Daniele Ganser

Last updated

Daniele Ganser
Dr. Daniele Ganser (cropped) JD.jpg
Ganser in 2018
Born (1972-08-29) 29 August 1972 (age 51)
Lugano, canton Ticino, Switzerland
Alma mater University of Basel
Occupation(s)Historian, author
Known for NATO's Secret Armies
SpouseBea Schwarz [1]
Children2 [1]
Website danieleganser.ch

Daniele Ganser (born 29 August 1972, in Lugano [2] ) is a Swiss author and conspiracy theorist. [3] He is best known for his 2005 book NATO's Secret Armies.

Contents

Background

His father Gottfried Ganser-Bosshart (1922–2014), whose parents were Germans, was a Protestant pastor of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches (SEK). [4] [5] [6] [7] His mother Jeannette Ganser was a nurse. [8] [9] He has a sister named Tea. [9]

Daniele Ganser was a senior researcher at the ETH Zurich, Center for Security Studies (CSS). [10] He was president (2006–2012) of the Swiss branch of the "Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas" (ASPO), [11] and taught a course (2012–2017) titled History and Future of Energy Systems at the University of St. Gallen. [2] [12]

Writing career

NATO's Secret Armies

In 2004, Ganser published NATO's Secret Armies: Operation Gladio and Terrorism in Western Europe. In this book, Ganser claims that Gladio units were in close cooperation with NATO and the CIA and that Gladio in Italy was responsible for terrorist attacks against the Italian civilian population. [13] Security analyst John Prados observed that Ganser presented evidence that Gladio networks amounted to anti-democratic elements across many nations. [14]

Beatrice Heuser praised the book while also commenting Ganser's book would have been improved by the author using a less polemical tone and had occasionally conceded problems with the Soviets. [15] The political scientist Markus Linden said that Ganser fostered anti-Americanism under the label of Peace Research, while he unilaterally presented Russia positively. [16]

Critics charged that the book failed to provide proof or an in-depth explanation of a conspiracy between NATO, the United States, and European countries. Peer Henrik Hansen criticized Ganser for basing his claim on the US Army Field Manual 30-31B which members of the intelligence community claim is a "Cold War era hoax document." [17] [18] Philip H.J. Davies concluded that the book is marred by imagined conspiracies, exaggerated notions and misunderstandings of covert activities and operations within and between the countries, and a failure to place their decisions and actions in the appropriate historical context. Davies argued that Ganser did not perform the most basic necessary research to be able to discuss them effectively. [19] Olav Riste of the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies mentions several instances where his own research on the stay-behind network in Norway was twisted by Ganser. [20] Riste and Leopoldo Nuti concluded that the book's "ambitious conclusions do not seem to be entirely corroborated by a sound evaluation of the sources available." [21] Lawrence Kaplan commended Ganser for making "heroic efforts to tease out the many strands that connect this interlocking right-wing conspiracy", but also argued that connecting the dots required a stretch of facts. Kaplan believes that some of Ganser's theories may be correct, but they damage the book's credibility. [22] John R. Schindler wrote: "With few exceptions, specialists in the history of intelligence considered Ganser's book to be a shoddy work of scholarship. In the first place, he made no effort to hide his biases, noting that he considered CIA covert action to be "terrorist in nature." Then there was the problem that Ganser was making incendiary assertions he could not prove, as he himself admitted to "not being able to find any official sources to support his charges of the CIA's or any Western European government's involvement with GLADIO."" [23]

Daniele Ganser was shown as expert in the German TV documentary film Stay Behind: Die Schattenkrieger der NATO by Ulrich Stoll about stay-behind armies which was broadcast on ZDFinfo in 2014. [24] [25]

Later work

Ganser calls into question the conclusions of the 9/11 Commission. [26] [27] He also promotes skepticism of the COVID-19 pandemic. [28] [29] Americanist Michael Butter calls Ganser the "best-known conspiracy theorist in the German-speaking world". His public doubts about the "official version" of the 9/11 attacks had led to the termination of his university employment. [30]

