activity report 2008.pdf

sured an adequate capacity to prevent and counter security risks (through specific measures) and a suitable answer to the customers’ information needs in supporting national interest decisions. II.1. Intelligence activity Taking into consideration the performance criteria suitable for a modern intelligence service, throughout 2008 several measures were taken in order to modernize the intelligence activity’s management and raise the Service’s intelligence capabilities by:  reshaping the national security subject and implementing a progressive approach based on security projects (based on developing security project managers);  reshaping information and internal decision flows by revising coordination, approval and consent competences on various segments of the specific activity;  reassessing HUMINT activity by taking advantage of IT instruments in order to obtain a more flexible approach towards specific activities;  strengthening operational analysis with the help of proper human resources and better professional training in the areas of expertise;  organizing the activity according to priorities and by providing specialized human, technical and specialized resources for the completion of major cases (from a national security perspective). The changes that have taken place in the intelligence activity managed to provide stricter quality standards in terms of basic information assessment and also contributed to raising the extent to which the data gathered is used by the Service. As regards the informational resources used in specific activities, the numbers are the following:  HUMINT- 47.13%;  technical secret sources – 13.27%;  specialized secret sources – 3.17%;  analytical resources – 17.38%;  open / official sources - 7.84%;  cooperation – 11.21%. 10 The international/regional risks and threats dynamics have significantly impacted on Romania’s security. Some of the most noteworthy examples include:  the reshaping of strategic interests regarding the Wider Black Sea Region following an offensive from important actors in this area and the reactivation of frozen conflicts;  maintaining a relevant level for terrorist risks and proliferation;  growing migration pressure and emergence of new ethnical / religious communities in Romania;  an increase in the use of modern means of communication and cyberspace by promoters of extremist/radical views. On the other hand, one could notice a growing interdependence between various risk categories and the emergence of manifestations that can be defined as “multi-risk”. The Service was faced with extraordinary challenges due to the (dangerous and very hard to predict) mix between threats such as:  Corruption, transnational organized crime and terrorist activities (mostly financing and support);  The effects of the global economic crisis, energy security risk developments and underground activities. Intelligence gathering – along with the other supporting activities – was shaped in accordance to the following operational priorities:  In the field of preventing and countering terrorism: - Efficiently monitoring potentially risky communities in order to identify possible security threats; - Strengthening capabilities to prevent and deter potential terrorist risks and raising the efficiency for national mechanisms for coordination and cooperation in the field; - Properly managing growing international phenomena - such as online propaganda and (self) radicalization - that could lead some individuals to involve in terrorist activities; - Strengthening external cooperation along with SRI’s input on combating international terrorism;  In the field of counter-espionage: - Protecting classified national information from unauthorized breach attempts by foreign intelligence services (non-EU/NATO, mostly eastern); - Identifying and preventing the hijacking of decision-making processes that are relevant to national interest; - Providing a proper base for strategic policies and supplying decision makers with the adequate elements needed to promote Romania’s security objectives.  In the field of protecting constitutional order and values: - Identifying high-level corruption in administration and justice; - Monitoring national risks deriving from extremist activities aimed at Romania’s vital interests; - Signaling systemic actions and deficiencies that could hinder citizens’ right to healthcare and education; 11  - Monitoring risks to the national cultural identity of Romanian diasporas.  In the field of economic security: - Identifying the premises and causes of macroeconomic and social imbalances with the second semester stressing on the economic crisis; - Monitoring underground economy and its impact on the state’s budget; - Signaling and assessing phenomena that are relevant to Romania’s energy security; - Monitoring vulnerabilities and risk sources deriving the management of EU funds.  