Editing 1976 Lockheed Bribery Scandal (section)

==Major Countries and Figures Implicated==
===Japan===  
Bribes: Lockheed paid $12.6 million (equivalent to $70 million in 2025) to secure a $430 million contract for 21 L-1011 TriStars with All Nippon Airways (ANA) in 1972. Payments included $3 million to Prime Minister [[Kakuei Tanaka]], $1.7 million to anti-communist fixer [[Yoshio Kodama]] , and millions to ANA executives and government officials, per Senate testimony.

Fallout: Tanaka was arrested in July 1976, charged with violating foreign exchange laws, and convicted in 1983, receiving a four-year sentence (overturned on appeal after his 1987 death). The scandal toppled his government, damaged the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and led to Japan’s first post-war political crisis, per The Japan Times. Kodama, a former fascist entangled in the [[World Anti-Communist League]], the CIA, and [[Unification Church]] was a war criminal with ties to the Yakuza that escaped post WW2 prosecution courtesy of [[General Douglas MacArthur]], was indicted but died in 1984 before trial.

Significance: The scandal exposed Japan’s political corruption, with Lockheed’s bribes facilitating U.S. strategic interests in Asia, including basing rights during the Vietnam War.

===Italy=== 
Bribes: Lockheed paid $2 million to secure contracts for C-130 Hercules aircraft with the Italian Air Force in the early 1970s. Payments went to government officials and intermediaries, including Christian Democratic politicians, per Corriere della Sera.

Fallout: The scandal implicated Defense Minister Luigi Gui and Prime Minister Mariano Rumor, who resigned in 1976 amid public outrage. Both would later be implicated in [[Operation Gladio]] and Italy's stay behind network. Italy’s Christian Democratic Party faced a crisis, contributing to political instability, though no major convictions followed due to legal delays.

Significance: The bribes underscored Lockheed’s penetration of NATO allies, aligning with U.S. anti-communist goals in Italy, a Cold War battleground.
===The Netherlands=== 
Bribes: Lockheed paid $1.1 million to Prince Bernhard, husband of Queen Juliana, to influence the Dutch government’s purchase of F-104 Starfighters in the 1960s. Payments, channeled through Swiss accounts, were disguised as consulting fees, per NRC Handelsblad.

Fallout: A 1976 Dutch inquiry confirmed Bernhard’s role, leading to his resignation from public duties, including as Inspector General of the Dutch Armed Forces, to spare the monarchy embarrassment. Queen Juliana threatened abdication if he faced prosecution, which was avoided. The scandal also implicated Investors Overseas Services (IOS), as Bernard Cornfeld’s funds were linked to Bernhard’s accounts, per The Guardian.

Significance: The scandal damaged Dutch-U.S. relations and highlighted Lockheed’s exploitation of royal connections.
===West Germany===
Bribes: Lockheed paid $10 million to secure F-104 Starfighter contracts in the 1950s and 1960s, with payments to Christian Social Union (CSU) politician Franz Josef Strauss and Luftwaffe officials, per Der Spiegel. The Starfighter’s poor safety record (292 crashes, 115 deaths) amplified the scandal.

Fallout: Strauss, a former Defense Minister, was cleared of direct charges but faced political damage. The scandal led to reforms in German defense procurement and strained U.S.-German relations, as the F-104 was seen as a flawed choice pushed by bribes.
===Other Countries===
Saudi Arabia: Lockheed paid $106 million to [[Adnan Khashoggi]], a Saudi arms dealer, for military contracts, including C-130 Hercules sales, per The Washington Post. The payments, part of a broader U.S.-Saudi arms relationship, faced less scrutiny due to geopolitical alliances.

Indonesia, Philippines, Nigeria: Smaller bribes were paid to secure contracts, though details were less publicized, per Senate records. All three of these countries were targets of destabilization, regime change, and Operation Gladio tactics by the CIA operating as a precursor to exploitation of United States military industrial complex.