The idea of "Gladio agencies" stems from something I read in a Whitley Streiber novel (
Warday ) once. In the story, the U.S. and USSR have been devastated in a nuclear war. However, it turns out that both sides had prepared "long trigger" missile subs before the war — subs that would cruise around normally until a nuclear war broke out, then submerge and go into hiding for several months or years. After the period of hiding, these subs would rise unexpectedly and launch nuclear attacks on the enemy without warning. The "long trigger" subs were supposed to be the ultimate deterrent — a way for a defeated nation to "strike from the grave" in case they were destroyed in the war, thus eliminating any post-war advantage to the attacking nation.
Similiarly, I wonder if perhaps there are not agencies out there similar to the "long trigger" subs — intelligence or paramilitary agencies that "submerged" during World War 3 (the "cold war") and now operate outside of the chain of command. Such an agency could operate "off the grid" by obtaining its income through private business activities (illegal or legal) and its assignments from a source outside the national command authority (a Senator, an admiral, or some other insider). One has to admit that such a tool could be very useful in certain situations— a shadow army with no paper trail, no oversight, and no accountability...