Propaganda Due P2

Propaganda Due (P2) Masonic Lodge

History of Propaganda Due (P2) 
Propaganda Due, or P2, was founded in 1877 in Turin, Italy, as “Propaganda Massonica” under the Grand Orient of Italy. Initially an elite Masonic lodge for prominent figures like politicians, nobility, and government officials, it aimed to provide secrecy and facilitate Masonic research and networking. Banned in 1925 by Mussolini’s Fascist regime, it was reconstituted in exile in Paris in 1930 and reformed after World War II, becoming Propaganda Due when the Grand Orient numbered its lodges. By the 1960s, P2 was largely inactive until Licio Gelli, a former fascist and Blackshirt who joined Freemasonry in 1964, took control in 1966. Under Gelli, P2 transformed into a clandestine, anti-communist, far-right organization, violating Masonic principles and Italy’s constitutional ban on secret associations (Article 18). The Grand Orient withdrew P2’s charter in 1976, but Gelli operated it illegally until 1984. P2 grew into a powerful network, with an estimated 962–1,600 members, including high-ranking Italian officials, military officers, intelligence chiefs, bankers, industrialists, journalists, and future Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. It was implicated in major scandals, including the Banco Ambrosiano collapse (1982), the murders of journalist Carmine Pecorelli (1979) and banker Roberto Calvi (1982), the Tangentopoli bribery scandal (1990s), and terrorist acts like the Italicus Express bombing (1974). A 1981 police raid on Gelli’s villa uncovered a membership list, exposing P2’s influence and leading to political upheaval, including the resignation of Justice Minister Adolfo Sarti and the collapse of Prime Minister Arnaldo Forlani’s government. A parliamentary inquiry labeled P2 a criminal organization aiming to subvert democracy. Gelli faced trials for conspiracy, fraud, and espionage, receiving reduced sentences and dying under house arrest in 2015. P2’s international reach included Argentina, with members like interim president Raúl Alberto Lastiri and junta figures Emilio Massera and José López Rega.

Operation Gladio


Operation Gladio was a NATO-backed “stay-behind” network established during the Cold War to counter a potential Soviet invasion through sabotage and guerrilla warfare. In Italy, Gladio was initiated in 1956 under the Italian Military Secret Service (SIFAR) and CIA funding, with a motto of “Silendo Libertatem Servo” (“By being silent, I protect liberty”). While officially a defensive operation, evidence suggests Gladio was repurposed for internal subversion, contributing to the “strategy of tension”—a campaign of terrorist attacks to destabilize Italy and prevent leftist electoral gains, particularly by the Italian Communist Party (PCI). P2, under Gelli’s leadership, became deeply intertwined with Gladio, serving as a shadow network to coordinate and direct these activities. Key links include:

1 Shared Leadership and Membership: ◦ Licio Gelli, P2’s Venerable Master, was a central figure in Gladio, described as the “Puppet-master.” His fascist background and anti-communist zeal aligned with Gladio’s objectives. P2’s membership overlapped with Gladio, including senior military officers, intelligence officials, and politicians like Giulio Andreotti, who admitted Gladio’s existence in 1990 and was accused of being P2’s political reference. ◦ P2 included Gladio operatives like Stefano Delle Chiaie, leader of the neo-fascist Avanguardia Nazionale, linked to terrorist acts such as the Piazza Fontana bombing (1969). Delle Chiaie was also tied to the failed Golpe Borghese coup (1970), where Gelli was tasked with arresting President Giuseppe Saragat.

2 Financial Support and CIA Involvement: ◦ In 1974, Gelli met with Alexander Haig, former NATO Supreme Commander and Nixon’s White House Chief of Staff, at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, securing CIA financial support for Gladio and P2’s subversive activities, with approval from Henry Kissinger. ◦ P2 member Roberto Calvi, chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, illegally siphoned funds to support Gladio operations, laundering money through the Vatican Bank (IOR). The Banco Ambrosiano scandal revealed a $1.3 billion “black hole,” partly linked to Gladio and P2 activities. ◦ Richard Brenneke, a CIA operative, claimed in 1990 that the CIA paid P2 $1–10 million monthly to fund terrorism and drug trafficking, though these allegations were denied by the CIA.

3 Strategy of Tension and Terrorist Acts: ◦ P2 was implicated in Gladio-linked terrorist attacks to create fear and justify authoritarian measures. The Italicus Express bombing (1974), attributed to neo-fascist groups backed by P2, killed 12 and injured 48. A parliamentary inquiry found P2 “instigated and financed” such attacks in Tuscany. ◦ The Bologna train station bombing (1980), killing 85, was pinned on neo-fascist groups, but suspicions persist of P2 and Gladio involvement, with explosives possibly sourced from Gladio caches. Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s 2021 declassification of P2 and Gladio documents aimed to clarify these links, though results remain inconclusive. ◦ The kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro (1978) by the Red Brigades may have involved P2 and Gladio, as Moro’s outreach to the PCI threatened anti-communist interests. Magistrate Gherardo Colombo suggested P2’s role, and theories propose Gladio infiltrated the Red Brigades to manipulate the outcome.

4 International Connections: ◦ P2’s influence extended to Latin America, particularly Argentina, where members like Emilio Massera and Guillermo Suárez Mason were involved in Operation Condor, a Gladio-linked campaign of state terrorism. These ties suggest P2 facilitated Gladio’s global network. ◦ P2’s connections to the Mafia, notably through Michele Sindona, who managed heroin profits for the CIA-protected French Connection, further supported Gladio’s covert operations.

5 Subversion and Political Manipulation: ◦ P2 was described as the “elitist shadow government” directing Gladio’s armed forces, aiming to undermine Italian democracy. A 1982 document, “Memorandum on the Italian Situation,” allegedly by Gelli, proposed P2 as the administrator of a new fascist state, funded by Sindona’s operations. ◦ Vincenzo Vinciguerra, a neo-fascist convicted for the Peteano bombing (1972), stated P2 had a role in “internal subversion” rather than military defense, aligning with Gladio’s strategy of tension.

Conclusion

P2 evolved from a legitimate Masonic lodge into a criminal, anti-communist network under Gelli’s leadership, deeply embedded in Italy’s political and economic elite. Its links to Operation Gladio were extensive, serving as a coordinating hub for Gladio’s subversive activities, including terrorism, financial crimes, and political manipulation during the Cold War. While P2 was outlawed in 1981 and Gladio exposed in 1990, their full scope remains unclear, with ongoing declassification efforts seeking to uncover the truth behind Italy’s “Years of Lead.” The P2-Gladio nexus exemplifies a shadowy alliance of Masonic, intelligence, and fascist elements, undermining democracy under the guise of anti-communism.