activity report 2009.pdf

ain fields (such as the economic or social one) or foreign areas.  Depending on the intelligence needs of the authorities – the Service provided diachronic reports on phenomena, situations and states of things in areas / matters critical for national security as well as assessments of how these were portrayed in SRI briefings in time. In comparison with the previous year, there was a significant increase (of 16.81%) in the number of deliveries for local public administration – 2,821 (among which 2,201 for the prefect, 483 for the president of the County Council and 137 for both). The strengthening of the relation with local beneficiaries was reflected in their feedback (1,047 replies); in over 98% of the cases, their feedback confirmed the usefulness and timely nature of the topics addressed. Moreover, as a result of the briefings, local decision-makers took 734 measures with a view to performing checks, enforcing sanctions or finding solutions to the reported situations. II.2.2. Specific prevention measures In 2009 SRI took 5,690 measures to prevent national security risks under its responsibility; there was a slight drop (of 6. 85%) in comparison with the previous year. The measures consisted of:  Actions regarding the protection of classified information;  Individual training in protecting oneself against the actions of espionage services or terrorist threats; 9   Ensuring the safety of premises (institutions) which can be a target of hostile activities, through intelligence, counterintelligence and technical-operational means;  Determining persons/entities who have interests contrary to national security to give up their plans;  Proposals to limit suspend and revoke the right to stay in Romania or proposals to declare someone undesirable for Romania. The distribution of prevention measures related to national security issues was the following:  Defense of Constitutional values and rights – 31.42%;  Counterespionage, supporting foreign policy interests and protection of classified information – 39.93%;  Economic security – 12.23%;  The assessment and management of other types of cross border threats – 5.76%;  The identification and assessment of terrorist threats – 10.66%. II.2.3. Informing and notifying criminal investigation and prosecution bodies While preventing and countering national security threats according to its competence, SRI documented and notified the bodies responsible for criminal investigation and prosecution of cases where the constitutive elements of a crime were met. SRI conveyed 1,186 briefings/notifications (by 49.87% more than in the previous year) to competent bodies. The Public Ministry received 785 notifications, as follows:  Directorate for the Investigation of terrorism and organized crime, central unit – 168;  Directorate for the Investigation of terrorism and organized crime – territorial units – 199;  National Anticorruption Directorate, central unit – 224;  National Anticorruption Directorate, territorial units – 129;  Prosecutor’s Office by the Courts of Appeal – 11;  Prosecutor’s Office by the Tribunals– 29;  Prosecutor’s Office by the Courts of first instance – 25. SRI provided 401 briefings/notifications to the bodies under the Ministry of Administration and Interior, as follows:  Ministry of Administration and Interior (General Anticorruption Directorate) – 49;  The General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police – 40;  Territorial Centres for fighting organized crime and drug trafficking – 144;  Police County Inspectorates – 168. Moreover, according to legal provisions in force and the provisions of the Cooperation Protocol between SRI and the Prosecutor’s Office by the High Court of Cassation and Justice regarding the fulfilment of tasks in the field of national security, SRI provided specialized technical support to criminal investigation and prosecution bodies. In certain cases, special joint operational teams were set up which ensured the 10 management of the documentation stage and later on, the efficient use of data and information gathered on the perpetration of crimes. II.3. Protection against risks and threats Terrorist threats remained similar to the previous year, while there were some developments of the risks associated with radical propaganda and religious proselytism. Overall in 2009, the terrorist risk was moderate corresponding to the terrorist threat level Blue/Cautious. Romania was not a direct target of terrorist threats. The activity of SRI as an individual entity or as part of the National System for Preventing and Countering Terrorism (NSPCT) ensured a good control of risks deriving from the dynamics of the international terrorist phenomenon and the participation of our country in the international effort of preventing and countering terrorism. In Romania risk generating activities usually consisted of individual and unplanned initiatives of radical propaganda and the promotion of extremist concepts, which also registered certain developments in the virtual environment in comparison to the previous year. Although this type of actions does not pose a direct terrorist risk, it disseminates extremist ideologies and facilitates the gradual cooption of individuals with certain social and psychological traits in (at least) terrorism support activities. On the other hand, in comparison with previous years, religious propaganda and proselytism have led to a significant increase in the number of converts; this tendency will be taken into account given that the extremist message might reach a wider audience. The concrete measures