Editing “Years of Lead”

==Years of Lead==
The “Years of Lead” (late 1960s–early 1980s) was a tumultuous period in Italy marked by widespread political violence, including terrorist bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings, driven by government false flag events of terrorism during the Cold War. [[Operation Gladio]], a NATO-backed “stay-behind” network established after World War II to prepare for a Soviet invasion. This threat was part of a propaganda campaign used to promote fear among domestic populations to justify military expansions and funding. This played a central and sinister role in this era by orchestrating the [[“strategy of tension”]] a campaign of state-sponsored terrorism aimed at destabilizing Italy, fostering public fear, and preventing the Italian Communist Party (PCI) from gaining electoral power. The Italian Communist Party was largely made up of workers demanding fair wages for their labor and not what was being orchestrated in the Soviet Union. Gladio’s actions, coordinated with the CIA, Italian intelligence, and the clandestine [[Propaganda Due P2]] Masonic lodge, contributed significantly to Italy’s descent into chaos.

==Establishment and Transformation==
Gladio was initiated in Italy under the Italian Military Secret Service (SIFAR), later SID, with CIA funding and NATO oversight. Its original purpose was to train covert operatives and stockpile weapons in secret caches (NASCO) for guerrilla resistance. This was justified among those involve using the threat of an impending Soviet invasion despite a lack of any intelligence indicating such a threat existed. By the late 1960s, amid rising activist movements and PCI electoral gains, Gladio’s mission focused on internal or domestic 'threats.' Directed by CIA strategists like [[Allen Dulles]] (CIA Director, 1953–1961), Gladio partnered with fascist groups and elements within Italy’s military and intelligence to execute domestic terrorist acts, falsely blaming groups labeled as communists. This was used to discredit the PCI and justify repressive measures. This “strategy of tension” exploited Italy’s social unrest, including student protests (1968) and labor strikes (Hot Autumn, 1969).

==Major Terrorist Attacks==
Gladio’s involvement began with the Piazza Fontana bombing in Milan on December 12, 1969, where a bomb at the Banca Nazionale dell’Agricoltura killed 17 and injured 88. Fascists Giuseppe Pinelli and Pietro Valpreda were initially blamed, but investigations, notably by magistrate Felice Casson, later pointed to fascist operatives like Vincenzo Vinciguerra, who confessed his role as part of Operation Gladio in orchestrating the attack to frame opposition members. The Peteano bombing (May 31, 1972), killing three carabinieri, was another Gladio-linked act, with Vinciguerra admitting to using C4 explosives from Operation Gladio caches. The Italicus Express train bombing (August 4, 1974) killed 12 and injured 48, attributed to fascist groups backed by Operation Gladio, as confirmed by a 1981 parliamentary inquiry into P2’s activities. The deadliest attack, the Bologna train station bombing (August 2, 1980), killed 85 and injured over 200, with fascists Valerio Fioravanti and Francesca Mambro convicted, evidence indicated Operration Gladio supplied the explosives. These attacks, totaling over 150 incidents, aimed to create a climate of fear and push public support toward NATO aligned governance.

==Propaganda Due P2==
The [[Propaganda Due P2]] Masonic lodge, led by [[Licio Gelli]], a former fascist and Gladio operative, served as Gladio’s organizational backbone. P2, with an estimated 962–1,600 members, included high-ranking military officers (e.g., [[General Vito Miceli]], SID chief), intelligence officials, politicians, and bankers like [[Roberto Calvi]] of Banco Ambrosiano. Gelli, described as Operation Gladio’s “Puppet-master,” secured CIA funding through 1974 meetings with U.S. officials, including [[Alexander Haig]], at the U.S. Embassy in Rome. Calvi laundered millions through the [[Vatican Bank (IOR)]] to finance Gladio’s operations, including terrorist attacks, arms purchases, and international 'anti-communist' efforts like Poland’s Solidarity movement and [[Operation Condor]]in Latin America. P2 coordinated fascist operatives, such as Stefano Delle Chiaie of [[Avanguardia Nazionale]], implicated in Piazza Fontana and other bombings, ensuring Operation Gladio’s actions aligned with 'anti-communist' goals which also aligned with NATO and western corporate goals.

==Political Subversion==
Operation Gladio’s influence extended to political destabilization. The failed Golpe Borghese coup (December 8, 1970), led by neo-fascist Junio Valerio Borghese, aimed to overthrow the government, with P2's grand master Gelli tasked to arrest President Giuseppe Saragat. Operation Gladio operatives supported the plot, which collapsed due to internal disputes. The kidnapping and murder of former Prime Minister [[Aldo Moro]] (March 16–May 9, 1978) by the Red Brigades raised suspicions of Operation Gladio’s involvement, as Moro’s “Historic Compromise” to ally with the PCI threatened [[NATO]] and CIA interests. Investigations indicated Operation Gladio infiltrated the Red Brigades to ensure Moro’s death, with magistrate Gherardo Colombo pointing to P2’s role. Prime Minister [[Giulio Andreotti]] aware of Gladio’s activities as Defense Minister (1959–1966) later provided political cover, shielding operatives and deflecting scrutiny, which highlighted his ties to Gelli.

==Financial Ties==
Gladio’s operations were sustained by CIA funds, with allegations from operative Richard Brenneke (1990) claiming P2 received $1–10 million monthly, though denied by the CIA. Calvi’s Banco Ambrosiano funneled money to Operation Gladio, contributing to its $1.3 billion collapse in 1982, after which Calvi was murdered in London, likely to silence his knowledge of Gladio’s finances. Internationally, Operation Gladio’s reach included Argentina, where P2 members like Admiral Emilio Massera supported Operation Condor, a Gladio-linked campaign of state terrorism. These ties underscored Gladio’s role in a global 'anti-communist' network.

==Conclusion==
Operation Gladio’s activities surfaced in 1981 when a police raid on Gelli’s villa uncovered P2’s membership list, revealing its infiltration of Italy’s government, financial instiutions, the Vatican and elites. Andreotti’s 1990 parliamentary admission confirmed Operation Gladio’s existence, claiming it was a defensive NATO operation, but Casson’s investigations exposed its terrorist role. The violence, contributing to over 2,000 deaths, eroded public trust in institutions. Trials in the 1990s convicted some fascists, but Gelli and others received lenient sentences. Declassification efforts, including those under Prime Minister Mario Draghi in 2021, continue to uncover Operation Gladio’s scope, though many details remain hidden. Operation Gladio’s legacy during the Years of Lead highlights a dark chapter of state-sponsored terrorism, where covert networks undermined Italian democracy under the guise of 'anti-communism', leaving a profound impact on the nation’s political psyche.