Resea/Review Marcos Ferreira Navarro Graduado en Historia por la Universidad de Len.

Estudiante por la Universidad Nova de Lisboa y la Universidad de Granada. G N!ER" #aniele" N $%&! !ecrets r'ies( operation Gladio and terroris' in

)estern Europe" Londres( New *or+" Fran+ ,lass" -../0. 1t 2as passed al'ost ten years since #aniel Ganser publis2ed 2is boo+s about t2e activity o3 t2e secrets ar'ies o3 N $% in )estern Europe durin4 t2e ,old )ar period. 5er2aps 3or ot2er topic" it would not 'a+e sense to write a review about a boo+ w2ic2 was written nine years a4o" but t2is is not t2e case. $2e parallel ar'ies o3 N $% is an ill +nown topic about t2ere are 6ust a 3ew investi4ations. ctually" one o3 t2e 'ain resources about t2e topic is 7still8 t2e docu'entary created by llan Francovic2 t2at was released in 099-. 1n t2is sense" t2e boo+ o3 Ganser is" so 3ar" t2e best investi4ation t2at 2as been done about t2e secrets ar'ies o3 N $%. $2e 3irst t2in4 t2at 2as to be pointed out is t2at t2e investi4ation o3 t2e swiss investi4ator was done 'ainly t2rou42t secondary sources. $2is is nor'al because since t2e discover o3 t2e stay:be2ind ar'ies in )estern Europe" t2e 4over'ents o3 t2oses countries involved 2ave been avoidin4 to o33er in3or'ation about. Furt2e'ore" 6ust t2re countries o3 a total o3 seventeen 71taly" ;el4iu' and !wit<erland8 decided to carry out an investi4ation about t2is topic. nd in all o3 cases" t2ese researc2es o33ered ver li'ited in3or'ation about w2ar occured" 2ow occurred and w2ic2 countries and w2o personalities were t2e +ey 3i4ures in all t2is stay:be2ind terrotist apparatus. $2us" t2ere are 6ust a 3ew ori4inal docu'ents about t2e scandal" w2ereupon" t2e 'ain in3or'ation co'e 3ro' secondary sources suc2 as newspaper articles or testi'onies o3 witness o3 t2e operation.
0 E=iste una versin en espaol editada por el >ie6o $opo y puesta en el 'ercado en el ao -.0.. Vid. G N!ER" #aniele" Los Ejrcitos secretos de la OTAN: La Operacin Gladio y el terrorismo en Europa occidental, Matar" Espaa" -.0..

)2at was t2e N $%&! !ecret r'ies? $2e secret ar'ies o3 N $% was a parallel and ile4al structure constructed s2ort a3ter t2e end o3 te )orld )ar 11 in order to 2ave ready and para'ilitary or4ani<ation t2at could resist in t2e case o3 an !oviet sponsored invasion over )estern Europe. !ponsored" wit2 'oney" ar's" and ot2er +ind o3 resources" by ,1 and M1@ 7!ecret 1ntelli4ence !ervice8" t2oses ar'ies ustria" !weden or !pain. 1n addition" t2oses were installed around t2e )estern Europe" even in countries t2at did not 3or' part o3 t2e N $% by t2at ti'e suc2 as ar'ies w2ere co'posed by 3ar ri42t win4 supporters and driven by t2e secret services o3 t2oses countries w2ere t2e ar'ies were set. %nce t2e )estern powers reali<ed t2at t2e aut2orities o3 !oviet Union were 'ore worried o3 protect and secure t2eir in3luence <one in Eastern Europe" t2e tar4ets o3 t2e !ecret ar'ies were 'odi3ied. $2e co''on ene'y was still t2e sa'e 7t2e co''unis'8 but t2e speci3ics ene'ies were t2e co''unist 7and in so'e cases even social:de'ocrats8 parties in )estern Europe.

$2us" durin4 t2e entire ,old )ar" t2ose parties or a4rupations w2ic2 de3ended t2e le3tist ideas w2ere c2asin4 by t2e secret and order servicies and 3ar ri42t or4ani<ations t2at acted in collaboration wit2 t2ose services in a dirty war. $2is dirty war en4lobed acts o3 seAuesters" terroris' or +illin4s perpetrated a4ainst i'portant 3i4ures o3 t2e le3t. not2er i'portant strate4y 3ollowed by t2ese ile4al ar'ies was t2e Fa+e Fla4 attac+. 1n ot2er words" t2e 3ar ri42t or4ani<ations" wit2 t2e support and direct collaboration wit2 t2e secret and order servicies o3 )estern countries" attac+ed in public spaces suc2 as train station or sAuares" in order to acco'plis2 a 4reat 'asscre and t2en" put t2e bla'e into t2e le3t or4ani<ations wit2 t2e 3inal ob6ective to turn t2e public opinion a4ainst t2e le3tist ideas" or4ani<ations and i'portant le3tist personalities. $2is state4y was carried out in all t2e )estern european countries. Nevert2eless" was in 1taly and in France w2ere t2e secre war reac2ed its 'a=i'ul level. $2e reason o3 t2at was si'ple. Eit2er in

1taly or in France" t2eir co''unis parties 75artito ,o'unista 1taliano and 5arti ,o''uniste FranBais 8 2ad a e=tended base o3 support because t2e leadin4 role t2at bot2 parties 2ad in order to or4ani<e and construct t2e resitance to t2e Fascis' durin4 t2e 11 )orld )ar. $2e 5,F" but especially' t2e 5,1 supposed a real dan4er to t2e social" political and econo'ic establis2'ent o3 France and 1taly because t2ere were real c2ances t2at t2ey could accede to t2e power t2rou42t t2e rules o3 t2e liberal #e'ocracy" so'et2in4 t2at t2e econo'ic and political elites 3ro' EEUU" 1taly and France and ot2er )estern 5owers could not per'it. services o3 1taly and France" wit2 t2e aid o3 M1@ and ,1 under'ine and cri'inali<e t2e le3tist ideas and 'ove'ent. 1n s2ort" t2e read o3 t2e boo+ written o3 #aniele Ganser will provide t2e lector wit2 a dar+ but i'portant operation carried out inside t2e bi4 picture o3 t2e ,old )ar. 1n addition" also t2e lector could 2ave t2e c2ance to re3lect about t2e 2ypocrisy and double 'oral o3 t2e policy 'a+ers o3 t2e )estern powers. Meanw2ile t2ey are leadin4 7a3ter t2e attac+ reali<ed by l:Caeda in t2e 00st o3 !epte'bre -..08 a crusade a4ainst t2e terroris'" at t2e sa'e ti'e" t2ey do not per'it to investi4ate deeply t2e terrorist carried out by t2e'. 5er2aps" a3terall" t2e ;N# 7!ecret !ervice o3 Federal Republic o3 Ger'any8 and ot2er )estern secret servicies were 'uc2 'ore si'ilar t2an t2e evil and 2orri3ic !tasi 7!ecret !ervice o3 #e'ocratic Ger'an Republic8 and t2eir Eastern counterparts. nd t2us" wit2 t2e collaboration o3 3ar ri42t para'ilitary 4roups" t2e secret and order and wit2 t2e coordination o3 N $%" t2e secrets ar'ies were able to carried out acts to