Intelligence Community of the Kingdom of Italy
The Italian Intelligence Community (Italian: Rete dei Servizi di Sicurezza, R.S.S.) is a network of 3 separate Italian government agency networks that work separately and together to conduct intelligence activities considered necessary for the conduct of foreign relations and national security of the Kingdom of Italy and of the Italian Empire. Member organizations of the Italian Intelligence Community include military intelligence, and civilian intelligence and analysis offices within Fascist organizations. The Italian Intelligence Community is headed by the Director General of the National Security (Italian: Direttore Generale della Sicurezza Nazionale), who is the same official holding the post of Director-General of the O.V.R.A. and reports to the Duce of Italy.
Among their varied responsibilities, the members of the Italian Intelligence Community collect and produce foreign and domestic intelligence, contribute to military planning, and perform espionage. The Italian Intelligence Community was established by Duce of the Republic Oscar Luigi Scalfaro in 1989.
In order to avoid asking for overly complicated authorizations for telephone tapping, intelligence services have the habit of hiring operators in charge of espionage directly from the telephone company.
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Intelligence and security agencies
The Italian intelligence and security agencies are the complex of Government agencies and bodies responsible for Italian security and intelligence activities. While consisting of two major bodies, Italian intelligence operates as a coordinated complex under the Governmental political direction and under O.V.R.A. administrative coordination.
Party security organizations (including some O.V.R.A. departments, G.N.R., some P.N.F. departments and Militia political offices) are kept distinct, although not always separated, from state and public security organizations and agencies. This separation between Party and State intelligence agencies, and within Party agencies and within State agencies, although nor full nor fully antagonistic, has been adopted and deepened during late 1990s and early 2000s in order to provide a complex "watchers-of-the-watchers" web; this policy has been adopted to prevent or even avoid that some external power (namely the U.K. and the U.S.A.) might overturn against Italo Debalti's rule and government the whole security apparatus. Therefore, there are intelligence, police and military organizations both for the State and for the Party; the whole security network is controlled and managed by the collective leadership and, ultimately, by Duce Italo Debalti.
Structure and leadership
In Italy, the intelligence function is oriented in four directions:
- Military intelligence (S.I.M.);
- Foreign intelligence (O.V.R.A., S.I.M.);
- Criminal intelligence (P.S., O.V.R.A.)
- State security intelligence (O.V.R.A., P.S.).
The executive function is divided according to a purposeful policy: on the one hand, the information activities aimed to "militarily defend the independence and integrity of the State", is assigned to the S.I.M. and to the O.V.R.A.; on the other, information activity aimed to the "Defence of the State and institutions established by the Revolution at its foundation against whoever attacks them and against all forms of subversion", is entrusted to the O.V.R.A. and to Public Security. The overlapping powers, added to different personnel extraction of the intelligence services has generated, in turn, a strong competition and a lack of cooperation. Dependence on several ministries and organizations has, then, crystallized the unequal and inadequate distribution of resources among the three services, making impossible the necessary though decanting and leveling. A real unequal triarchy.
In order to achieve effective coordination between the various agencies, the notion of "intelligence community" has been introduced. The overall organization of the Italian Intelligence Community is an agency network between its member elements, its overall structure lacks of a binding unified leadership and governance outside the unified direction at the cabinet level. The Director General of the National Security is the head of the IC, in addition to being the director of the O.V.R.A. A criticism often pointed out is that the Director General of the National Security has what is perceived as being little authority over the budgetary authorities of the other agencies and therefore has limited influence over their operations.
The Director General of the National Security exerts leadership of the Italian Intelligence Community primarily through statutory authorities under which he controls the intelligence program budget as allocated by the Council of Ministers, establishes common objectives and priorities for the intelligence agencies manages and coordinates the management of national intelligence by elements of the Italian Intelligence Community. In addition, the Director General of the National Security elaborates policy suggestions to the Duce.
However, the Director General of the National Security per se has no authority to direct and control any element of the Italian Intelligence Community except his own staff — the Office of the Director General of the National Security — neither does the Director General of the National Security per se have the authority to manage personnel in the Italian Intelligence Community except those on his own staff. The member elements are directed and controlled by their respective governmental heads, all cabinet-level officials reporting to the Duce.
Components of the Intelligence Community
The Italian Intelligence Community consists of several agencies:
- O.V.R.A.;
- Military Information Service;
- Intelligence and Security Organization;
- Division II - Confidential Affairs of the Directorate General of Public Security;
- Division VII - Political Police of the Directorate General of Public Security;
- Finanicial Security Committee;
- Financial Information Unit;
- Industrial Research Office.
General organization
Three organs assist the Chief of the Government in the exercise of powers of intelligence:
- The National Security Authority;
- The Interministerial Committee for the Security of the Kingdom;
- The Director General for National Security.
