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Philip Willan

Puppetmasters: The Political Use of Terrorism in Italy Paperback – October 7, 2002

by Philip Willan (Author)

4.4 28 ratings

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The CIA has been accused of a massive intelligence failure in the run-up to the 9/11 attacks -- the result, it is said, of a moralistic and bureaucratic approach to information-gathering. But the CIA's spies had few qualms when it came to cultivating terrorist organisations and interfering in the internal politics of Cold War Italy. Puppetmasters reveals how US intelligence services exploited the P2 masonic lodge to prop up friendly Christian Democrat-dominated governments and counter the growing political influence of the Italian Communist Party. It was a ruthless strategy involving coup plots, right wing terrorist bombings and the manipulation of the Red Brigades. And it gave Italy one of the bloodiest and most protracted periods of terrorist violence ever seen in a modern, industrialised society.

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Print length

374 pages
Language

English
Publisher

iUniverse
Publication date

October 7, 2002
Dimensions

6 x 0.94 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0595246974
ISBN-13

978-0595246977
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NATO's Secret Armies: Operation GLADIO and Terrorism in Western Europe (Contemporary Security Studies)
Ganser Daniele

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misterbargain
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2015
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Must read.

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Robert Couteau
The reality of state-sponsored terror
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2019
Meticulously researched, replete with original interviews and in-depth information, and written in a lively, engaging fashion, Puppetmasters is a groundbreaking book that continues to provide a wellspring of information for subsequent works in the field, such as Daniele Ganser's excellent study, NATO's Secret Armies. Gladio was a secret organization created by NATO and largely coordinated by the CIA in post-WWII Europe that, among other things, staged acts of terrorism that killed innocent civilians, including women and children, and then tried to blame leftists for these despicable acts. When Gladio was finally exposed it was reported in all the major European press, but the American press remained silent except for one small story in the Washington Post that was filled with disinformation. Highly recommended.

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2 people found this helpful

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Luc REYNAERT
A deadly strategy of tension
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2006
Philip Willan analyzes remarkably and profoundly the violent activities of left- and right-wing terrorist groups in Italy in the 2nd half of the 20th century.

He unveils a monster conspiracy between the Italian secret services, the CIA, the FBI, NATO (Gladio netword), the Mafia, the Catholic Church, conservative Italian politicians and freemasonry against the left.

They created a strategy of tension designed to prevent the Italian communist party from taking power or to become a government partner (Italy was a key NATO member).

One of the main means in this strategy was the infiltration of extreme left-wing movements. After the leaders of the Red Brigades were put in prison, the movement became totally controlled by governmental intelligence services. Bombings with indiscriminate killings of innocent civilian were blamed on the left in order to discredit left-wing parties, create fear among the population and concomitantly support the right-wing parties.

The most blatant sign of the collusion of the different players involved was the kidnapping and the murder of the Italian politician Aldo Moro by the Red Brigades. Also Moro tried to forge a center-left government with the communists.

A key player in the strategy of fear was the infamous freemason lodge P2 and its venerable Master Licio Gelli, who attended as an honorary guest the inaugural ceremonies of the presidents Ford, Carter and Reagan. He was also implicated in the Lockheed bribery scandal.

The author states that American lodges were set up for every NATO base.

The main culprits in the deadly strategy were the Italian secret services. But, as the author rightly states, `they needed the endorsement of NATO and NATO's most powerful member. He stresses the 'ignoble' role of the US government: `the responsibility of what happened as a result of the strategy of tension rests with the US.'

Ultimately, this book shows the limited sovereignty of a NATO member State, which in fact was run by its secret services. The US even concocted to install a `Greek colonels regime' in Italy.

This depressing story of (in)discrimate killings and a vast number of mysterious deaths is extremely revealing for the kind of democracy we live in: `if you don't vote as we like, you will pay the price.'

This book is a must read for all supporters of real democracy.

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16 people found this helpful

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eliza hamilton
an acclaimed historical account that would be of general interest to informed readers interested in italy
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2013
the puppetmasters could be the willan magnum opus. he is knowledgeable, diligent, comprehensive. and even had i never made his acquaintance, i would have to say that the book has an unconscious wit and charm that add interest for the general reader. it could only be enthusiastically recommended for both specialists and general readers having an interest in the darker side of 20th century italian politics and parapolitics, and in american involvement therein.