In the field of transnational threats: - Preventing and countering proliferation and trafficking of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) as well as dual use products and technologies; - Dismantling organized crime networks related to the Balkan area, the former Soviet Block or the Far East; - Identifying and countering (with the help of inter-institutional cooperation) the traffic of high-tax products; - Developing cooperation with EU and non-EU partners on countering proliferation and drug trafficking. In 2008, SRI’s activity was impacted by several international events such as:  The NATO Summit in Bucharest (2-4 April) SRI’s input in ensuring high-level security within NATO consisted in: - providing a continuous flow of intelligence for the decision makers and national institutions that have contributed to the implementing of security measures for the reunion, as well as for NATO’s dedicated structures; - setting up intra- and inter-institutional mechanisms needed to properly coordinate security for the Summit. Thus: - SRI representatives (both leadership and experts) were directly involved in the activities of the National Command Center responsible for the Summit’s security; - within the Service, the Situation Center was activated in order to ensure the intra-institutional information flow (in cooperation with the Antiterrorist Operational Coordination Centre); - the Service’s specific structures took protective measures in order to ensure that the Summit is carried out in secure conditions; - writing analyses and assessments (for legal customers) on the event’s significance and opportunities to promote national interests;  Kosovo’s unilateral proclamation of independence The Service prepared (within a dedicated Work Group) strategic and tactical analyses on the status quo and the consequences derived from Kosovo’s gesture from Romania’s national security perspective disseminating them to the proper authorities;  The Russia-Georgia conflict 12 Similar to the developments in Kosovo, following the military action in Georgia, an intra-institutional cooperation mechanism was set up in order to monitor and analyze the possible impact on Romanian and international security;  Effects of the international financial crisis The impact of the economic crisis on the national social and economic mechanisms made this issue one of the Service’s priorities (informing legal customers on risks and vulnerabilities and helping the decision making process in matters of national interest). The intelligence percentage for each of the national security fields relates to the Services priorities in 2008 and also to the developments of the operational work for the year in question: - Protecting constitutional values and rights – 29.19%; - Counterintelligence, support for foreign policies and the protection of classified information – 18.32%; - Economic security – 24.03%; - Assessing and managing other transnational threats – 14.16%; - Identifying and assessing terrorist threats – 14.30%. II.2. Making use of intelligence II.2.1. Informing decision makers By strengthening its analysis capabilities the Service was able to properly inform legal customers on national security risks and vulnerabilities that were identified in the information gathering process. The permanent monitoring of processes relevant to national security and proactive exploitation of the available information sources ensured the consistency and accuracy of the informing process – as SRI provided the proper authorities with analytical conclusions and concrete details meant to back corrective decisions or promote Romanian interests. Security in 2008 was impacted by several events that had a major relevance for Romania’s interests as the proper measures were taken in order to ensure a better correlation between the Service’s activities and the customers’ information needs. The new approach to analysis and the boost to horizontal cooperation in accordance to the need to share principle have had positive results such as:  Smoothing the information circuit taking the data from the operational field to analysis thus leading to the creation of instruments that were much needed for a better exploitation of SRI’s knowledge;  Establishing assessment and prognosis as integral parts of SRI’s materials along with a development of the strategic component. All of the aforementioned proved to be essential for the Service’s efforts to manage major national security-related events;  Strengthening dialogue with the state’s decision makers and establishing it as a tool to help manage the activity and raise the usefulness of informing for public policies and customers’ decisions/actions. The efforts made to improve the quality of our informing documents and to adapt them to the customers’ needs were reflected by the growth in consistency and 13 accuracy of said documents with feedback from legal customers confirming the exactitude and suitability of the analyses and data provided by the Service. The analysis carried out on legal customers’ feedback in 2008 shows a growth in both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the materials. As regards the outcome of the informing process, one could see a high degree of like-mindedness between the Service’s endeavors to properly manage relations with decision makers and the latter’s increasing interest for the use of feedback as a communications means. SRI kept in mind that its documents need to be tailored to the customers’ needs while also ensuring the secrecy of intelligence gathering means and methods. There is a significant growth in the number of reactions we have received from customers and also in that of appreciative feedback (from 29% in 2007 to 63.05% in 2008). Meantime, suggestions that various documents be sent to other customers have fallen from 60% (2007) to 27.98% (2008). Likewise the number of intelligence documents whose conclusions were not interiorized by the customers / amended by the customers (in terms of validity or accuracy/concrete details) has decreased by nearly one percent (from 3.91% to 4.85%) compared