Felice Casson
Gladio prosecutor Casson: Parliamentary commission with special powers a must
"Towards the end of the investigation, I received a letter. It said: 'You have come to the door of power. If you try to enter through that door, we do not know what may happen.'
I pushed that door ajar and saw what was inside," Felice Casson says. Thus the famous Italian prosecutor first uncovered the illegal armed network, Gladio.
He stresses that a prosecutor or a judge cannot enter and go it alone. Having served as an example for many prosecutors in other European countries with his historic investigation in Italy, Casson asserts that powerful political support is a must for the success of any fight against illegal networks such as Gladio or Ergenekon. "A parliamentary commission equipped with special powers should be set up. Prosecutors can go up to a point. But this commission can go wherever it wishes if the government is determined," he says.
The prosecutor is now a member of the Italian Senate, but without the support of then-Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, he could not have overcome all the difficulties he faced during the Gladio investigation, including vociferous opposition from the president. In his office in the Senate in Rome, the Italian politician spoke to Today's Zaman about his experiences and the difficulties in his quest to fight Gladio.
For the prosecutor, networks such as Gladio and Ergenekon are only pawns. There are many other illegal networks apart from Gladio in Italy. There is a "power" above that manages all of them, and nobody knows much about this power. Depending on circumstances that change with time, some organizations may be used and wound up, but the "power at the top" continues to assert itself using different means. The prosecutor was even able to jail some generals at the end of the investigation, but wasn't able to touch the whole of the network.
Parliamentary commission with special powers necessary
"For the success of any fight against illegal networks such as Gladio or Ergenekon, prosecutors must be given political support. Government resolve is a decisive factor. When I discovered the first documents which made reference to Gladio, I went to visit the prime minister at the time, Andreotti, and said: 'I have found these documents. Will you help me get access to other evidence so I can proceed with the investigation?' The prime minister said yes, but others, such as the president, said no. He confronted me, saying that Gladio was an organization established with the cooperation of our American friends against Russia. He strongly and openly attacked me. At this point, the political will of the government helped me a lot. The political issue is the primary one.
"First of all, an investigation should be conducted to reveal the actions and members of the network. But, to go further, there should a parliamentary commission like the Italian Commissione Stragi (Bloodshed Committee). An investigative commission equipped with the power and authority of prosecutors could be established. Such a commission is necessary when prosecutors experience difficulties in ascertaining the truth or when members of the Mafia, terrorists or secret services are involved. The commission we set up with extensive powers and authorities in Italy carried out important investigations into the Propaganda Due (P2) Masonic Lodge -- involved in illegal operations throughout Italy including nationwide bribery scandals -- and the Bologna massacre and provided us with important information.
"We worked together and in parallel with each other. Setting up a parliamentary commission with special powers is considerably important in the fight against illegal organizations. If there is political support, a parliamentary commission can conduct an in-depth investigation. But if the government does not know what it should do, or if there is no political support, this is very difficult to do."
Marriott Islamabad 2008 (US military bomb, no truck bomb would leave such a crater)
President opposed it
"Gladio was an issue that divided Italian society. There were big disagreements between Prime Minister Andreotti and President Francesco Cossiga, who were both from the same party, the Christian Democrats. The prime minister ensured that I could enter the secret service archives. The investigation sparked arguments in the government and within political parties. Some government ministers gave their support while others opposed it. The president had been involved with the organization since the 1960s. The prime minister supported the Gladio investigation, but Cossiga tried to prevent it. Eventually, the Italian Supreme Council of the Judiciary stepped in against the inventions. The Communists and Socialists backed the investigation. Similarly, media organizations were split over the issue. In general, right-wing papers defended Gladio as an organization, a legacy of the past, established to protect Italy from communists. However, we showed that it was used to control politics, trade unions and opposition political parties.
"During the investigation, the biggest difficulty for me was to identify the international links to Gladio. For a prosecutor, it is considerably difficult to obtain information about these connections. It had contacts with the intelligence agencies of NATO member countries and many other countries. It even had contacts in Turkey. Cooperative military training was held with the participation of Gladio members from different countries.
"I could not investigate its reach into other countries. I demanded this, but it was not possible. Doors were shut tight. I requested help from the Italian government and one of our intelligence organizations, but they said this was not possible because these were secret documents. However, the documents I found in the archives of the Italian military services were more than enough for our investigation concerning Italy. But these were not sufficient for us to look outside Italy."
Gladio investigation barred with time limit
"Gladio was a network established by NATO and the intelligence agencies of some countries. Officially, the Italian government knew nothing about it. There were presidents, prime ministers and defense ministers who had heard nothing about Gladio. The intelligence chiefs would select the politicians who would be briefed about it. Until I launched an investigation, the Italian parliament, too, knew nothing. It was established to fight against communism, but it was used against opponents and rivals inside.
