Discover the shocking alliance involving the CIA, the Mafia, and the Vatican that emerged after WWII to prevent a Communist takeover in Europe. In Operation Gladio, investigative journalist Paul L. Williams uncovers a disturbing web of "stay-behind" armies formed across Europe, consisting of thousands of operatives. Funded by smuggled Nazi morphine and counterfeit British banknotes, these secret units not only targeted potential Communist invaders but also fueled terror attacks to suppress left-wing movements in South America and NATO nations. Williams reveals how this clandestine operation sparked government overthrows, widespread genocide, death squads, grand-scale financial scandals, and the rise of the mujahideen. He even connects the roots of Operation Gladio to the ascent of Jorge Mario Bergoglio--better known as Pope Francis I--who has ties to Operation Condor, Gladio's offshoot in Argentina. Packed with explosive revelations, Operation Gladio exposes a hidden history of global intrigue, violence, and deception that mainstream media often ignores. "The people and their misdeeds exposed in Paul Williams's Operation Gladio will cause the reader to question what person of authority and leadership can be trusted, especially since these foul acts are not confined solely to the dusty pages of history." ―Sgt. Thomas Juby, retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police Forensic Crime Scene Investigator and member of the Advisory Council for the Intelligence Summit