The falsifications of Fulvio Grimaldi
A. Letter to John Catalinotto of the International Action Centre, USA
October 21, 2003; slightly corrected October 27
You will have received a message by Fulvio Grimaldi [see C.] who is desperately trying to campaign against the Anti-imperialist Camp with an amalgam of accusations which neither have political coherence nor factual backing. It is a classical slandering campaign.
As Grimaldi´s attempts to isolate us in Italy have been to a large extent frustrated – the demonstration of December 6 is gaining momentum with about 900 endorsers and even members of his “Ernesto” current like Domenico Losurdo are defending us against his calumnies – he is referring to the international level where he hopes to obscure things: “I could list you many names [fascists infiltrating us], very well known in Italy but probably obscure to you.”
We will go step by step:
1) About our “new fascist accomplices”
Grimaldi names a list of fascist and right wing organisations. None of them is participating nor supporting the demonstration. It is a pure and simple invention. Grimaldi can give no evidence whatsoever.
In front of you he brings up no names but in the amalgam he calls “documentation” he shows some dozen names which he accuses to be fascists. But not one single person which we accepted is a fascist but all of the honest anti-imperialists and anti-fascists. But Grimaldi interspersed them with real fascists who never supported the demonstration. He obviously hopes that people will not check a list of 900 persons. We will defend the attacked individuals in a later document and single out those wrongly smuggled inside the list. Following a meaningful example on the method of Grimaldi´s “investigations”:
Going through the “black list” drafted by Grimadi´s falsification workshop I really was astonished to find also myself, Wilhelm Langthaler, among those allegedly collaborating with fascists. I do not have to speak of my anti-fascist and communist historic credentials. Not even the Zionists dared to put them in question. So it is interesting how Grimaldi´s falsifiers traced my “sinister activities”. I recently published a book together with Werner Pirker, famous columnist of “Junge Welt” which you personally know, called “Ami go home – 12 good reasons to be Anti-American” (Ami go home was the historic slogan of the left wing movement against the American occupation forces in the 50ies in Austria and Germany). The first one to review the book less than ten days after its appearance was the right wing Viennese publicist Martin A. Schwarz . I neither can nor want to prohibit people to read and to review my book even if I do not agree to them. This is actually the very sense of a book. A review by somebody does in no way prove a co-operation with the author whatsoever as alleged by Grimaldi´s henchmen.
I tried to trace where Grimaldi could have taken this information from, as I suppose that he does not regularly check Austrian right wing websites. So I found an article by the die-hard Viennese Zionist Karl Pfeifer on the website of the Zionist “Anti Defamation League Germany”. Pfeifer since years has been engaged in the campaign against us reproaching us Anti-Semitism. So without checking Grimaldi takes the Zionist propaganda using it against us. This sheds light on the quality of his constructions.
Without going into details on personal accusations, here our very clear principles for the demonstration of December 6 for the Iraqi resistance, for the Anti-American movement as well as for the Anti-Imperialist Camp in general. We are open for all forces fighting imperialism on the base of the old slogan of the French revolution liberty, equality, fraternity. That implies that we refuse any co-operation with pro-imperialist elements regardless whether they belong to liberalist, social democratic or fascist currents. See our declaration in Italian and German language how and why we believe that leftist anti-Americanism will defeat the right wing one.
We try to check every person requesting to support the demonstration but refuse to conduct an inquisition-like tribunal for every one of the nearly 1.000 persons who adhered. We already refused endorsements and will not hesitate to cancel persons from the list if their fascist activity is proven.
However, we do not stick to the biologist conception of Grimaldi that a person who was once with the right wing cannot change. We have seen this with then historic left who became warmongers. Why this should not be possible vice versa with some ex-right-wing elements? Our criteria will always stay a political one.
2) Overcoming right and left?
