Editing Le Cercle (section)

==Evolution and Expansion==
Le Cercle initially focused on anti-communism and European integration but expanded its scope in the 1960s and 1970s to include transatlantic cooperation, particularly after political changes in 1969 brought in members from Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Meetings shifted from three times a year to biannual gatherings, typically in Washington, D.C., and various European cities.

	•	Membership: The group attracted a diverse, elite membership, including:
	◦	Diplomats, high-ranking politicians, and intelligence agents (e.g., ex-MI6 officer Anthony Cavendish, British MPs Julian Amery and Alan Clark).
	◦	Business leaders from banking, oil, shipping, and publishing.
	◦	Military officers, retired generals, and members of aristocratic circles, including Vatican-affiliated figures.

	◦	Notable attendees included Brian Crozier (British intelligence-linked journalist), [[Ted Shackley]] (CIA officer, who chaired U.S. meetings), and later figures like [[David Rockefeller]], Henry Kissinger, and Donald Rumsfeld.

	•	Funding: Le Cercle was privately funded, with contributions from organizations like Shell (£30,000 in 1971) and the Ford Foundation (£20,000 over three years). British MP Alan Clark claimed in his diaries that the group was funded by the CIA, though this has not been fully substantiated by primary sources.

	•	Shift to Transatlantic Focus: Under the influence of figures like Ted Shackley, Le Cercle adopted a more secular, transatlantic ethos in the 1970s, with meetings alternating between Europe and the U.S. This shift aligned with NATO’s strategic priorities, including support for anti-communist movements and controversial policies like apartheid in South Africa.