to 2007. By changing the approach to intelligence, the emphasis was placed on quality and better data integration / analysis as this is crucial for an efficient national security intelligence process. This led to relevant changes in the distribution of intelligence material in stricter accordance to the customers’ responsibilities (i.e. sending documents to the decision maker who is best suited to take appropriate action). In 2008, the Romanian Intelligence Service produced 7,057 intelligence documents: 4,642 meant for customers from the central administration and 2,415 for local authorities, numbers that reflect the security risks and opportunities in relation to the areas and competences/authority of the customers. The 4,642 documents sent to customers within the central administration were produced from the 3,434 integrated intelligence documents referring to situations that were relevant to national security. The dissemination of these materials was carried out in accordance with existing legislation, based on the need to know principle and the need for action from decision makers as the largest proportion (52%) was meant for members of the Government, followed by the Presidency (39%). A lower number (approximately 8%) of intelligence materials was sent to the other customers such as the National Bank’s Governor, the Chairman of the Romanian Academy and the Director of the Protection and Guard Service. 1% was destined for members of Parliament. In accordance to the national security areas, the 3,434 integrated documents concerned:  the protection of constitutional values – 903 documents; 14   counterespionage, supporting foreign policy and protection of classified information – 1,030 documents;  economic security – 1182 documents;  terrorist vulnerabilities/risks in relation to transnational organized crime - 197 documents;  complex security analyses – 122 documents (assessments, prognoses and risk estimates). The comparative analysis of the number and types of intelligence documents produces in 2008 reveals: - a growing trend for complex intelligence material; - the rapid growth in the number of documents sent to the Office for Integrated Intelligence; - a high level of tactical intelligence documents (as this is best suited for decision makers’ specific intelligence needs). The 2,415 intelligence reports sent to local administration decision makers, as mentioned by art.11 of Law no.51/1991 (2,005 to prefects, 228 to chairmen of the District Councils and 182 to both) regarded actions, phenomena and situations that (simultaneously):  represented risks or threats to national security/dysfunctions capable of generating or favoring potentially harmful conflicts from a national security perspective;  took place within the customers’ territorial / material areas;  could be prevented/countered locally without the coordination/direct intervention or control of central authorities. II.2.2. Specific prevention measures In order to counter the security risks and threats it handles, the Romanian Intelligence Service carried out 6,109 specific prevention measures consisting of:  deterring persons/entities who posed threats to national security from their initial endeavors / plans;  actions meant to protect classified information;  proposals to limit, suspend or revoke certain foreign citizens right to stay in our country or declare them inadmissible persons;  warning, counterintelligence protection and self-protection of individuals targeted by various activities including espionage. Prevention measures were distributed in accordance to the types of risks they were meant for:  protecting constitutional values and rights – 48.15%;  counterespionage, supporting national foreign policy interests and protecting classified information – 9,91%;  economic security – 17,30%;  transnational threats’ assessment and management – 6.12%;  identifying and assessing terrorist risks – 18.52%. II.2.3. Notifying law enforcement authorities By informing and notifying the proper law enforcement authorities (the Public Ministry, the Ministry of Administration and Interior) within the framework set out by national 15 mechanisms, the Romanian Intelligence Service has contributed to the sanctioning of actions that were potentially harmful to national security. The quality and utility of SRI’s results were confirmed by the analyses carried out by said institutions. In order to support the responsible authorities carry out their tasks, the Service sent the former 792 intelligence reports/notifications (23% more than the year before) regarding various crimes. The Public Ministry was sent 540 intelligence reports/notifications as follows:  the Prosecutor’s Office Attached to the High Court of the Cassation and Justice – 493;  the General Prosecutor – 5;  the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism – 264;  the Anti-Corruption National Directorate – 224;  the Prosecutors’ Offices attached to courts – 25;  Prosecutors’ Offices attached to district courts – 16.  Parchetelor de pe lângă Tribunale - 25;  Parchetelor de pe lângă Judecătorii - 16. Also, SRI provided the bodies of the Ministry of Administration and Interior with 252 intelligence reports/notifications as follows:  the Ministry of Administration and Interior – the Anti-Corruption General Directorate – 20;  the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police – 54;  the Zonal Centers for Countering Organized Crime – 71;  Districts’ Police Inspectorates – 107. Apart from the notificatio