Licio Gelli: Difference between revisions
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==Licio Gelli== | ==Licio Gelli== | ||
Licio Gelli ( | |||
Licio Gelli (1919–2015), a former fascist and the Venerable Master of the [[Propaganda Due P2]] Masonic lodge, was a pivotal figure in [[Operation Gladio]], NATO’s clandestine “stay-behind” network established in the 1950s to counter a potential Soviet invasion. Gelli’s involvement transformed P2 into a shadow organization that coordinated and amplified Gladio’s subversive activities in Italy, particularly during the Cold War’s “Years of Lead” (1960s–1980s), aligning with his fervent anti-communist and far-right ideology. | |||
==Background== | |||
Gelli, who fought for Mussolini’s regime and collaborated with Nazi Germany, joined Freemasonry in 1964 and took control of P2 in 1966. Under his leadership, P2 became a secretive network of influential figures, including military officers, intelligence officials, politicians, bankers, and industrialists, with an estimated 962–1,600 members. After the Grand Orient of Italy revoked P2’s charter in 1976 for violating Masonic principles, Gelli operated it illegally as a criminal organization, leveraging its elite membership to infiltrate Italy’s power structures. | |||
==Operation Gladio== | |||
Gelli was described as Gladio’s “Puppet-master,” orchestrating its shift from a defensive network to a tool for internal subversion through the “strategy of tension.” This strategy involved terrorist attacks to destabilize Italy, foster fear, and block the Italian Communist Party (PCI) from electoral success. Key aspects of Gelli’s involvement include: | |||
1 Organizational Leadership: | |||
◦ Gelli used P2 as a hub to recruit and coordinate Gladio operatives, including neo-fascist leaders like Stefano Delle Chiaie, implicated in bombings such as Piazza Fontana (1969). P2’s membership overlapped with Gladio, including senior military and intelligence figures like General Vito Miceli, head of SID (Italian Military Intelligence), who was a P2 member. | |||
◦ Gelli was tasked with arresting President Giuseppe Saragat during the failed Golpe Borghese coup (1970), a Gladio-linked attempt to install a right-wing regime, highlighting his role in subversive plots. | |||
2 Financial Facilitation: | |||
◦ In 1974, Gelli met U.S. officials, including Alexander Haig and Henry Kissinger, at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, securing CIA funding for P2 and Gladio’s anti-communist operations. CIA operative Richard Brenneke later claimed P2 received $1–10 million monthly, though the CIA denied this. | |||
◦ Through P2 member [[Roberto Calvi]], chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, Gelli facilitated the laundering of funds via the Vatican Bank to support Gladio’s activities, including terrorist acts and international anti-communist efforts like funding Solidarity in Poland and Operation Condor in Latin America. | |||
3 Strategy of Tension: | |||
◦ Gelli was implicated in Gladio-linked terrorist attacks, such as the Italicus Express bombing (1974), which killed 12, and the Bologna train station bombing (1980), which killed 85. A parliamentary inquiry confirmed P2 “instigated and financed” attacks in Tuscany, using Gladio’s explosives caches. | |||
◦ The kidnapping and murder of former Prime Minister [[Aldo Moro]] (1978) by the Red Brigades may have involved P2 and Gladio, as Moro’s outreach to the PCI threatened anti-communist interests. Gelli’s influence is suspected in manipulating events to ensure Moro’s death. | |||
4 International Reach: | |||
◦ Gelli extended P2’s and Gladio’s influence to Latin America, particularly Argentina, where P2 members like Admiral Emilio Massera and General Guillermo Suárez Mason participated in [[Operation Condor]], a Gladio-linked campaign of state terrorism. Gelli’s ties to Argentine dictator Juan Perón and his Triple A death squad furthered these connections. | |||
Gelli’s role in Gladio surfaced after a 1981 police raid on his villa uncovered P2’s membership list, exposing its infiltration of Italy’s elite and links to Gladio. A 1981 parliamentary report branded P2 a criminal organization aiming to subvert democracy, with Gladio’s existence confirmed in 1990 by Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, a P2 associate. Gelli faced trials in 1992 for political conspiracy, espionage, and fraud related to Banco Ambrosiano’s collapse, receiving reduced sentences. He fled to Argentina during legal battles, was extradited, and died under house arrest in 2015 at age 96. | |||
==Conclusion== | |||
Gelli’s involvement in Operation Gladio exemplified his ambition to wield power through a clandestine network, using P2 to direct Gladio’s violent and corrupt activities. His actions contributed to Italy’s political instability, fueling anti-Masonic sentiment and exposing the dangers of unchecked covert operations. Ongoing declassification efforts, including those initiated by Prime Minister Mario Draghi in 2021, continue to seek clarity on Gelli’s and P2’s full role in Gladio’s dark chapter of Italian history. | |||
Latest revision as of 10:38, 12 May 2025
Licio Gelli[edit]
Licio Gelli (1919–2015), a former fascist and the Venerable Master of the Propaganda Due P2 Masonic lodge, was a pivotal figure in Operation Gladio, NATO’s clandestine “stay-behind” network established in the 1950s to counter a potential Soviet invasion. Gelli’s involvement transformed P2 into a shadow organization that coordinated and amplified Gladio’s subversive activities in Italy, particularly during the Cold War’s “Years of Lead” (1960s–1980s), aligning with his fervent anti-communist and far-right ideology.