This is linked to the problem of the vanishing difference between the European historic left and right. In the 90ies the historic left has been transforming itself in the second pole of the American-style bi-partite political system. It was the historic left to lead the war against Yugoslavia. And Grimaldi – although opposed to the war – used to be part of the left wing of that left he still defends. While those promoting the demonstration of December 6 attacked Rifondazione Comunista for holding a neutral position claiming to be neither for NATO nor for Yugoslavia, Grimaldi – though siding with Milosevic – wanted to preserve the unity of that party at any cost. And earlier, when the centre left government militarily intervened in Albania following the turmoil of 1997, Refundazione kept supporting the cabinet. So did Grimaldi´s group thus contributing to keep the centre left in office. The right/left paradigm is the main justification and cover for the be-partite system. This is why we do not refer any more to left and right but to anti-imperialist and pro-imperialist. In fact this new dichotomy overcomes and preserves the old content of the left/right paradigm exactly according the Hegelian sense of the German (untranslatable) notion “aufheben”.
3) Islamism
For Grimaldi political Islam in whatever form is completely reactionary, pro-imperialist, instigated and controlled by Western intelligence. Grimaldi does not allow any exception from this dogmatic rule which might have been true in some way before the implosion of the Soviet Union but is completely outside reality today: Even the Lebanese Hizbullah, Palestinian Jihad and Hamas and the Islamic resistance in Iraq who are all directly involved in an open military and political struggle against Zionism and imperialism are according to Grimaldi pro-imperialist, reactionary and run by Western secret services. You see the stupidity of this reactionary position which is at best neutral paving the way to “civilizing imperialism”.
For Grimaldi the European Communist Parties calling themselves “left” while bombing Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq are progressive while Islamic mass movements fighting imperialism are reactionary. This is the most complete perversion of the terms left and right. Only the criteria of anti-imperialism can restore the validity of these terms.
So you see in the question of the Anti-Islamic witch hunt Grimaldi and Magdi Allam fit together much more that Grimaldi wants to admit – and not only in this respect.
4) Anti-Semitism
At least since the beginning of the new Intifada a vicious campaign of the Zionist forces in Germany and Austria accusing us of Anti-Semitism is raging. The simple reason: we defend the historic slogan of the Arab liberation movement for a democratic state in entire Palestine. There is a big rift in the “historic left” on this question and it is true that most of the “left” sides with Zionism while we have been very much isolated. However, we could survive and we are recognised as those daring to fully side with the Palestinian resistance. The really democratic and anti-imperialist forces are on our side and we already produced a certain immunity against this ridiculous and cheap slander of Anti-Semitism as we represent the heritage of anti-capitalist anti-fascism.
Grimaldi does not dare to openly slander us with “anti-Semitism” as this would display his collusion with Zionism but he indirectly tries to do so by accusing some of the supporters of the demonstration of Anti-Semitism. We guarantee you that there is not one single of them. All of them will denounce Anti-Semitism as well as fascism. But Grimaldi makes provision by using the well-known Zionist argument: “Underneath they hide a strong anti-Semitic ideology, which is hidden underneath anti-Israeli propaganda.” You recognise the Zionist argument of the “semantic shift” discerned by Michel Warschawsi?
5) “Trotskyite origin”
Grimaldi believes you are stupid but he is the one to be stupid as the very World Worker´s Party who gave birth to the International Action Centre originated from Trotskyism. It is true that some currents of the Anti-imperialist Camp trace their origins back to Trotskyism, some to Stalinism, some to Maoism and even some to elements of the SED or the CPSU. Our common denominator is anti-imperialism. We are ready to politically discuss about the reasons of the defeat of the communist movement in all its currents but we will not let those historic differences become an obstacle of our co-operation against our common enemy.
But Grimaldi has something else in mind. He does not search for a political balance sheet of Trotskyism which would be legitimate as for all other currents of the fragmented communist movement. His method of calumnies fatally resembles that of the Moscow trials. He seems to suggest that Trotskyism is a form of Nazi fascism without explicitly stating it. To have been once Trotskyite thus would equate to be still Nazi. This is not only politically wrong. For Grimaldi political choices transform from a matter of human reason into unchangeable biological determination.
