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on the broader political issues, being careful to keep well away (b) in West Germany—to defend freedom of trade and from ‘direct actions’. Le Cercle has a much more ‘hands-on’ role. of movement and to oppose all forms of subversion Interestingly, its membership is more heavily composed of serving including terrorism.‘ or former members of various intelligence services, senior military In another secret memorandum dated 8th November 1979 and officers as well as politicians, bankers and VIPs with right-wing addressed "Personal, for the state minister only", Langemann connections. Le Cercle was unknown until 1,500 internal docu- _ notes that "Crozier worked with the CIA for years." He con- ments of the rightist (and Cercle-funded) Institute for the Study of cludes, therefore, "that they are fully aware of his activities", and Conflict were leaked to Time Out magazine in 1975. goes on to observe that Crozier “has extensive connections with Subsequently, the documents have gone missing. At the time, the | members, or, more accurately, former members of the most impor- ISC was headed by CIA agent and tant westem security and intelligence ser- Cercle Chairman, Brian Crozier, vices". Further on he advises that Crozier, h heavily i Ived i * gs togethi ith “Dickie” Franks, Direct another covert action prvcriywenia Le Cercle has intimate of Britain's SIS, and Nicholas Blliott, a simply as "The 61".5 connections with a host of senior department head in MI6, “were Unknown to Crozier, Hans von 4 + + AWN: recently invited to Chequers (the country Machtenburg (a pseudonym), a interlocking right sas! outfits home of the incumbent Prime Minister; in senior intelligence official of including Heritage Foundation, this case, Margaret Thatcher) for a work- Germany's intelligence service, Freedom Association, ing meeting.” Langemann continues: "It BND, and a member of Crozier's “at 4 ‘ must therefore be concluded that MI6 is "61", had been exchanging full Bilderbergers, Propaganda Due fully aware of, if not indeed one of the reports on Crozier's secret get- | (P2), Opus Dei, the Moonies and main sponsors of” Crozier's "diverse cir- togethers with Hans Langemann, : + cle of friends in international politics." formerly a senior-ranking officer the Jonathan Institute. Additional subjects a in the of Germany's BND and latterly Langemann papers include the "involve- head of Bavarian State Security. ment of the main intelligence and security In a fit of depression, Langemann blew the whistle on anumberoi —_ agencies both as information sources and as recipients for infor- alarming and sinister conspiracies to the left-wing German glossy mation in these institutions", as well as "undercover financial magazine Kronket. Soon the story was picked up and featured by _ transactions for political aims" that would be utilised by conduct- Der Spiegel. One of Langemann's more sensational reports, dated —_ing "international campaigns aiming to discredit hostile personali- 1979, states: ties or events", the "creation of a (private) intelligence service spe- Specific aims within this framework are to effect a change cialising according to a selective point of view", and the "estab- of government lishment of offices under suitable cover, each run by a coordinator (a) in the United Kingdom—accomplished from the central office. Current plans cover London, Washington, Paris, Munich and Madrid." The plans also called for "pro- vision of contributions by certain well-known journalists in Britain, the US and other countries" and the organisation of "public demonstrations in particular areas on themes to be decided and sclected."” Le Cercle and its Chairman, Crozier, clearly had lined up a whole strategy of political 'actions' that were not only known about, but approved by the Western intelligence community in addition to leading political figures, includ- ing Prime Minister Thatcher and US presidential candidate Reagan. In his autobiography, Crozier regales us with his repeat visits to the White House to meet senior administration fig- ures. In 1980 he flew to California to meet Reagan and "brief him" on his network and offer his services when he became President. Crozier stayed in close touch during the election with William Casey, Reagan's campaign chief who was later appointed DCI of the Central Intelligence Agency. After Reagan's election victory he appointed Californian friend William A. Wilson to act as a his liaison with Le Cercle and the related "61" group.* Le Cercle has intimate connections with a host of inter- locking right-wing outfits including WACL, the Heritage Foundation, Western Goals, ISC, Freedom Association, Interdoc, the Bilderbergers, Italy's Propaganda Due (P2), Opus Dei, the Moonies and the Jonathan Institute. Many of these are funded fully or in part by the American Central Intelligence Agency. Members have included Nicholas Elliott (British SIS/MI6 dept. head), the CIA's (ex) Director of Central Intelligence, William Colby, Colonel Botta The 1975 dismissal of Australia's Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam (left), may have been engineered by operatives within the Pinay Circle. 12 «© NEXUS AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1996