Background[edit]
Gelli, who fought for Mussolini’s regime and collaborated with Nazi Germany, joined Freemasonry in 1964 and took control of P2 in 1966. Under his leadership, P2 became a secretive network of influential figures, including military officers, intelligence officials, politicians, bankers, and industrialists, with an estimated 962–1,600 members. After the Grand Orient of Italy revoked P2’s charter in 1976 for violating Masonic principles, Gelli operated it illegally as a criminal organization, leveraging its elite membership to infiltrate Italy’s power structures.
Operation Gladio[edit]
Gelli was described as Gladio’s “Puppet-master,” orchestrating its shift from a defensive network to a tool for internal subversion through the “strategy of tension.” This strategy involved terrorist attacks to destabilize Italy, foster fear, and block the Italian Communist Party (PCI) from electoral success. Key aspects of Gelli’s involvement include:
1 Organizational Leadership: ◦ Gelli used P2 as a hub to recruit and coordinate Gladio operatives, including neo-fascist leaders like Stefano Delle Chiaie, implicated in bombings such as Piazza Fontana (1969). P2’s membership overlapped with Gladio, including senior military and intelligence figures like General Vito Miceli, head of SID (Italian Military Intelligence), who was a P2 member. ◦ Gelli was tasked with arresting President Giuseppe Saragat during the failed Golpe Borghese coup (1970), a Gladio-linked attempt to install a right-wing regime, highlighting his role in subversive plots.
2 Financial Facilitation: ◦ In 1974, Gelli met U.S. officials, including Alexander Haig and Henry Kissinger, at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, securing CIA funding for P2 and Gladio’s anti-communist operations. CIA operative Richard Brenneke later claimed P2 received $1–10 million monthly, though the CIA denied this. ◦ Through P2 member Roberto Calvi, chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, Gelli facilitated the laundering of funds via the Vatican Bank to support Gladio’s activities, including terrorist acts and international anti-communist efforts like funding Solidarity in Poland and Operation Condor in Latin America.
3 Strategy of Tension: ◦ Gelli was implicated in Gladio-linked terrorist attacks, such as the Italicus Express bombing (1974), which killed 12, and the Bologna train station bombing (1980), which killed 85. A parliamentary inquiry confirmed P2 “instigated and financed” attacks in Tuscany, using Gladio’s explosives caches. ◦ The kidnapping and murder of former Prime Minister Aldo Moro (1978) by the Red Brigades may have involved P2 and Gladio, as Moro’s outreach to the PCI threatened anti-communist interests. Gelli’s influence is suspected in manipulating events to ensure Moro’s death.
4 International Reach: ◦ Gelli extended P2’s and Gladio’s influence to Latin America, particularly Argentina, where P2 members like Admiral Emilio Massera and General Guillermo Suárez Mason participated in Operation Condor, a Gladio-linked campaign of state terrorism. Gelli’s ties to Argentine dictator Juan Perón and his Triple A death squad furthered these connections.
Gelli’s role in Gladio surfaced after a 1981 police raid on his villa uncovered P2’s membership list, exposing its infiltration of Italy’s elite and links to Gladio. A 1981 parliamentary report branded P2 a criminal organization aiming to subvert democracy, with Gladio’s existence confirmed in 1990 by Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, a P2 associate. Gelli faced trials in 1992 for political conspiracy, espionage, and fraud related to Banco Ambrosiano’s collapse, receiving reduced sentences. He fled to Argentina during legal battles, was extradited, and died under house arrest in 2015 at age 96.
Conclusion[edit]
Gelli’s involvement in Operation Gladio exemplified his ambition to wield power through a clandestine network, using P2 to direct Gladio’s violent and corrupt activities. His actions contributed to Italy’s political instability, fueling anti-Masonic sentiment and exposing the dangers of unchecked covert operations. Ongoing declassification efforts, including those initiated by Prime Minister Mario Draghi in 2021, continue to seek clarity on Gelli’s and P2’s full role in Gladio’s dark chapter of Italian history.