In 2023, Gansers presentations are considered to contain anti-Americanism, historical negationism, Kremlin propaganda, alternative facts and half-truths and have an audience of over 1000 people in Germany. [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] Ganser implies that government and mainstream media would predetermine the way of thinking of the population. [36] The content of Ganser's presentations is popular with a target audience of "conspiracy theorists and democracy skeptics". [37] The director of the Institute for defence policy of the Kiel University, Joachim Krause, criticized: "Mr. Ganser is not a scientist. He's a dumbing down entrepreneur who makes his living by contaminating the brains of people with conspiracy fantasies." [38] Eva Binder and Magdalena Kaltseis from University of Innsbruck described Ganser his presentation in Magic Castle of Austrian city Seefeld in Tirol as "pseudoscientific seduction". [39]

Publications

English

Articles

Books

Book contributions

Other languages

Articles

Books

English: "Going it Alone—Switzerland 10 Years After the EWR-Nein."
English: "Europe in the Oil Frenzy: The Consequences of Dangerous Addiction."
English: "Illegal Wars: How the NATO Countries Sabotage the UN. A Chronicle from Cuba to Syria."

Book contributions

English: "Peak Oil: Crude oil in the Field of Tension Between War and Peace." In: "Energy."

Related Research Articles

Orell Füssli is a Swiss banknotes printing and bookselling company, established by Christoph Froschauer in 1519 as a book printer and publisher. It is currently operating in many print-related segments, such as security printing, bookselling and publishing, with security printing being a primary contemporary product of company. Company's shares are traded on SIX Swiss Exchange since 1897. It is the oldest continuously publicly traded company of Switzerland.

Operation Gladio was the codename for clandestine "stay-behind" operations of armed resistance that were organized by the Western Union (WU), and subsequently by NATO and by the CIA, in collaboration with several European intelligence agencies during the Cold War. Although Gladio specifically refers to the Italian branch of the NATO stay-behind organizations, Operation Gladio is used as an informal name for all of them. Stay-behind operations were prepared in many NATO member countries, and in some neutral countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Sealsfield</span> Austrian-American journalist

Charles Sealsfield was the pseudonym of Austrian-American journalist CarlAnton Postl, an advocate for a German democracy. He lived in the United States from 1822 to 1826, and then again in 1828/1829. During a final stay from 1853 to 1858 he became a US citizen. Sealsfield is best known for his German-language Romantic novels with American backgrounds, and also wrote travelogues. He returned to Europe about 1829, living in Paris and London before settling in Switzerland in 1832, where he resided for most of the rest of his life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Mittelholzer</span> Swiss aviation pioneer (1894–1937)

Walter Mittelholzer was a Swiss aviation pioneer. He was active as a pilot, photographer, travel writer, as well as of the first aviation entrepreneurs.

A stay-behind operation is one where a country emplaces secret operatives or organizations in its own territory, for use in case of a later enemy occupation. The stay-behind operatives would then form the basis of a resistance movement, and act as spies from behind enemy lines. Small-scale operations may cover discrete areas, but larger stay-behind operations envisage reacting to the conquest of whole countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strategy of tension</span> Political policy encouraging violent struggle

A strategy of tension is a political policy wherein violent struggle is encouraged rather than suppressed. The purpose is to create a general feeling of insecurity in the population and make people seek security in a strong government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yves Guérin-Sérac</span> French Roman Catholic activist (1926–2022)

Yves Guérin-Sérac, born Yves Guillou was a French anti-Communist Roman Catholic activist, former officer of the French army and veteran of the First Indochina War (1945–54), the Korean War (1950–53) and the Algerian War of Independence (1955–62). He was also a member of the elite troop of the 11ème Demi-Brigade Parachutiste de Choc, which worked with the SDECE, and a founding member of the Organisation armée secrète (OAS), a French terrorist group based in Spain which fought against Algerian independence in 1961-62. It was alleged that he was an instigator of the so-called strategy of tension in Italy, and the main organizer of the 1969 Piazza Fontana bombing.

