Column 88
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Column 88 was a neo-nazi paramilitary organization based in the United Kingdom. It was formed in the early 1970s, and disbanded in the early 1980s. The members of Column 88 undertook military training under the supervision of a former Royal Marine Commando, and also held regular gatherings attended by neo-nazis from all over Europe.
In January 1991, Searchlight magazine alleged that Column 88 was part of an alleged European Gladio "stay-behind" network, set up and trained by special forces units (such as the British SAS) to conduct sabotage and assassinations in the event of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. This European-wide underground network is proven to have recruited neo-nazis in Sweden, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other European countries.
References
- Ganser, Daniele: NATO’s Secret Armies. Operation Gladio and Terrorism in Western Europe. (London: Frank Cass, 2005)
External links
- The spy left out in the cold (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/true_spies/2381521.stm), on the site of the BBC