Gladio (Belgium)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: |
no
|
| PGM ID Number: |
4
|
| Country: |
Belgium |
| Date formed: |
Jan. 1, 1950 |
| Accuracy of date formed: |
year
|
| Details of Formation: |
Since 1947, the US was directing the construction of a clandestine Gladio network in Italy, and then in other European countries. In 1950 the Belgian Gladio was set up with the help of the CIA and British Agents. |
| Date dissolved: |
Nov. 23, 1990 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: |
year
|
| Details of Termination: |
In the 1990s the existence of Gladio networks in Europe was discovered. Belgium carried out parliamentary investigations (Wikipedia). It became, alongside Switzerland, the latest European nation to scrap the Gladio network. |
| Termination Type(s): |
none
|
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): |
none
|
| Successor group(s): |
none
|
| Private Military Company? |
no |
| Former Group? |
no |
| Former Armed Group? |
no information |
| Former Rebel Group? |
no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: |
none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? |
no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: |
none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: |
unclear (type 1 or 2) |
| Created by the Government?: |
yes |
Main Creating Government Institution: |
person/minister
|
| Government Link(s): |
state (institution)
|
| If link to party, name of party: |
|
| Training and Equipment: |
no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: |
yes |
| Shared Personnel: |
no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: |
no information
|
| State Sponsor(s): |
United States; United Kingdom
|
| Other Connection(s): |
NATO |
Group Characteristics
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: |
not applicable
|
| Ethnic Membership: |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: |
not applicable
|
| Ethnic Purpose: |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: |
not applicable
|
Other Information
| Other Information: |
Operation Gladio is the name for a clandestine NATO “stay-behind” operation in Italy during the Cold War. “Operation Gladio” is also used as an informal name for similar units in other European nations. In Belgium, the secret unit was code-named SDRA8 (Wikipedia). The Allied Cooperation committee (representatives of all countries and Gladio networks) met in Brussels. Belgian Gladio was linked to terrorist attacks in the 1980s – but not specific information is available. The network of groups may have some semi-official status within the intelligence community. But this status is not recognized. The groups were hidden even from some domestic governments and prime ministers. They were ultimately answerable to NATO-CIA rather than domestic governments in event of attack by Warsaw Pact. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: |
Gladio’s purpose was to prepare for, and implement, a guerilla war and armed resistance in the event of a Warsaw Pact invasion and conquest (Wikipedia). |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use |
unknown
|
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: |
|
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: |
unknown
|
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? |
no information |
| PGM Members Paid? |
no information |
| Reasons for Membership: |
|
| PGM Members Killed? |
no information |
PGM Size
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: |
Gladio members trained together with US Green Berets and British Special Air Service (SAS). They were equipped with underground arms-caches. (Wikipedia) |
Organisation
| Organisation: |
Gladio was coordinated by NATO and run by the military secret service in close cooperation with the CIA and British MI6 (Wikipedia). Gladio was ultimately answerable to the NATO-CIA command and could initiate anti-communist operations by themselves, although they needed sanction and funds from the existing “official” Gladio column. In Belgium, the only elected representatives who knew about its existence were the prime ministers and defence ministers. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Wikipedia. “Operation Gladio”. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Gladio&oldid=744766573
Evidence