<i>U.S. Army Field Manual 30-31B</i> Document claiming to be a classified appendix to a U.S. Army Field Manual

The US Army Field Manual 30-31B, dubbed the "Westmoreland Field Manual," purportedly outlined a strategy called the "strategy of tension," wherein violent attacks are orchestrated and blamed on left-wing groups to justify government action. However, it is thought to be a Cold War-era hoax conducted by Soviet intelligence services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secret files scandal</span> 1989 scandal in Switzerland

The Fichenaffäre or Secret files scandal shook public opinion in Switzerland in 1989. That year, it was revealed that the Swiss federal authorities, as well as the cantonal police forces, had put in place a system of mass surveillance of the population.

Projekt-26, best known as P-26, was a stay-behind army in Switzerland charged with countering a possible invasion of the country. The existence of P-26 as secret intelligence agencies dissimulated in the military intelligence agency (UNA) was revealed in November 1990 by the PUK EMD Parliamentary Commission headed by senator Carlo Schmid. The commission, whose initial aim was to investigate the alleged presence of secret files on citizens constituted in the Swiss Ministry of Defence, was created in March 1990 in the wake of the Fichenaffäre or Secret Files Scandal, during which it had been discovered that the federal police, BUPO, had maintained files on 900,000 persons.

Max Pulver is the author of four graphology books, several articles, and one novel (1927). He developed the theory of symbolism of space. His work discusses pressure, intelligence, and crime. He founded the Schweizerische Graphologische Gesellschaft in 1950 and was president until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andreas Speiser</span> Swiss mathematician

Andreas Speiser was a Swiss mathematician and philosopher of science.

Karl Kälin was a Swiss Psychologist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jakob Stutz</span> Swiss writer

Jakob Stutz (1801–1877) was a Swiss writer.

Hiram Abas was a Turkish intelligence official in the National Intelligence Organization (MIT). He retired after the 1980 Turkish coup d'état, but returned in August 1986 as deputy to MIT chief Hayri Ündül, retiring again in 1988. He was assassinated on 26 September 1990 by leftwing revolutionary group Dev Sol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casimir Pfyffer</span>

Casimir Pfyffer von Altishofen was a Swiss politician and jurist. He was mayor of Lucerne (1832–1835), President of the Swiss National Council (1854/1855) and five times President of the Federal Supreme Court.

Hans Danuser is a Swiss artist and photographer. His first major work, the cycle In Vivo, brought him international fame, therein he broke several societal taboos with respect to genetic research and nuclear physics. Since the 1990s, in addition to his photographic studies, Danuser has focused increasingly on transdisciplinary (research) projects in the arts and sciences.

Der Club is a weekly Swiss television talk show, aired since 1985 by Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen on Tuesday. It was called Zischtigsclub until 2005. The format is an adaptation of the Austrian Club 2. It is dedicated to current social and political themes. Occasionally, it has discussed themes related to the media as Medienclub. Several times a year, it is held as Literaturclub, focused on books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meike Akveld</span> Swiss mathematician

Meike Maria Elisabeth Akveld is a Swiss mathematician and textbook author, whose professional interests include knot theory, symplectic geometry, and mathematics education. She is a tenured senior scientist and lecturer in the mathematics and teacher education group in the Department of Mathematics at ETH Zurich. She is also the organizer of the Mathematical Kangaroo competitions in Switzerland, and president of the Association Kangourou sans Frontières, a French-based international society devoted to the popularization of mathematics.

Franziska Feilbogen, née Rindskopf, also Franza Feilbogen, was an Austrian literary scholar, translator, writer and feminist.

