret armies. In other countries, including Italy, the secret armies linked up with terrorists who carried out bombings against civilians in order to create an atmosphere of fear and to discredit political opponents, who were wrongly blamed for the terror.
What was the turning point in the struggle with Gladio? What special event or person helped most to cleanse Europe of Gladio?
The critical moment came in the year 1990, when Italian judge Felice Casson researched the archives of the Italian military secret service and found documents that proved the existence of secret armies across Western Europe and their links to the CIA, MI6 and NATO. Casson then informed the Italian Senate, which investigated the secret armies and found links to terrorism. Then Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti was forced to confirm the existence of the secret army in Italy. When he was attacked and people screamed that all this was illegal and criminal, he defended himself and said that these secret armies existed in all the countries of Western Europe. Thereafter, politicians in Greece, Turkey, France, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxemburg and other countries searched and found their secret armies. Most were unwilling to look very closely at the conspiracy, despite the fact that the EU Parliament called all member states to investigate the secret Gladio armies and their links to terror in Europe. But only Italy, Belgium and Switzerland carried out detailed parliamentary investigations and presented public reports. In July 2008 members of parliament in Luxemburg presented a short report on their secret stay-behind. So, you see, it takes a lot of time to clarify Gladio’s history. We still don’t know the full story.
What kind of roles did media, politicians and security organizations play during the process of eliminating Gladio?
The investigation and dissolution of the Gladio secret armies is a very complicated process because it is possible to say “The secret Gladio army has been closed down” and then start a new one with the same people and the same strategy the next day under a new name. The problem really is that the media, the politicians, the military and the secret service have all been very reluctant and hesitant to look at the Gladio armies. As a consequence, we don’t have the names of all the Gladio commanders, we don’t have the names and dates of all the operations. We don’t have the data of their financial strength. Information is still fragmentary, despite the fact that it is illegal to have a secret army in a democratic state. It’s against the constitution. So, all in all, politicians and the media have failed to clarify the Gladio story.
In Turkey, there is some opposition (from media and political circles especially) to the operations being done to eliminate Ergenekon. Did Europe go through the same process? I mean, was the same resistance seen in these cases?
Oh yes, very much so. In every country there was very strong opposition to investigating the secret army. Most countries have said that they closed down their secret army. That it no longer exists, that it’s not needed anymore. If indeed Ergenekon is the stay-behind for Turkey, the secret army of Turkey, then Turkey is a special case. Because it would mean that in Turkey the secret armies continued to exist also in the 1990s and even today. But we must be careful. If other countries say they have closed down their networks and do not present a detailed investigation with names and examples of operations, then it’s always possible that secret armies exist in these countries, as well. The US journalist Seymour Hersh claims the US is still using secret armies controlled by the CIA and the Pentagon; today they operate inside Iran to create chaos and a pretext for an invasion, Hersh claims. So, you see, the issue of secret armies is still very delicate and complicated even today. The US never commented on the secret Gladio armies they set up, trained, equipped, funded and directed in Europe. They say they never existed. But we know they existed. We have the proof. But many people in Europe are scared of the US because they are the leading superpower, so they don’t want to look at these questions.
How did Gladio operate and what instruments did it use?
Gladio was operating in total secrecy, in the dark. Most people had no idea that these networks existed. It was a network of secret armies, called “stay-behind”, which were set up by the US secret service, the CIA, and the British secret service, MI6, and coordinated by NATO. Gladio was the code name for the Italian stay-behind. It was operating as a branch of the Italian military secret service SISMI. The secret armies were designed to fight behind enemy lines in case of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe or to manipulate the political framework of a country in the absence of a Soviet invasion. The secret stay-behind armies possessed secret arms caches with guns, munitions and explosives. The members of the secret armies, drawn from the military and the secret services, were trained in secret warfare. In some countries, including Germany, right-wing extremists and former Nazis were members of the secret armies. In other countries, including Italy, the secret armies linked up with terrorists who carried out bombings against civilians in order to create an atmosphere of fear and to discredit political opponents, who were wrongly blamed for the terror.