6) Secret services
The Gladio network is the best prove for the fact that the Italian fascist movement has been most closely linked with the US and Italian state apparatus. This is still the case. Why then such forces should give political support to the Anti-imperialist Camp which is radically anti-imperialist and Anti-American? We are engaged in a mobilisation in support of the Iraqi resistance, the main contemporary trouble for US global rule. It is the same logic why the US support – according to Grimaldi – Hizbullah in Lebanon to fight against Israel – the US watch dog in the Middle East – and the Islamic resistance in Iraq to fight against the US itself. There is no logic nor coherence in this fantastic construction.
It is probable that the campaign against us is orchestrated by the state and also by Zionist forces. As Grimaldi admits Magdi Allam is connected to both of them. If the demonstration of December 6 would be indirectly supported by Mossad and CIA, as Grimaldi suggests, what sense would it have? No, it is not by accident that Allam attacks the demonstration in the pages of the biggest Italian bourgeois paper. He attacks us as we are enemies of the USA, Israel and imperialism in general and as the demonstration of December 6 is the most important political initiative in favour of the Iraqi resistance being able to gather mass support.
Rather should the question be posed what Grimaldi´s role is in all of this and why he instigated Magdi Allam to use his invented accusations of a “Nazi fascist infiltration”?
7) Grimaldi´s motive
If we would use Grimaldi´s own method of reading politics we necessarily would claim that he is an agent of imperialism as his activity serves to destroy the main mobilisation in support of the Iraqi resistance. However, we do not follow his conspirationist approach.
His motive is a different one. He wants to isolate the Anti-imperialist Camp not for “Nazi fascist infiltration” which he does not believe himself but because the Anti-imperialist Camp is a serious obstacle for his tendency´s (“Ernesto”) and his party´s (“Rifundazione Comunista – PRC”) ticket into the government. Sooner or later Berlusconi will fall and the centre left will run for government. For that they need PRC. The Ernesto tendency together with the party leadership around Fausto Bertinotti have already taken the decision to go together with the centre left. In 1999, when the centre-left levelled Yugoslavia, though the Ernesto tendency and Grimaldi were verbally condemning the attack and siding with Milosevic, they nevertheless refused to bring down the government cancelling their parliamentary support for it. For this betrayal they use the notorious argument of the “lesser evil”.
The PRC and Ernesto are doomed to vanish as an appendix of the centre left. They main anti-imperialist force outside the government will be the Anti-imperialist Camp. In order to avoid this scenario Grimaldi is attempting to eradicate us pre-emptively. For this purpose he is ready even to co-operate with imperialist forces like Magdi Allam and others.
It is very sad that a man like Grimaldi who we defended only half a year ago when he was dismissed by “Liberazione”, the party paper of PRC, for his defence of Yugoslavia and Iraq, turns into an instrument of the enemy only for narrow-minded fractional interests.
With the most fraternal greetings
Willi Langthaler
for the Political Committee of the Anti-imperialist Camp
B. The facts on the endorsers of the demonstration for the Iraqi resistance in Rome, December 6, 2003 accused of being fascist
October 21, 2003; slightly corrected October 23
This slander by Fulvio Grimaldi is truly incredible.
He claims that the large demo organized for December 6th to support the Iraqi people who are resisting is part of a Fascist plot!
This is not the first time we have read this ridiculous accusation, launched in Italy by Magdi Allam, a “court Arab” and journalist, who has written a stream of articles in “Corriere della Sera” and “La Repubblica”, the biggest bourgeois newspapers in favour of the war on Iraq war, accusing the Islamic community in Italy of “terrorism”.
Grimaldi`s reasons are harder to fathom, but it seems to be part of jealousy scene by some ageing Italian militants, who are angry because the organizers of the demo preferred to launch an appeal to individuals rather than go through diplomatic rituals with the historical leaders of the Left. Not only: Grimaldi also plays a role in the political game of his party, Communist Refoundation, which will be part of the pro-American, pro-Zionist center-left coalition in the forthcoming elections. The Party of the Communist Refoundation has good reasons to attempt to destroy any subject on its left which is denouncing this political crime and it is acting now accordingly.
Now, the facts:
1) The organizers of the demo are people who have been on the Left all their lives. Some have a Trotskyite background, others a more orthodox Marxist one.
