NATO Clandestine Planning Committee

The NATO Clandestine Planning Committee (CPC) was a secretive body established within NATO to oversee and coordinate covert “stay-behind” operations during the Cold War, including the controversial Operation Gladio.

The CPC was created in the late 1940s, evolving from the Clandestine Committee of the Western Union (CCWU), which was established in 1948 to coordinate anti-communist resistance in Western Europe. After NATO’s formation in 1949, the CPC was integrated into its structure to manage clandestine stay-behind networks. These networks were designed to conduct guerrilla warfare, sabotage, and intelligence-gathering in the event of a Soviet invasion or communist takeover. The CPC operated under NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), ensuring alignment with NATO’s broader defense strategy.

Operation Gladio

The CPC was responsible for planning, organizing, and coordinating stay-behind units across NATO member states, such as Italy’s Gladio, Belgium’s SDRA8, and similar groups in Switzerland, Germany, and elsewhere. It facilitated training, funding, and equipment for these units, often in collaboration with national intelligence services and, in some cases, the CIA. The committee ensured that stay-behind networks remained covert, with limited knowledge even among NATO member governments, to maintain operational security.

The CPC operated with a high degree of secrecy, and its activities were known only to a select group of military and intelligence officials. Its existence was not publicly acknowledged during the Cold War. It functioned as a liaison between NATO’s military command and national stay-behind organizations, standardizing procedures and sharing resources while allowing each country to tailor its operations to local needs.

The CPC was a central coordinating body for Gladio and similar stay-behind operations. In Italy, Gladio was directly linked to the CPC, receiving strategic guidance and support. The committee’s role came under scrutiny in the 1990s when Gladio’s existence was revealed, particularly in Italy, where allegations surfaced about its possible involvement in right-wing terrorism during the “Years of Lead” (1960s–1980s). The referenced State Department document notes that while Gladio’s structure was confirmed, evidence linking it to specific terrorist acts remains inconclusive.

The CPC’s secretive nature and lack of oversight raised concerns about its potential misuse. In countries like Italy, parliamentary inquiries investigated whether Gladio, under CPC coordination, was involved in domestic political manipulation or terrorism. Similar inquiries in Belgium and Switzerland examined the CPC’s role in their national stay-behind networks, questioning accountability and the extent of U.S. (CIA) involvement. The CPC’s operations were criticized for operating outside democratic oversight, with some alleging that stay-behind units were used to influence domestic politics or suppress leftist movements.

The CPC was a product of Cold War paranoia about Soviet expansion. Stay-behind networks were seen as a critical defense against potential occupation, inspired by World War II resistance movements. The committee’s activities continued even after France’s partial withdrawal from NATO’s integrated military structure in 1966, indicating its strategic importance to NATO’s covert operations. The exact date of its dissolution is unclear due to the lack of declassified records.