The death of 96-year old Masonic Grand Master Licio Gelli this week reopened the mystery of Italy's greatest and most murky political scandals.  I've been following this wonderful case since the 1980's.  Gelli, a lifelong Fascist, was what was known in the US as "one of our SOB's."

As US Republicans hysterically warn of "terrorism," it's useful to look back to the Cold War years and see who really had – and has – clean hands.

Gelli first appeared as an 18-year old volunteer Black Shirt fascist sent by Mussolini to Spain to fight the Communists.

Soon after World War II, Gelli was recruited by CIA to help build "Gladio," a top secret underground organized in 14 Western European nations of former fascists and other right-wingers designed to combat an expected Soviet invasion.

The Soviet threat eventually subsided, but Gladio, its far right members and its arms caches remained.  In the 1980's and early 90's, Gladio and Gelli would be involved in numerous plots and intrigues known as "the years of lead"  aimed at blocking Communists from power and paving the way for fascist coups. CIA and Britain's MI6 were implicated.