taken by SRI to ensure the protection of the Romanian citizens, premises and interests against terrorist threats were aimed at:  Hindering activities associated with terrorism. Independently or in cooperation with the competent Romanian authorities, SRI documented and / or enforced 143 specific prevention measures consisting of: - Banning foreigners from entering the country (20 cases); - Convincing / warning certain persons to give up activities that could threaten national security (123 cases);  The protection of diplomatic missions accredited to Romania and under the responsibility of SRI. Specific measures for the security of these objectives were undertaken: - Antiterrorist checks on 4, 617 persons; - Checking 2, 205 pieces of luggage (423 potentially dangerous objects were identified); - 9,904 antiterrorist patrol missions were carried out and 240 temporary missions to reinforce the antiterrorist protection / intervention squads;  Ensuring antiterrorist protection / guard In 2009 specialized SRI structures carried out: - 1, 143 antiterrorist protection/guard missions of Romanian and foreign officials; 11  - 64 temporary missions for the antiterrorist protection / guard of officials; - 482 missions to reinforce the antiterrorist protection / intervention squads;  Antiterrorist and anti-hijacking control measures as well as antiterrorist protection on civilian airports. While carrying out its responsibilities regarding the protection of civilian flights, SRI carried out: - Specialized control measures on 6,947,425 persons, respectively 14,142,578 pieces of luggage; - Specialized control measures on 1,082 airplanes. - The activities led to: - Identifying of 10,812 possibly dangerous goods; - Identifying cases of illegal possession of weapons (11 cases) or ammunition (206 cases); - Identifying 84,368 possibly dangerous objects;  Carrying out antiterrorist / counterterrorist pyrotechnical intervention measures SRI carried out: - 36 antiterrorist pyrotechnical missions in cases where there is suspicion or threat of a bomb attack; - 2,611 antiterrorist pyrotechnical missions carried out for prevention purposes on occasion of various activities (official, formal) or upon request; - 2,087 antiterrorist search missions upon premises of the “terrorist target” type; In comparison with 2008 there was a severe drop in the number of telephone bomb threats (from 416 to 204); SRI together with national competent bodies identified 34 of the authors. The quality of the organization and the efficiency of the activities carried out under the umbrella of NSPCT were confirmed in 2009 by EU experts in the field. Thus, between September 16 and 18, 2009 the activity of NSPCT was assessed by the EU mission on the training and consequence management in case of a terrorist attack. The conclusions pointed out the usefulness of a national integrated approach to the antiterrorist issue and the existence of clear procedures between institutions for the management of a possible terrorist crisis. As national authority in the field of preventing and countering terrorism, SRI coordinated the consultations between institutions in view of this visit. Also SRI integrated the contributions to the draft report on Romania together with the bodies responsible for the management of terrorist crises, members of NSPCT. II. 4. The protection of classified information SRI carried out its responsibilities as designated security authority in the field of national, NATO and EU classified information, on two major directions:  Coordination and control, by: - Taking part in the process of bringing up to date the legislation in the field, both national legislation and from the point of cooperation with states in the Euro – Atlantic community; 12  - Providing specialized assistance to natural and legal persons that hold such information, upon request. - Controlling the manner in which protection measures for classified information are enforced;  Security checks, by: - Authorizing programs for preventing classified information leaks which are set up by central authorities, national companies and other legal persons of public or private law; - Granting natural persons access to national and NATO/EU classified information; - Granting the industrial security authorization/certificate and special authorizations for taking photos, filming and mapping premises and areas in Romania relevant for the defense of state secrets. Cooperation activities with other competent institutions in the field of classified information protection materialized in:  Conveying over 1500 replies to the requests of other institutions for the authorization of natural and legal persons to access state secrets or in reply to notifications regarding the signing / carrying out of contracts which involve the use of such data.  The greatest number of such requests came from the Ministry of Administration and Interior (over 800), the Foreign Intelligence Service (over 600);  Receiving approx. 550 replies to requests sent to other institutions (most of them from the Foreign Intelligence Service). As authority in the field, SRI ensured the collection, transportation, dissemination and protection of classified mail on Romanian territory. In comparison with the historical peak of 2008, there was a drop in the amount of mail (2,644,335 dispatches, by 0.1% less in comparison to the previous year). On the other hand, there was a growth (of 10.8%) in the number of beneficiaries, in the number of the transport missions (over 11,500, with a growth of 4.5%) and in the number of urgent requests. At the same time it was necessary to take organizational measures to adapt to the restructuring or relocation of certain public authorities and institutions. 