References

  1. 1 2 obituary notice of Ganser's father, 14 March 2014
  2. 1 2 "Daniele Ganser". .csfd.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  3. Frasch (Text), Dennis (8 April 2023). "Alles, nur nicht die Wahrheit: Ein Abend unter Verschwörungstheoretikern". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German).
  4. Gottfried Ganser-Bosshart, portraitarchiv.ch (Swiss German)
  5. Gottfried Ganser, obituary, pfarrverein.ch
  6. death note Gottfried Ganser, todesanzeigenportal.ch
  7. "gottfried+ganser"+"daniele+ganser"&pg=PT10 Imperium USA: Die skrupellose Weltmacht, p. 10
  8. Rico Bandle: Daniele Ganser: Missionar des Misstrauens. Die Weltwoche 21, 24 May 2017, p. 30–32; DIGITALSAT
  9. 1 2 Illegale Kriege: Wie die NATO-Länder die UNO sabotieren. Eine Chronik von Kuba bis Syrien, p. 6
  10. "sciencelife:ETH Life - ETH Zurich's weekly web journal". Archiv.ethlife.ethz.ch. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  11. "ASPO Switzerland – Association for the Study of Peak Oil". Aspo.ch. 24 November 2015. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  12. "University of St.Gallen | EGI-HSG | Teaching and Executive Education at EGI". Egi.unisg.ch. Archived from the original on 29 May 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  13. Anton, Andreas, and Michael Schetsche, Michael K. Walter. Konspiration. p. 175, Springer VS 2014. ISBN   978-3531193243.
  14. Prados, John (2006). Safe for Democracy: The Secret Wars of the CIA. p. 95. ISBN   978-1615780112.
  15. Geyser, Beatrice (Nov. 2006). Review of NATO's Secret Armies . Cold War History . pp. 567-568.
  16. L'historien Daniele Ganser ravi des complots, Die Welt, 8 June 2018
  17. Hansen, Peer Henrik (Summer 2005).Review of NATO's Secret Armies. Journal of Intelligence History .
  18. Hansen, Peer Henrik (Jan. 2006). "Falling Flat on the Stay-Behinds." International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence . pp. 182-186.
  19. Davies, Philip H.J. (Dec. 2005). Review of NATO's Secret Armies. Journal of Strategic Studies . pp. 1064-1068.
  20. Riste, Olav (Sep. 2005). Review of NATO's Secret Armies." Intelligence and National Security . pp. 550-551.
  21. Riste, Olav and Leopoldo Nuti (Dec. 2007). "Introduction: Strategy of 'Stay-Behind'." Journal of Strategic Studies . p. 930.
  22. Kaplan, Lawrence (Sep. 2006). Review of NATO's Secret Armies. International History Review . pp. 685-686.
  23. Diamonds (and Disinformation) Are Forever. John R. Schindler on Ganser's NATO's Secret Armies
  24. Schattenkrieger der NATO (German) ZDF (Public Service Television) 25 March 2014 (Mediathek) featuring Ganser and others Video on YouTube(40 seconds); Video on YouTube (26 seconds); Video on YouTube (47 seconds); Video on YouTube (18 seconds)(
  25. Stay Behind: Die Schattenkrieger der NATO at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  26. All of the theories about 9/11 are conspiracy theories comment by Kristin Aalen, aftenbladet.no 21 April 2008
  27. Jakob Lindenmeyer: 9/11: Terror, Lug und Trug. ETH Life, 27 September 2005; Daniele Ganser: Der erbitterte Streit um den 11. September. Tages-Anzeiger, 9 September 2006 (PDF at Siper.ch)