That is all there is to it.
2) The appeal has so far collected around 900 signatures. Most of these came by e-mail, and probably two thirds are well known people of the Italian Left, the rest common citizens. Despite Magdi Allam and Grimaldi, only 7 have so far asked to take their name off the list, while other signatures keep coming in all the time.
3) Grimaldi and his friends have been using google to check every single name of those who have signed. Here is what they have come up with so far to prove the “Nazi Plot” theory:
– Tiberio Graziani, scientist, he wrote a book about Iraq and another about Serbia, both published by a very small right-wing publisher. He collaborates with the small magazine “Rinascita”. He considers himself part of the left refusing historical fascism but defending the nations. He is not actively involved in politics of any kind.
– Enrico Galoppini, Arabist, writes for a wide range of scientific, cultural and political publications for example “Limes” the leading Italian magazine for geo-politics of centre left orientation.
– Luigi Tedeschi, publisher of a tiny but very critical right-wing monthly. It is an opinion magazine, not associated with any organization.
– Miguel Martinez, who 14 years ago used to belong to an Oriental cult, which he then publicly denounced; he has since been in the front line unmasking right-wing think tanks and Islamophobia in Italy.
– Walter Catalano, who is not a rightwinger at all, but once wrote a book review on a conservative (not Fascist) magazine. He is not involved in any political activity whatsoever.
– Maurizio Neri, who used to be a collaborator of the national bolshevist magazine “Rosso e Nero” until the early 1990`s. He broke with national bolshevism and eventually joined a anti-fascist communist position.
– Biagio Cacciola, a politician of right-wing background who is now a councillor in a centre-left coalition in a small town in central Italy.
There may be one or two others, of even less importance. Seven names out of 900. We are waiting for the google-scholars to find any more.
I repeat, these are “signatories”, not organizers. These names have not been taken off the list, first of all, because there is nothing very wrong about them, second, because we have no intention of giving in to this kind of McCarthyite campaign.
4) Allam and Grimaldi also mention two other people, who have even less to do with the demo:
– Alessandra Colla, the legal publisher (every magazine in Italy has to have what they call a “responsible director”, a professional journalist who has nothing to do with the actual decisions of the magazine) of a very right wing magazine called Orion. She is accused of having written two or three e-mails on an open mailing list where the demo has been publicized. She left the list as soon as some participants began to protest about her being there (Grimaldi, who was on the list himself, actually took her side).
– Claudio Mutti, a well known right wing publisher, who wrote on yet another mailing list, having nothing whatsoever to do with the demo, to say the demo was a good idea.
Neither Colla nor Mutti`s name appear on the list of signatories for the demo. However, to prove their “conspiracy” theory, the “electronic commissars” then add to their blacklists anybody who ever had to with either Colla or Mutti, as well as everybody who ever had to with anybody who had to do with Colla and Mutti!
At this point, confused Internet readers are faced with endless lists of well-known Fascists, although they have nothing at all to do with the demo.
BTW, most of the right wing groups Grimaldi mentions ceased to exist over 30 years ago.
Now, since these are the facts. We don`t think it is even necessary to comment Grimaldi`s ideas, except to say that, yes, the Anti-Imperialist Camp “has” defended the Islamic community in Italy against the arbitrary arrests and hate campaign they are the victims of. That does not imply that the Camp thinks Islam is “the only universalism” for our times!
5) We cannot say for certain that Allam and Grimaldi work together. What we know is that they say the same things, and when we called Allam to protest against his terrible article, he told us that his source was Grimaldi. He might of course have been lying, though it is hard to see why.
