Just Another Salisbury Tourist
Posted 09 November 2019 - 0219 AM
Thanks very much for that Hans.
There is a lot here I didnt know, for example the idea that it had a counter subversion role was entirely new to me. I guess that pretty much came to pass in Italy as we saw.
As its Berlin Wall day, its worth flagging up this podcast on Cold War Conversations about Checkpoint Charlie. The bit about the Commander British Forces Berlin giving protection to the Soviets soldiers is strangely moving.
https://coldwarconversations.com/
Crew
Posted 09 November 2019 - 1640 PM
I did not pick up on the counter-subversion rol; was that in the podcast?
There was no counter-subversive role for O&I (as far as we know, one should always add in matters like these), but it seems unlikely given what is now known. But in Italy and Belgium, and to some extent in West Germany I believe, there were and are suspicions that their SBO's were linked to far-right terrorism (taking "anti-subversive" to a whole new level). This is how Gladio, being the first SBO to be uncloaked, gave the whole of the SBO concept a bad name — and in some cases rightly so, it seems.
Just Another Salisbury Tourist
Posted 10 December 2019 - 0509 AM
I did not pick up on the counter-subversion rol; was that in the podcast?
There was no counter-subversive role for O&I (as far as we know, one should always add in matters like these), but it seems unlikely given what is now known. But in Italy and Belgium, and to some extent in West Germany I believe, there were and are suspicions that their SBO's were linked to far-right terrorism (taking "anti-subversive" to a whole new level). This is how Gladio, being the first SBO to be uncloaked, gave the whole of the SBO concept a bad name — and in some cases rightly so, it seems.
Sorry Hans, I didnt notice this at the time.
Yeah, it refers to the CIA undertaking the original brief for stay behind parties as not only for fighting against invasions, but also had in mind countering a Czechoslovak style subversion campaign. Ive no idea how much stock they put on that post the take over of the organizations by NATO, but clearly there does seem to have been a use to that end in italy. Its been a while since I listened to it, but im sure its in there, I think its early on where they are talking about the CIA.
Here is an interesting one, our own Ken Katz talks with the fighter pilot podcast on the B52 bomber.
https://www.fighterp...mbermonth/#b-52
Sorry Ken, I had absolutely no idea how highly qualified you are. 
Edited by Stuart Galbraith, 10 December 2019 - 0514 AM.
