Editing “strategy of tension” (section)

==Propaganda Due P2==
The P2 lodge, under [[Licio Gelli]]’s leadership, was the linchpin, with members including military officers, intelligence chiefs, and banker [[Roberto Calvi]] of Banco Ambrosiano. P2 facilitated Gladio’s operations by:
	•	Funding: Calvi laundered CIA and Mafia funds through the Vatican Bank, supporting terrorist acts and anti-communist initiatives like Poland’s Solidarity and [[Operation Condor]] in Latin America. Banco Ambrosiano’s 1982 collapse exposed a $1.3 billion shortfall tied to these activities.
	•	Coordination: Gelli recruited neo-fascist operatives like Stefano Delle Chiaie, implicated in Piazza Fontana, and ensured attacks aligned with strategic goals. P2’s influence over SID misdirected investigations, protecting perpetrators.
	•	Political Cover: Prime Minister [[Giulio Andreotti]], tied to P2, shielded Gladio’s activities, as did other P2-linked officials, ensuring impunity.
Gladio provided logistical support, including explosives from its 139 NASCO caches, and trained operatives in sabotage. CIA funding, secured by Gelli through 1974 meetings with U.S. officials like Alexander Haig, sustained the campaign, with operative Richard Brenneke alleging $1–10 million monthly payments to P2 (denied by the CIA).
Political Subversion: The strategy extended beyond terrorism to political destabilization:
	•	Golpe Borghese Coup (December 8, 1970): Neo-fascist Junio Valerio Borghese, backed by Gladio and P2, attempted to overthrow the government, with Gelli tasked to arrest President Giuseppe Saragat. The coup failed due to internal disputes but signaled the strategy’s authoritarian ambitions.
	•	Aldo Moro’s Murder (March 16–May 9, 1978): The Red Brigades kidnapped and killed former Prime Minister Aldo Moro, who sought a DC-PCI alliance. Investigations, including by magistrate Gherardo Colombo, suggested Gladio and P2 infiltrated the Brigades to ensure Moro’s death, thwarting his “Historic Compromise.” Andreotti’s refusal to negotiate during the crisis aligned with anti-communist objectives.

The strategy unraveled in 1981 when a police raid on Gelli’s villa uncovered P2’s membership list, revealing its infiltration of Italy’s elite and ties to Gladio. Andreotti’s 1990 parliamentary admission confirmed Gladio’s existence, claiming it was defensive, but Casson’s investigations and Vinciguerra’s confessions exposed its terrorist role. Over 2,000 deaths were attributed to political violence, with the strategy eroding trust in institutions. Trials in the 1990s convicted some neo-fascists, but Gelli, Calvi (murdered in 1982), and others evaded full accountability. Declassifications, like those under Mario Draghi in 2021, continue to clarify the strategy’s scope, though many archives remain sealed.