With fraternal greetings
Moreno Pasquinelli for the Political Committee
of the Anti-imperialist Camp
C. “Isolate the Anti-imperialist Camp and their Nazi fascist accomplices”
Email Message from Fulvio Grimaldi to John Catalinotto
October 19, 2003
Long time no exchange. Still, I am following all your activities, but didn`t have time to communicate, being terribly busy with my public meetings all around Italy (presenting the video I shot during the war in Iraq) and with the preparation of a national demonstration in Rome, on 8th November, against the wall in Palestine and all imperialist occupation in the Middle East, and for the withdrawal of all troops from Iraq. In the meantime you might have received an English language message form the notorious Anti-imperialist Camp in Perugia. Over the past few weeks we have been heavily engaged in unmasking what has turned out to be the strongest effort at infiltration in the anti-imperialist left-wing camp of a host of nazifascist elements and organisations, known since the seventies for their connection with Italian and US secret services. Under the cloak of solidarity with the Iraqi and Palestinian Resistance, and uttering anti-imperialist slogans stolen from the left, these people have been provided cover by the Anti-imperialist Camp (of trotzkyite origins) and have launched an organisation called “Antimericanisti”, which is organising this demonstration in support of the Iraqi resistance on 6th December. Several people of the Left have been deceived into giving their support to this lurid enterprise, but are now all withdrawing, following documents which myself and other comrades have been circulating, revealing the nazifascist background of the unsavoury lot. They include all the most notorious members of various neofascist and nazi organisations, from Ordine Nuovo, to Ordine Nero, to Giovane Europa, Fiamma Tricolore, Lotta di Popolo, Nazimaoists, now busy in various publishing enterprises such as “Edizioni del Veltro” , headed by one Claudio Mutti, leading figure of this array (tried for fascist terrorist attacks), Orion, Rinascita Nazionale, Edizion A.R. (owned by Franco Freda, who was sentenced for various fascist bombings carried out with Italian secret services). I could list you many names, very well known in Italy but probably obscure to you. Their ideological line is that the difference between right and left is obsolete and the one new universal thought is the Islamic one. Underneath they hide a strong anti-Semitic ideology, which is hidden underneath anti-Israeli propaganda. The Anti-imperialist Camp claims that these people, who have been for decades bashing the left from extreme right-wing positions, might well have been nazis and fascists in the past, but that they now have changed their ooutlook and foster an antiamerican alliance of all anti-imperialist forces. At the expense of the Palestinian and Iraqi tragedies and struggle, and with the frightful prospect that our friends there might be seen in connection with nazi, fascist and and antisemitic forces, these provocateurs are trying to resuscitate from their political underground. The same lot is rearing its ugly head in France, trying for example to infiltrate the Committe for the Defence of Slobodan Milosevic and other leftwing organisations and campaigns. This is something that we have learned to detect since the early seventies and I can assure you that it is the old tactic of camouflaging their true nature all over again, in order to infiltrate and undermine the struggle of true anticapitalist and anti-imperialist forces. You might have sniffed something very similar with the maneouvres of Jared Israel. There is no doubt whatever that Western intelligence is closely linked to these operations.
I am sure that they won`t be able to deceive the comrades in the US, but the danger exists for more naive and unexperienced people. We have produced files which detail the biographies and deeds of all these elements, past and present, and hopefully have foiled this very dangerous and perfidious conspiracy. The entire Italian Left, in all its expressions, including my party, has realised what is going one and is working at isolating the Anti-imperialist camp, its new fascist accomplices and its Intelligence background. If you want to learn more about this, you may consult antimperialista@libero.it. There you`ll find a longish dossier on the protagonists of the operation, unfortunately only in Italian. The Egyptian journalist they mention, Magdi Allam, of Corriere della Sera, is indeed a well known agent of Israeli and US interests and the most evident manipulator of Middle East information. A very impressive example of his intoxication activities is a biography of Saddam Hussein. He wrote an article underscoring this new alliance between alleged left-wing anti-imperialists and this fascist outfit. And, at least in this respect, he was correct, though his intentions were all but honest: it was the beginning of exactly what we feared: charging Palestinians, Iraqis and Muslims with allying themselves with the most rotten survivors of neonazism and racist antisemitism. The trick the Anti-imperialist Camp used in its message was to combine this scoundrel with myself and the true Left`s efforts at undoing the plot. Will inform you about developments and also about our Palestine and Iraq demo.
Hope you are well and kicking.
Fulvio [Grimaldi]