1980 Bologna Train station bomb
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bologna_massacre
"The investigation could identify the people involved in Gladio back to 1972. Some of them had died, but some were alive. I discovered everyone who was responsible for the Peteano massacre in 1972: three terrorists, a gendarmerie general, a colonel, a marshal, intelligence and police chiefs and members of the judiciary. All of them were found guilty and punished; however, the court did not put the organization itself on trial, although it agreed that Gladio had been involved. In the end, only those who were involved in the acts were punished, but not the organization. Moreover, we could identify only 622 'gladiators.' But the real number is much higher. The rest went into hiding."
Did it completely collapse?
"Until the investigation, Gladio was an active organization. Then, it is said that it was uprooted thanks to Andreotti's measures. But I don't think it was fully destroyed. It may be operating with a different structure.
Marriott Islamabad 2008 (US military bomb, no truck bomb would leave such a crater)
"Gladio was not the only illegal underground organization in Italy. There was also the Avanguardia Nazionale (National Vanguard) and the P2 Masonic Lodge and many other networks which were working parallel to Gladio. Gladio was not the supreme organization that was controlling all of them. It was only one of them. There is an entity above them that manages all of them. But people in the organizations who are towards the bottom know nothing about it. They have no idea about the high-level connections.
"What is important is to properly understand the targets. What does Ergenekon want? What is the purpose? Gladio was only a part of a greater whole. The strategy of creating tension was the overarching aim. Gladio was only a tool to achieve this goal. Strategy is a different thing. It is formulated by the top chiefs. The idea in Italy, and internationally, was to create tension and maintain a hold on power. The strategy changed over time. In the 1960s, there were military coup attempts. Then, the international situation changed, and in the late 1970s, their strategy started to change. Violent military coup attempts were abandoned. Instead, they tried to take control of state organs, for instance, by using the P2 Masonic Lodge. They tried to infiltrate public institutions in a much more dangerous manner. There was no violence, but this time, many members of the organization were able to penetrate deep into the state. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, the political environment changed completely. There was no need to maintain these secret organizations for the benefit of Italy. Their enemies changed. Similarly, they had to change their strategy, and new ideas were formulated. We were able to eliminate Gladio, but there must be other networks.
"As a result of this investigation, I am convinced that economic and financial powers are more important than political ones. We do not know the number one who controls these clandestine networks. We should look into economic and financial powers. It is not easy to say much about it. Perhaps, this is not what a prosecutor can talk about. If there is an offense, it can be investigated as a criminal case.
"This is a problem seen in all big cooperative efforts in the world, such as the West working with the East. It goes beyond borders. A prosecutor cannot extend his investigation there. There is a power at the top, and it has its interests. We still discuss Gladio in Italy, but it is hard to come to a conclusion."
'I saw the power at the top'
"I saw the power at the top controlling everything. Towards the end of the investigation, I received a letter. It said: 'You have come to the door of power. If you try to enter through that door, we do not know what may happen.' Even if we could see something, this would only represent part of the whole. This power is much greater. I pushed that door ajar and saw what was inside. But I did not have time to go to the end. There was a power behind that door. But you cannot see the people who individually represent it. I don't think a prosecutor or a judge can enter through that door because they need evidence or proof of acts or offenses. But offenses can be tools. It is difficult for a judge to have access to what is behind that door because he has to act in reliance with concrete evidence at all times. Things are complicated inside. Perhaps a parliamentary commission may be useful in order to understand the goal and phenomena."
What changed in Italy after the Gladio investigation?
"At least two important things. Firstly, we were able to identify the people who were behind the massacres and criminal activity. Secondly, we were able to eliminate an illegal network that was a threat to democratic society. Last year, we were able to reform our intelligence service, which was operating under a law drafted 30 years ago. We completely overhauled the provisions concerning state secrets and cooperation with illegal or terrorist organizations. Previously, state secrets could almost never be disclosed. Now, we have introduced a democratic control mechanism for intelligence organizations. Parliament obtained the right to control them through a commission on state secrets and intelligence organizations."
Concentrate on Ergenekon's purpose
"I am monitoring developments in the Ergenekon investigation. It seems it is a bit different from Gladio in its organization. I think what the hardest part for Turkey will be is learning about everything that happened in the past. A single commission will not be sufficient to find this out. The important thing is to understand what its purpose is. What was Ergenekon after? What was the purpose? The source of the problem must be discovered. When I was investigating the Italian secret service archives, I came across contacts in Turkey as well.
"Turkey has its own unique situation. The political, economic and cultural structure of Italy is simpler. Turkey has much more complicated problems. It has an issue with nationalism. There is also an issue with religion. We have the pope, but this is a completely different thing. Turkey is a crossroads. It is important for Europe and the Middle East, not only today, but it was in the past as well."
12 November 2008, Wednesday
ALI. I.HSAN AYDIN ROME
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=158432
The Bologna massacre (Italian: Strage di Bologna) was a terrorist bombing at the Central Station of Bologna, Italy on the morning of August 2, 1980, which killed 85 people and wounded more than 200. Blame for the attacks was placed on the neo-fascist terrorist organization Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari, while two — and one former — members of the Italian military intelligence agency (SISMI) and Licio Gelli were charged with investigative diversion.