  28. Fulterer, Ruth (29 January 2020). "Gansers Jünger". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  29. Anina Ritscher (23 April 2021). "Daniele Ganser: Der Mann, dem die Menschen ihr Misstrauen anvertrauen: Niemand hat die Kraft des Zweifels so geschickt zur persönlichen Erfolgsgesschichte gemacht, wie der Basler Daniele Ganser. Auch die Welle der Corona-Leugner surft er souverän". bajour.ch (in German). Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  30. Butter, Michael (2018). "Nichts ist, wie es scheint". Über Verschwörungstheorien (in German). Berlin: Suhrkamp. pp. 58, 83–93. ISBN   978-3-518-07360-5.
  31. "Krieg in der Ukraine: Viel Aufmerksamkeit für fragwürdige Experten". tagesschau.de (in German). 24 March 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023. Ein dezidierter Antiamerikanismus zieht sich wie ein roter Faden durch seine gesamten Arbeiten.
  32. "Daniele Ganser in Aachen: Als würden Putins Trolle Regie führen". aachener-zeitung.de. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023. Inszeniert sich als Friedensforscher: Der Schweizer Publizist Daniele Ganser sprach vor gut 1600 Menschen im Aachener Eurogress. Der Schweizer Publizist Daniele Ganser spricht in Aachen vor einer eingeschworenen Fangemeinde und inszeniert sich als Friedensbewegter. Zu hören gibt es Halbwahrheiten und klassische Kreml-Propaganda.
  33. Georg Thanscheidt (28 March 2023). "Daniele Ganser in der Westfalenhalle Popcorn, Bier und Putin-Propaganda - ein Selbsterfahrungsbericht". ruhrnachrichten.de. Retrieved 31 March 2023. "Alternative Fakten" zum Ukraine-Krieg
  34. Thomas Ludwig (28 March 2023). "Reportage vom Ukraine-Vortrag des Historikers, Radikal oder ganz normal? Eine Annäherung an das Phänomen Daniele Ganser" (in German). Vor 2000 Zuschauern lässt der Nato-kritische Historiker Daniele Ganser kein gutes Haar an den Alliierten im Ukraine-Krieg - und die Zuhörer danken es ihm mit Ovationen.
  35. Oliver Deuker, Hannover (10 March 2023). "Umstrittener Historiker :Daniele Gansers gutes Geschäft mit den Mythen" (in German). Retrieved 31 March 2023. Gut zweieinhalb Stunden redet Ganser im Saal, betreibt Geschichtsklitterung, eines Historikers nicht würdig.
  36. Ronald Meyer-Arlt (13 March 2023). "Gegen "die Regierung" und "die Medien": Auftritt des Verschwörungsrauners: So war der Vortrag von Daniele Ganser im Kuppelsaal" (in German). Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023. Die Regierung" und "die Medien" würden dem Volk die Denkweisen vorgeben, sagte Daniele Ganser im Kuppelsaal in Hannover. 2800 Menschen hörten sich seinen Vortrag über die Ursachen des Krieges in der Ukraine an.
  37. "Wie gefährlich ist der Schweizer Historiker Daniele Ganser?". NDR Fernsehen, Hallo Niedersachen. ndr.de. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023. Die Inhalte des selbst ernannten "Friedensforschers" sind bei Verschwörungstheoretikern und Demokratieskeptikern beliebt.
  38. Florian Sötje (11 February 2023). "Geplanter Vortrag in Kiel: Kritik an Ganser: "Er verhöhnt die Opfer des Holocaust"". kn-online.de (in German). Retrieved 1 April 2023. Herr Ganser ist kein Wissenschaftler. Er ist ein Verdummungsunternehmer, der sein Geld damit verdient, dass er die Gehirne der Menschen mit Verschwörungsfantasien verjaucht", sagt Prof. Joachim Krause, Direktor des Instituts für Sicherheitspolitik der CAU Kiel.
  39. Eva Binder and Magdalena Kaltseis (28 February 2023). "Pseudowissenschaftliche Verführung oder warum wir Daniele Ganser nicht einfach ignorieren sollten". uibk.ac.at (in Austrian German). Retrieved 1 April 2023.