Italy to declassify "Years of Lead" secret documents

[The Larch]

Italy to declassify documents on 'Years of lead' violence

(Reuters) - Italy will declassify secret documents about terrorist bombings between the 1960s and 1980s during a period known as the "Years of lead", the government announced on Tuesday.

The ultra-leftwing Red Brigades, neo-fascist groups, shadowy secret service figures and the mafia have all been implicated in the surge of political violence including the 1969 bombing in Milan's Piazza Fontana and the bombing of Bologna's main railway station in 1980.

Scores of people were killed and hundreds more injured, but many of the incidents, which took place during a Cold War period of extreme political tension, remain unsolved despite years of investigation.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said in a statement he regarded the decision to declassify the documents as "a duty towards citizens and relatives of the victims of episodes which remain a murky stain in our common memory."

He said documents relating to the Piazza Fontana and Bologna bombs, the mysterious crash of a DC-9 aircraft at Ustica near Sicily in 1980 and other bombings in the 1970s and 1980s would be opened to the public.

The documents will be declassified starting with the oldest and collected in the central state archives.

This should be a true cornucopia of shit stirring if only part of the suspicions of Italian secret services involvement, together with organized crime, the Vatican, CIA and NATO also playing a role, turn out to be at least half true.

[Valmy]

The Vatican?

[grumbler]

The Vatican?

Can't have a conspiracy without the CIA and the Vatican getting involved.

[Ed Anger]

Americans. 

[derspiess]

Bologna bombs,

Is that another Ed euphemism for poop?

[Ed Anger]

Kentucky round steak.

[Capetan Mihali]

Americans. 

Operation Gladio.

[Sheilbh]

Should be interesting. I'll probably wait for Sorrentino to make films about it

[The Larch]

The Vatican?

No direct involvement in actual terrorism, but rumour says they used to give shelter to terrorists and helped organized crime to launder money, Godfather III style. The "Banda della Magliana", a Roman crime gang, had links to the Vatican, far right groups and the Italian secret services, and are rumoured to be the executors of some of the bombings, and other criminal stuff in that period, like the killing of Roberto Calvi, God's banker, and Ali Agca's attempt on the life of John Paul II. Enrico de Pedis, one of the gang's leaders, was buried in a Roman basilica. It's a fascinating time period.

[derspiess]

Americans. 

Operation Gladio.

[Agelastus]

So, will we see the Italian equivalent of -

This file contains everything except -

a. A small number of secret documents.
b. A few documents which are part of still active files.
c. Some correspondence lost in the floods of 1967.
d. Some records which went astray in the move to London.
e. Other records which went astray when the Department was reorganized.
f. The normal withdrawal of papers whose publication could give grounds for an action for libel of breach of confidence or cause embarrassment to friendly governments."

[Capetan Mihali]

I've got an interest in post-WWII Italian history right now, especially this "Strategy of Tension" anni di piombo era, so I'm looking forward to someone else reading these documents and giving me an easily digestible précis for online consumption.

[Sheilbh]

Watch Il Divo

[Capetan Mihali]

Watch Il Divo

Il Divo is an English multinational operatic pop vocal group created by music manager Simon Cowell.

[The Brain]

The good advice that you just didn't take.