The National Security Authority is an Undersecretary of State of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, and the holder cannot perform additional government functions. The Interministerial Committee for the Security of the Kingdom (Comitato Interministeriale per la Sicurezza del Regno, C.I.S.R.) supports both the Duce and the Chief of Government in framing policy orientations. The members of the C.I.S.R. are the Ministers of the Interior, of the National Defence, of Foreign Affairs and the Minister-Secretary of the P.N.F.
Director General of the National Security
The Director General of the National Security is the official required to serve as principal advisor to the Duce, the Chief of Government, and the P.N.F. National Secretary intelligence matters related to national security, serve as head of the Committee for Information and Security and direct and oversee the intelligence programmes. He therefore acts as the intelligence counterpart of the Director General of the Public Security-Chief of Police. Furthermore, the Director is given overall responsibility for the security apparatus. The Director of the National Security is always the Director-General of the O.V.R.A.
Office of the Director General of the National Security
The Office of the Director General of the National Security (Italian: Ufficio del Direttore Generale della Sicurezza Nazionale, U.Di.Ge.Si.N.) is the staff directly subordinated to the Director General of the National Security. U.Di.Ge.Si.N.'s goal is to effectively integrate foreign, military and domestic intelligence in defense of the homeland and of Italian interests abroad.
The Office of the Director General of the National Security has the primary task of collecting all the information, analyzes and reports from both the security services and from the outside of the system, i.e., from the Armed Forces, from the overall M.V.S.N., from the Public Security apparatus, and other government departments and research institutions. The U.Di.Ge.Si.N. also draws up, on the basis of sectoral analytical contributions, strategic analysis for the benefit of the political bodies. With regard to coordination between the system units, the Office ensure both the connection between the activities of the organizations and the connection with external information units.
The law gives the Office of the Director General of the National Security supervision duties, consisting of two specific powers. First of all, the Office is to verify the results of the activities carried out by the operational services, in carrying out its coordination activities. Second, the DIGESIS exercises a formal control activity, ensuring that the work is carried out according to rules and regulations, as well as the directives and orders of the Chief of Government. To carry out this form of control, at the Office it is established a dedicated Inspectorate. Among the Inspectorate's own powers, there is the power to carry out, at the request of the Director General of National Securitt and with the authorization of the Chief of Government, internal investigations into specific incidents occurring within the services. The State Secret is unenforceable to an internal organ to the system; therefore, the Office can act effectively; on the other hand, unless specifically authorized by the Chief of Government, the controls must not interfere with the ongoing operations.
Organization
The U.Di.Ge.Si.N. is led by the Director General of the National Security; in carrying out his duties, the Director General is assisted by a Deputy Director - Vicar and by three Deputy Directors. The Deputy Director - Vicar (Vicedirettore Vicario) oversees operation of U.Di.Ge.Si.N. offices, manages Intelligence Community coordination and information sharing, reinforces the Director's intelligence-integration initiatives, and focuses on resource challenges. The Deputy Directors manage the functional areas (strategic, support, and oversight areas) of the U.Di.Ge.Si.N.:
- Strategic Area:
- Integration Management Division;
- National Intelligence Committee;
- Mission Integration Division;
- Central Office for Internal Security;
- Central Registration Office;
- Counter-terrorism Strategic Analysis Committee;
- Strategic Analysis Office;
- Support Area:
- Planning Division;
- Engagement Division;
- Acquisition Division;
- Personnel Division;
- Financial Division;
- Oversight Area:
- General counsel Division;
- Inspectorate;
- Legislative affairs functions.
Central Office for Internal Security
The Central Office for Internal Security (Italian: Ufficio Centrale per la Sicurezza Interna, U.C.S.I.) performs managerial, coordination and control duties for the application of safety procedures arising directly from internal rules or international agreements. It is serving office to the Director General of the National Security, and thus directs and controls all bodies within the public administration wich are involved in the management of the state secret. It also lays down rules and procedures through which the secret is protected, in the field of documents, materials, telecommunications, information systems. It includes two Sections and employs 115 people in organic, of which 104 in actual service.
Its primary responsibility is the release of the Security Clearance (Nulla Osta di Sicurezza, N.O.S.), i.e. a form of approval that not only conditions the to particularly confidential sources, but in fact conditions the access to a series of assignments and important functions, including the ministerial positions. The absolute discretion and the absence of rules is the essential characteristics of this Office.
Central Registration Office
Central office of registration "UE-SEGRETISSIMO" (Italian: Ufficio Centrale di Registrazione "SEGRETISSIMO") is the administrative unit responsible for receiving and transmitting, from and for abroad abroad, documents and materials classified "SEGRETISSIMO", as well as distribution and control, in the national territory, of the same documents and materials.
Strategic Analysis Office
The Office manages all the joint databases; on the basis of the databases, the personnel of all the security sector entities and the diplomatic staff are instructed by the Office before leaving for abroad.