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2 people found this helpful

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D3042
Even more valuable today.
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2002
Begin with Puppetmasters if you suspect that al Qaeda must have had help to accomplish the Sept. 11 attacks and seek examples of how U.S. intelligence agencies have manipulated terrorists.
Throughout the 70's and halfway into the 80's, the United States and right-wing factions within Italy conducted a war of terror in the name of Communism that was designed to arouse public sentiment against the Italian Communist Party. Willan documents that they did it, and how. In doing so, Puppetmasters, which was first published in 1991, reveals to the contemporary reader the ease with which the same tactics could have been used in September 2001 in order to mobilize political support for a weak U.S. president, a right-wing social agenda, and military adventures into far away lands.
The Italian experience with terrorism was astonishingly similar to what we have experienced since Sept. 11. Authorities on the peninsula found themselves blocked and hindered in their efforts to stop terrorism and then to convict terrorists once apprehended. Similarly, the failure to apprehend any accomplices to the Sept. 11 terrorists, the lack of progress on finding those who mailed anthrax letters to congress and the media, and the persistent failure to catch a sniper who terrorized the nation's political capital at the height of the 2002 congressional elections, all raise suspicions that we're not getting to the truth about the War on Terrorism. Puppetmasters may present part of the answer.
Although it details the "years of lead" during which Italy suffered through thousands of terror attacks, the book clearly has important lessons for today. It is an excellent starting point for those wishing to understand how al Qaeda could be receiving assistance from those in government to accomplish their far-flung plots.

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antonio pirozzi
Ben documentato e da leggere
Reviewed in Italy on September 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
Molto ben supportato da precisi riferimenti documentali. I contenuti sono chiaramente illustrati e le relative implicazioni storiche, politiche etiche e morali restano sul tavolo di discussione. Tuttavia, queste lasciano sgomenti circa il ruolo dei servizi segreti italiani e stranieri, NATO inclusa, giocato durante il periodo della seconda metá del secolo scorso. Niente assicura che i tempi attuali siano diversi.
Unico difetto del libro é il frequente utilizzo di espressioni idiomatiche che pur rendendo la lettura niente affatto noiosa possono renderla in qualche punto non immediatamente comprensibile. Un libro da leggere, soprattutto per le giovani generazioni.

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Luc REYNAERT
A deadly strategy of tension
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 30, 2006
Verified Purchase
Philip Willan analyzes remarkably and profoundly the violent activities of left- and right-wing terrorist groups in Italy in the 2nd half of the 20th century.

He unveils a monster conspiracy between the Italian secret services, the CIA, the FBI, NATO (Gladio netword), the Mafia, the Catholic Church, conservative Italian politicians and freemasonry against the left.

They created a strategy of tension designed to prevent the Italian communist party from taking power or to become a government partner (Italy was a key NATO member).

One of the main means in this strategy was the infiltration of extreme left-wing movements. After the leaders of the Red Brigades were put in prison, the movement became totally controlled by governmental intelligence services. Bombings with indiscriminate killings of innocent civilian were blamed on the left in order to discredit left-wing parties, create fear among the population and concomitantly support the right-wing parties.

The most blatant sign of the collusion of the different players involved was the kidnapping and the murder of the Italian politician Aldo Moro by the Red Brigades. Also Moro tried to forge a center-left government with the communists.

A key player in the strategy of fear was the infamous freemason lodge P2 and its venerable Master Licio Gelli, who attended as an honorary guest the inaugural ceremonies of the presidents Ford, Carter and Reagan. He was also implicated in the Lockheed bribery scandal.

The author states that American lodges were set up for every NATO base.

The main culprits in the deadly strategy were the Italian secret services. But, as the author rightly states, `they needed the endorsement of NATO and NATO's most powerful member. He stresses the 'ignoble' role of the US government: `the responsibility of what happened as a result of the strategy of tension rests with the US.'

Ultimately, this book shows the limited sovereignty of a NATO member State, which in fact was run by its secret services. The US even concocted to install a `Greek colonels regime' in Italy.

This depressing story of (in)discrimate killings and a vast number of mysterious deaths is extremely revealing for the kind of democracy we live in: `if you don't vote as we like, you will pay the price.'

This book is a must read for all supporters of real democracy.

Read more
Report

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