The authorities used the NATO bombings as an excuse to arrest the leaders of the legitimate political arms of these groups, including trades unions.
The Red Brigades in Italy; Baader Meinhof in Germany and Action Direct in Belgium.
Targets of these groups didn't appear to make sense politically.
The Strategy of Tension.
Not satisfied with waiting until the Soviets invaded, not even until the communists were elected in Italy, NATO decided to act against the left to ensure it did not get into power in the first place.
What was originally a legitimate defence initiative gradually turned into a systematic undermining of democracy in Italy during the 1960s, 70s and 80s.
The BBC Timewatch series covered Operation Gladio back in 1993 but copies of the three programmes can be very hard to find.
Swiss historian Danielle Ganser's book 'NATO's Secret Armies' is one of the best resources available on Operation Gladio, the operationbs end of a clandestine Neo-Nazi intelligence group operating within the safety and secrecy of NATO in Brussels.
History of the P1 and P2 Masonic Lodges in Italy and political interfernce in Eurpoean Democracy post World War II.