2 August is designated in Italy as a memorial day for all terrorist massacres. The municipality of Bologna together with the Associazione tra i famigliari delle vittime della strage alla stazione di Bologna del 2 agosto 1980 organize every year an international composing competition that ends with a concert in the town's main square, Piazza Maggiore.
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MADRID bombing:
http://www.youtube.com/v/4gy8yXu8u8Q&hl=es&fs=1
After years of police and prosecutors enquiries, after a trial lasting 4 months and a 700 pages sentence, we still do not know who planned, organized and carried out the Madrid terrorist attacks.
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not to speak of 9/11!!
No steel frame buildings had ever before in history collapsed either from fires or planes hitting them. They are designed to withstand those hazards. On 9/11 three of them fell, and fell perfectly straight down. Why do you think demolition experts spend weeks planting charges and timing the explosions with millisecond precision? To make sure the buildings implode and fall straight down, just as the three WTC towers did. That perfection does not happen by accident. Further, the timing of the falls are indicative of linear controlled demolitions, not accelerating natural gravitational collapse.
The hole in the side of the Pentagon is far too small for Boeing 757 flight 77 to pass through. The wingspan is 124 feet with a fuselage diameter of 13 feet. It is 44 feet from ground to the top of the tail. There was almost no debris, no bodies, no blood, no body parts, no baggage, no wreckage typical of a 757 plane crash, and of course no sheared off wings.
There were all manner of war games in progress on 9/11 some simulating a 9/11 style attack. This deflected most of the airforce out west. It further confused air traffic controllers who had to deal with insertions (fake planes for the war games on their radars). No body was really sure if the attacks were real or part of the game. No cave-dwelling terrorists could have arranged so convenient a distraction. The Pentagon publicly admitted this many times, including when Representative Cynthia McKinney grilled Donald Rumsfeld on C-Span 2005-03-24. transcript
LISTEN/WATCH:
The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions
David Ray Griffin in University of Wisconsin in Madison. Includes Q&A.
Bush used 9/11 as a pretext to invade Afghanistan, even though Saudis ostensibly committed the deed. He then installed ex-Unocal men to run the country. They built a pipeline for Unocal and raised trillions by restarting the opium trade.
Bush used 9/11 as a pretext to invade Iraq even though he later admitted the two had no connection.
Bush used 9/11 as a pretext for the Patriot Act to nullify important constitutional rights such as habeas corpus, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
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Former Italian President and the man who revealed the existence of Operation Gladio Francesco Cossiga has gone public on 9/11, telling Italy's most respected newspaper that the attacks were run by the CIA and Mossad and that this was common knowledge amongst global intelligence agencies.
Cossiga was elected President of the Italian Senate in July 1983 before winning a landslide 1985 election to become President of the country in 1985.
Cossiga gained respect from opposition parties as one of a rare breed - an honest politician - and led the country for seven years until April 1992.
Cossiga's tendency to be outspoken upset the Italian political establishment and he was forced to resign after revealing the existence of, and his part in setting up, Operation Gladio - a rogue intelligence network under NATO auspices that carried out bombings across Europe in the 60's, 70's and 80's.
Gladio's specialty was to carry out what they coined "false flag operations," terror attacks that were blamed on their domestic and geopolitical opposition.
Cossiga's revelations contributed to an Italian parliamentary investigation of Gladio in 2000, during which evidence was unearthed that the attacks were being overseen by the U.S. intelligence apparatus.
In March 2001, Gladio agent Vincenzo Vinciguerra stated, in sworn testimony, "You had to attack civilians, the people, women, children, innocent people, unknown people far removed from any political game. The reason was quite simple: to force ... the public to turn to the state to ask for greater security."
Cossiga's new revelations appeared last week in Italy's oldest and most widely read newspaper, Corriere della Sera. Below appears a rough translation.
"[Bin Laden supposedly confessed] to the Qaeda September [attack] to the two towers in New York [claiming to be] the author of the attack of the 11, while all the [intelligence services] of America and Europe ... now know well that the disastrous attack has been planned and realized from the CIA American and the Mossad.... in order to put under accusation the Arabic Countries and in order to induce the western powers to take part ... in Iraq [and] Afghanistan."
Cossiga first expressed his doubts about 9/11 in 2001, and is quoted in Webster Tarpley's book as stating that "The mastermind of the attack must have been a "sophisticated mind, provided with ample means not only to recruit fanatic kamikazes, but also highly specialized personnel. I add one thing: it could not be accomplished without infiltrations in the radar and flight security personnel."
Coming from a widely respected former head of state, Cossiga's assertion that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job and that this is common knowledge amongst global intelligence agencies is highly unlikely to be mentioned by any establishment media outlets, because like the hundreds of other sober ex-government, military, air force professionals, allied to hundreds more professors and intellectuals - he can't be sidelined as a crackpot conspiracy theorist.
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