Nexus - 0305 - New Times Magazine-pages

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(Swiss military intelligence), Franz Josef Strauss (German sensational story that the 03 section of the Swedish intelligence Defence Minister, head of the CSU party and Bavarian Premier), service, SAPO, was heavily involved in Palme's assassination, fol- Alfredo Sanchez Bella (head of European Operations for Spain's lowing their fury at his policy of détente towards the Soviet Union Secret Service and closely connected to Opus Dei), Giulio and possibly fearful that he might discover the extent of their Andreotti (former Italian Prime Minister, P2 member and Mafia _ implication in arms sales to Iran. confidant), General Antonio de Spinola (head of the Portuguese Other ‘direct actions’ possibly include a coup d'état in Belgium putschists), Silva Munoz (former Franco minister and senior Opus during 1973, “planned by gendarmerie officers and extreme-right- Dei member), Monsignore Brunello (Vatican prelate and BNG _ wing groups". By no means least were the allegations by France's agent), and Stefano della Chiaie (leading member of P2 and Italy's —_ leading daily, Le Monde, which, in 1978, revealed the activities of Secret Service, SID).’ This list is by no means complete. Cercle member and head of the SDECE intelligence service, Another major aim of The Circle Alexandre de Marenches. Le Monde was to influence West German claimed that de Marenches led a domestic elections to ensure that Franz campaign of terrorism and disinforma- Joseph Strauss, the ultra-right- * tion.” It is fairly apparent that these wing leader of the Christian Social Despite a strong focus on activities were, “designedly", to keep Union Party, became Chancellor of European issues, the Pinay Francois Mitterand from office during the Germany. In the event, Strauss . : 1974 elections. However, with the was defeated, due, it is believed, to Circle was not unaware of the exception of the Langemann papers and effective countermeasures taken by significance of establishing an ISC memo published in Lobster 17, Germany's security and intelli- a: there are no other Cercle documents gence apparatus, the BND and psyops ‘action centres! m North available to confirm these allegations. BfV, whose “operational chiefs do America. Despite a strong focus on European not follow his political lines".'° issues, the Pinay Circle was not unaware However, despite this setback, of the significance of establishing psyops other projects were more success- ‘action centres’ in North America. In ful. During Le Cercle's meeting 1975, the Washington Institute for the held on 28th to 29th June 1980 in Ziirich, Switzerland, discussions Study of Conflict (WISC) was launched under the chairmanship of were focussed around "a series of appropriate measures to pro- George Ball. Characteristically, Ball, one-time Senior Managing mote the electoral campaign of Presidential candidate Reagan Director of the enormous Wall Street international investment against Carter. Elliott reported that, in this context, positive con- bank, Lehman Brothers, and Under Secretary of State (1961-66), tact had been made with George Bush as well.""' was a member of the Trilateral Commission, on the Steering Journalist David Teacher, a keen investigator of Cercle activi- | Committee of the Bilderberg Group, and a member of the Council ties, observes: "It is becoming more and more apparent that the on Foreign Relations. His association with the WISC marks him treatment reserved for Harold Wilson at the hands of the intelli- as a close friend of Le Cercle. Others members of the WISC com- gence services was only the UK end of an international phenome- mittee were Zbigniew Brzezinski and Kermit (not the frog) non. Around 1973-75 a surprising number of governments were Roosevelt of the CIA. Four years later, in 1979, Maurice Tugwell, targeted by their own (or others’) intelligence agencies because of former head of Information Policy, a ‘black propaganda’ unit set their radical policies." He goes on to list a number of known up by British military intelligence in Northern Ireland, formed the "destabilisation" programmes in which Le Cercle is known, or Canadian Centre for Conflict Studies. The CCS largely operates believed, to have been involved: on contract work for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) — the UK: the concerted efforts by elements in the British and the Canadian Department of National Defence, plus others.'* intelligence and securi- a= ty services, with CIA and BOSS", to bring AAC. ka ch a Thorpe ny came THROUGH YET ? — the USA: the CIA's Operation Chaos, the FBI's Cointelpro pro- gramme and, of course, Watergate — Australia: the loans scandal and other destabilisation of Gough Whitlam by the CIA and SIS as sae Wey HAS MY COPY OF = =—=§- Nee KoA CONSPIRACY MONTHLY Y g Z AES —e Yor. COME THROUGH YET 2 < ZY me ¥ ii \\=z WAV inne ae | 7 An additional Cercle tar- get may have been Olaf Palme, Sweden's Prime Minister. In 1987, the lead- ing Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter carried a NEXUS ¢ 13 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1996