Editing Vito Miceli (section)

==Operation Gladio==
	Miceli is widely associated with Operation Gladio, the NATO-backed stay-behind network designed to resist a Soviet invasion through guerrilla warfare and sabotage. The U.S. Army document confirms Gladio’s coordination with SID, implicating Miceli’s oversight as SID director.  He was reportedly aware of Gladio’s structure, including its secret arms caches and trained operatives, and facilitated its operations under [[NATO Clandestine Planning Committee]] (CPC) and [[Allied Clandestine Committe]] (ACC).

After Gladio’s exposure in 1990 by Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, Miceli’s role came under scrutiny, with allegations that Gladio resources may have been misused for domestic anti-communist activities.  In 1974, Miceli was arrested and charged with involvement in the Rosa dei Venti (“Compass Rose”), a right-wing subversive plot allegedly aimed at staging a coup to counter leftist influence. He was accused of maintaining secret contacts with neo-fascist groups.  He was acquitted of coup-related charges in 1978 but convicted of minor offenses, receiving a suspended sentence. The case fueled speculation about Gladio’s role in Italy’s political violence, as noted in the State Department document, which mentions unproven allegations of Gladio’s ties to terrorism.  Miceli’s dismissal from SID in 1974 was partly due to these controversies and his perceived alignment with right-wing factions.  

After leaving SID, Miceli entered politics, joining the neo-fascist Movimento Sociale Italiano (MSI), a far-right party. He was elected to the Italian Parliament in 1976, serving as a deputy until 1987.  His political shift reinforced perceptions of his anti-communist ideology and ties to right-wing circles, further linking him to Gladio-related controversies in public discourse.