AGAG

Overview

Aktionsgruppen Arla Gryning (AGAG), translated as “Action Group Dawn,” was a clandestine Swedish stay-behind organization established during the Cold War to prepare for resistance against a potential Soviet invasion and to counter internal communist influence. Operating under the guise of various cover organizations, such as the Thule insurance company, AGAG was part of Sweden’s broader “Stay Behind” network, which was loosely integrated into NATO’s Operation Gladio despite Sweden’s official neutrality. Led by figures like Alvar Lindencrona, a jurist and executive at Thulebolagen, AGAG included military personnel, police, and civilians, with a focus on guerrilla warfare, sabotage, and intelligence-gathering. While its primary purpose was defensive, allegations, particularly from sources like Anders Jallai and Ulf Lingärde, link AGAG to controversial activities, including the 1986 assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme.

Key Details

• Formation and Leadership: Established in the late 1940s, AGAG was part of Sweden’s Stay Behind network, with planning led by Alvar Lindencrona from 1947 to 1978, succeeded by Curt-Steffan Giesecke. The organization operated in secrecy, with only a few high-ranking officials, including prime ministers and defense ministers, aware of its existence. It was referred to as “Lindencrona’s Committee” in Prime Minister Tage Erlander’s diaries.

• Structure and Membership: AGAG comprised an estimated 300–400 members, including military officers, police, trade unionists, and representatives from sectors like Televerket (the Swedish telecom agency). It had a secret office at the Thule building in Stockholm, with covert entrances and underground passages for discreet operations. Members were trained by U.S. Green Berets and British SAS, and the group was equipped with arms caches across Sweden.

• Activities: AGAG was tasked with preparing for guerrilla resistance in case of Soviet occupation, including sabotage, intelligence collection, and communication networks. It also monitored communist activities, particularly the Communist Party of Sweden (SKP), during the Cold War. Training occurred at sites like the Stockholm Defense Shooting Association, which included police officers later implicated in the Palme assassination’s “police track.”

• Controversial Allegations: Authors Anders Jallai and Ulf Lingärde claim AGAG was involved in the 1986 assassination of Olof Palme, allegedly on NATO orders, due to Palme’s neutralist policies and opposition to U.S. interests, such as his criticism of the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons. These claims suggest AGAG controlled the Skandia building on Sveavägen, where Palme was killed, and point to mysterious activities in the building at the time. However, these allegations lack definitive evidence and remain speculative.

• Exposure: AGAG’s existence was not publicly acknowledged until 1990, following Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti’s revelation of Operation Gladio. In 1991, Austrian MP Peter Pilz raised questions about Stay Behind networks in neutral countries, prompting limited discussion in Sweden. Inga-Britt Ahlenius called for an investigation in 2013, but no official parliamentary inquiry was conducted, leaving much of AGAG’s history undocumented.

Connection to Operation Gladio

Operation Gladio was a NATO- and CIA-coordinated “stay-behind” program during the Cold War, designed to establish secret paramilitary networks to resist Soviet invasion and counter communist influence in Western Europe and neutral states. AGAG was Sweden’s contribution to this network, despite the country’s non-NATO status, reflecting NATO’s strategic interest in maintaining anti-communist structures in Scandinavia.

1 CIA and NATO Coordination: ◦ AGAG was established with CIA and MI6 support, similar to other Gladio branches like Austria’s OeWSGV and Switzerland’s P-26. Funding and equipment, including weapons and communication systems, were provided through CIA channels, with coordination via NATO’s Clandestine Planning Committee (CPC) and Allied Clandestine Committee (ACC). ◦ The network’s training by U.S. Green Berets and British SAS mirrors Gladio’s standardized protocols, seen in countries like Germany (BDJ-TD) and Italy. Arms caches, a hallmark of Gladio, were established across Sweden, though specific locations remain largely undisclosed.

2 Anti-Communist Objectives: ◦ AGAG’s primary mission was to prepare for Soviet invasion, but it also monitored and countered internal communist threats, particularly during the 1950s when the SKP was seen as a potential Soviet proxy. This aligns with Gladio’s broader goal of suppressing leftist movements, as seen in Italy’s “strategy of tension” or Turkey’s Counter-Guerrilla operations. ◦ Unlike Gladio branches in NATO countries, AGAG operated under Sweden’s neutral policy, requiring greater secrecy to avoid violating the 1955 Austrian State Treaty’s principles, which Sweden mirrored in its neutrality stance.

3 Links to Other Gladio Networks: ◦ AGAG’s structure, with military and police involvement, resembles other Gladio branches, such as Portugal’s Aginter Press and France’s Rose des Vents, which also included intelligence and paramilitary elements. Its ties to the Stockholm Defense Shooting Association suggest connections to security personnel, similar to Gladio’s recruitment of trusted operatives. ◦ The alleged involvement of AGAG in the Palme assassination parallels claims of Gladio’s role in political violence elsewhere, such as Italy’s Piazza Fontana bombing or Turkey’s Taksim Square massacre, though evidence in Sweden is less conclusive.

4 Secrecy and Lack of Investigation: ◦ Like most Gladio networks, AGAG operated with minimal oversight, known only to select government and military leaders. Sweden’s refusal to conduct a parliamentary inquiry, unlike Italy, Belgium, or Switzerland, mirrors the secrecy surrounding Austria’s OeWSGV and Spain’s Red Quantum. ◦ The Thule building’s covert infrastructure, with secret entrances and underground passages, facilitated AGAG’s operations, similar to Gladio’s use of discreet facilities across Europe.

5 Controversial Palme Assassination Claims: ◦ Allegations by Anders Jallai and Ulf Lingärde that AGAG orchestrated Palme’s murder on NATO orders are based on its control of the Skandia building and ties to police and military figures in Östersund and Jämtland. These claims, while compelling, rely on circumstantial evidence and lack official corroboration, as noted by historian Mats Deland in Daniele Ganser’s book. ◦ The Palme case remains unsolved, and while AGAG’s potential involvement fits Gladio’s pattern of targeting leftist leaders (e.g., Italy’s Aldo Moro), definitive proof is absent, and mainstream investigations focus on other leads, such as the “police track” or lone gunman theories.

Conclusion

AGAG was a core element of Sweden’s Stay Behind network, integrated into Operation Gladio through CIA and NATO support, despite Sweden’s neutrality. Its role in preparing for Soviet invasion and monitoring communists aligns with Gladio’s objectives, but its alleged involvement in the Palme assassination is highly controversial. Historian Daniele Ganser and Mats Deland emphasize AGAG’s existence but note the lack of archival evidence due to Sweden’s secrecy, contrasting with Italy’s detailed Gladio investigations.

Aktionsgruppen Arla Gryning was Sweden’s clandestine Stay Behind organization, established in the late 1940s to counter Soviet threats and internal communism, operating under CIA and NATO coordination as part of Operation Gladio. Led by Alvar Lindencrona, AGAG trained military, police, and civilian operatives, maintained arms caches, and used the Thule building for covert operations. While its primary role was defensive, allegations of its involvement in Olof Palme’s 1986 assassination are controversial. AGAG’s integration into Gladio, despite Sweden’s neutrality, highlights NATO’s strategic reach into non-aligned states, but its secrecy and lack of investigation obscure its full impact, distinguishing it from more documented Gladio branches like Italy’s.