Editing William Casey (section)

==Critical Perspective==
Mainstream sources, like *The New York Times* (1987) and *Veil* by Bob Woodward, portray Casey as a brilliant but reckless DCI whose anti-communism drove CIA resurgence but led to Iran-Contra’s excesses. They downplay Gladio ties, focusing on his Soviet-focused operations. Alternative narratives, including X posts (@Aaron_Good_) and *The Devil’s Chessboard* by David Talbot, depict Casey as a mastermind of global conspiracies, linking him to Gladio, Condor, and even JFK assassination theories, but these lack archival support, exaggerating his role beyond documented actions. A skeptical view sees Casey as a Cold War zealot whose OSS experience shaped his aggressive covert strategy, indirectly supporting Gladio and Condor’s frameworks through CIA funding and anti-communist alliances, but not as a direct operator. Primary sources (National Security Archive, Walsh’s Iran-Contra report) confirm his Iran-Contra and Afghan roles but are silent on Gladio specifics, limited by redactions.