What was the turning point in the struggle with Gladio? What special event or person helped most to cleanse Europe of Gladio?
The critical moment came in the year 1990, when Italian judge Felice Casson researched the archives of the Italian military secret service and found documents that proved the existence of secret armies across Western Europe and their links to the CIA, MI6 and NATO. Casson then informed the Italian Senate, which investigated the secret armies and found links to terrorism. Then Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti was forced to confirm the existence of the secret army in Italy. When he was attacked and people screamed that all this was illegal and criminal, he defended himself and said that these secret armies existed in all the countries of Western Europe. Thereafter, politicians in Greece, Turkey, France, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxemburg and other countries searched and found their secret armies. Most were unwilling to look very closely at the conspiracy, despite the fact that the EU Parliament called all member states to investigate the secret Gladio armies and their links to terror in Europe. But only Italy, Belgium and Switzerland carried out detailed parliamentary investigations and presented public reports. In July 2008 members of parliament in Luxemburg presented a short report on their secret stay-behind. So, you see, it takes a lot of time to clarify Gladio’s history. We still don’t know the full story.
What kind of roles did media, politicians and security organizations play during the process of eliminating Gladio?
The investigation and dissolution of the Gladio secret armies is a very complicated process because it is possible to say “The secret Gladio army has been closed down” and then start a new one with the same people and the same strategy the next day under a new name. The problem really is that the media, the politicians, the military and the secret service have all been very reluctant and hesitant to look at the Gladio armies. As a consequence, we don’t have the names of all the Gladio commanders, we don’t have the names and dates of all the operations. We don’t have the data of their financial strength. Information is still fragmentary, despite the fact that it is illegal to have a secret army in a democratic state. It’s against the constitution. So, all in all, politicians and the media have failed to clarify the Gladio story.
In Turkey, there is some opposition (from media and political circles especially) to the operations being done to eliminate Ergenekon. Did Europe go through the same process? I mean, was the same resistance seen in these cases?
Oh yes, very much so. In every country there was very strong opposition to investigating the secret army. Most countries have said that they closed down their secret army. That it no longer exists, that it’s not needed anymore. If indeed Ergenekon is the stay-behind for Turkey, the secret army of Turkey, then Turkey is a special case. Because it would mean that in Turkey the secret armies continued to exist also in the 1990s and even today. But we must be careful. If other countries say they have closed down their networks and do not present a detailed investigation with names and examples of operations, then it’s always possible that secret armies exist in these countries, as well. The US journalist Seymour Hersh claims the US is still using secret armies controlled by the CIA and the Pentagon; today they operate inside Iran to create chaos and a pretext for an invasion, Hersh claims. So, you see, the issue of secret armies is still very delicate and complicated even today. The US never commented on the secret Gladio armies they set up, trained, equipped, funded and directed in Europe. They say they never existed. But we know they existed. We have the proof. But many people in Europe are scared of the US because they are the leading superpower, so they don’t want to look at these questions.
What changes were seen in the daily, social and political lives of the people in these countries after the elimination of Gladio? How did Gladio’s removal contribute to these countries?
Well, at first, people were shocked to hear that secret armies had existed in their countries. Here in Switzerland, one parliamentarian said he had lost eight kilograms during the investigation because he was so shocked. He never thought it was possible that a secret army could have existed in Switzerland. In Germany people were shocked, too, to hear that former Nazis were active in these networks, that the CIA trained Nazis was unbelievable for them. So in the beginning it was a shock. But then, when the secret armies were closed down, if indeed that was the case, then people were relieved. You know, most people want peace and security; they hate violence, lies and manipulation. So I guess it’s necessary that one talks about this difficult subject of secret armies and finds a solution.
Ali Çimen, London
24 July 2008, Thursday, Todayszaman
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