13 CHAPTER III DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION Given the security dynamics, cooperation with other institutions and international cooperation was seen as an intelligence resource with a critical role in expanding the capacity to know risks and threats and render prevention and countering measures more efficient. This perspective derives naturally from the security situation, from the blurred boundaries between domestic and foreign threats, from the increasing interdependence of developments relevant from the point of view of security. This makes national cooperation obligatory and in many cases requires domestic efforts to be doubled by cooperation with foreign partners. III.1. Cooperation with other institutions Adequate cooperation was made possible by the joint efforts of the institutions in the national security system. The forms of cooperation took into account the need to know and need to share principles – similar to the intelligence communities in the Euro-Atlantic area. Progress was made in quality (especially the usefulness and purpose of an information exchange) and in quantity (the total volume of exchanges and on the main categories). As in the previous year the greatest number of cooperation activities was carried out with the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Protection and Guard Service, structures in the Public Ministry, the Ministry of Administration and Interior, the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The cooperation with other institutions in the national security system ensured a better knowledge of developments of national security; it also implied joint measures to prevent the materialization of risk generating intentions or to promote Romanian foreign policy initiatives. The cooperation activities with other institutions targeted:  The consequences on national security of the developments in the international security environment;  Actions that can pose a threat to Constitutional values;  Acts and activities pertaining to the terrorist phenomenon;  Risk factors and threats to public order and people safety;  Domestic organized crime; corruption, fraud and money laundering;  Cross border risks and threats;  Illegal trafficking in weapons, ammunition, explosives, nuclear or radioactive, toxic or biologic agents, as well as in products, technologies and services under international control or forbidden under international treaties and conventions;  The protection of IT&C systems;  Subversive activities carried out by secret organizations, illegal intelligence and paramilitary structures;  Illegal intelligence gathering activities undertaken to the benefit of foreign entities; 14   The security of official buildings/representations and prevention of events that might endanger the life and physical integrity of Romanian and foreign officials under protection;  The management of emergency situations;  The protection of specific activities, information and personnel;  The prevention and countering of IT aggressions. Cooperation with other institutions took the shape of:  Operational exchanges of information on various matters of interest for national security;  Joint missions in which SRI enforced complex measures;  Carrying out checks and issuing authorizations according to Law no. 333/2003 and Law no. 21/1991;  Providing technical, operational and specialized support to institutions in the national security system in carrying out highly complex missions. The exchange of information amounted to 16,039 intelligence items: SRI sent 13,191 intelligence items to the signatory parties of the General cooperation protocol (15.04% more than in 2008) and received 2,848 intelligence items (44.20% less than in 2008). III. 2. Cooperation with foreign partners The year 2009 represented a peak in international cooperation; SRI developed its cooperation with EU and NATO partners, with counterpart services in various countries, both on the operational field and on general security matters. The International Cooperation Concept – completed in 2009 – was an important tool for obtaining a more coherent cooperation and for a better use of the available resources. Beyond organizational matters, we can identify a series of critical landmarks in 2009:  Sharing with the Foreign Intelligence Service the presidency of the Middle European Conference;  Active participation in the NATO transformation process related to security information;  Supporting national efforts to promote Romania’s security interests in structuring EU policies relevant in the security field and adapting national cooperation flows to changes in the Lisbon Treaty;  Developing bilateral cooperation on the operational field with important NATO and EU partners, as well as with other states. The objectives of international cooperation were:  To ensure full institutional and operational compatibility with counterpart services in the European and North Atlantic area;  To develop operational cooperation and information exchange with services in EU and NATO Member States, or partner states in countering common security risks;  To support Romanian efforts to implement the security commitments undertaken before international bodies and organizations;  To strengthen cooperation with intelligence and security services of neighboring countries in order to fight risks and threats in the region; 15   To develop cooperation with partner services in areas of strategic interest for Romania or in areas that ma