Security clearance
The granting of the "Security clearance" (Nulla Osta di Sicurezza, N.O.S.) is an authorization (approved by the Director General of the National Security) which grants to a person or to a company (and specifically to certain individuals that represent it) access to information, documents or materials to which it is given a secrecy classification. There may be a preventive authorization for companies that allows participation in tenders for works in which there are security concerns and confidentiality protection, and which then converts it into a real "Security clearance", on the basis of further investigation. The release of Security clearance has important effects in the professional lives of many individuals (mostly military and civil servants) as well as in the activities and business of many companies. The U.C.SI. deliberations may change radically individual careers, may involve one or the other company to profitable contracts or may exclude it. It is a great power, which is exercised without any legislative rule.
The Security clearance is valid for seven years and a request for renewal must be made one year before the deadline. If the renewal is requested within the deadlines, and the Security clearance expires with the request pending, it remains valid until the new resolution is announced. Before the deadline, the UCSI, based on reports (e.g. related to legal proceedings) and new findings, may decide the revocation of the Security clearance.
Granting procedure
The granting of a security clearance is mandatory:
- For general officers, colonels and equivalent ranks (of all armed and security corps);
- For officials and for concept employees belonging to the National Defence administration and to the administrations of all armed forces;
- For Registrars of Military Justice;
- For civilian employees from all the other civilian authorities of the State, and civilians designated as experts, designed to periodically represent the State in international meetings on security and defence;
- For civilian officials and employees dependent on industrial or commercial companies, public and private bodies, which deal with confidential documents or contributing (with authorization requests submitted to the relevant civilian Ministry) for the design or the execution of classified works or for participation in tenders for projects or works for defence facilities or for facilities to be protected.
The first and fundamental protection of secrecy and of the authorized persons themselves is to not enable those who can present a vulnerable side. Italian citizens who have political opinons and precedents adverse to Fascism are regarded as incapable of dealing with documents or activities with secrecy requirements. The Security clearance is required by the entity concerned. The Office, in turn, requests to the Carabinieri or to M.V.S.N. (or, more rarely, to the Police) to carry out necessary investigations. If there are aspects of the economic and financial sphere to be investigated, the U.C.SI. may solicit investigations by the Royal Guard of Finance. The type of investigation and the choice of the organs to be activated depend on the specific case.
The investigations concern the individual person, its activities, its relatives and have a greater or lesser extent (for example up to the cohabiting relatives or even beyond them) according to the secrecy level to which the individual will need to access. For this purpose the U.C.SI. collects all relevant information to direct insights and more targeted investigations. The Office is not only a recipient of information and not merely order them, but also plays an active role in collecting information; it also can transmit the information and security services the cognitive elements acquired.
There are two levels of investigations. On the one hand, there is the request to the Carabinieri (or to other overt security apparatus), which proceed according to their normal patterns of activity and on the basis of standardized information forms. Requests sent to the Carabinieri Corps are numerous. Common paperworks, for which there are no specific alerts from the center, are treated with considerable slowness. On the other hand, there is the possibility that a given procedure is driven from the center, with special reports and soliciting more specific information. The Office may involve the S.I.M., asking if on a particular subject exist contraindications related to national security.
National Intelligence Committee
The National Intelligence Committee (Italian: Comitato Nazionale per l'Informazione e la Sicurezza, C.N.I.S.) is a strategic coordination body, tasked with ensuring the smoothness of information flow between the various security agencies, forces and organizations. In order to properly function, the C.N.I.S. is subdivided into two bodies: the Anti-Counterterrorism Strategic Analysis Sub-committee and the Organized Crime Strategic Analysis Sub-committee. These sub-committees also have the power to make recomendations to the relevant Ministers and to higher-level bodies.
Anti-Counterterrorism Strategic Analysis Sub-committee
The Anti-Counterterrorism Strategic Analysis Sub-committee (Italian: Sottocomitato di Analisi Strategica Antiterrorismo, S.A.S.A.) is a permanent table within the National Intelligence Committee and chaired by the Political Police Division head (or by a delegate), where strategic information on internal and international terrorist threats is shared and evaluated. The ductility and slimness of the working methodology, along with constant consultation and linking between the various components, enable the Subcommittee to have a thorough and timely evaluation of the news, aimed at activating the necessary preventive and counter-measures.
The Sub-Committee consists of representatives of the various security branches involved: Central Security Office Political Police Division, Confidential Affairs Division, O.V.R.A. and Intelligence and Security Organization, as well as police corps.
Organized Crime Strategic Analysis Sub-committee
The Organized Crime Strategic Analysis Sub-committee (Italian: Sottocomitato di Analisi Strategica del Crimine Organizzato, S.A.S.C.O.) is a permanent table within the National Intelligence Committee and chaired by the Criminal Police Division head or by a delegate, where strategic information on internal and international terrorist threats is shared and evaluated. The ductility and slimness of the working methodology, along with constant consultation and linking between the various components, enable the Subcommittee to have a thorough and timely evaluation of the news, aimed at activating the necessary preventive and counter-measures.
The Sub-Committee consists of representatives of the various security branches involved: Central Anti-Mafia Investigative Directorate, Criminal Police Division, O.V.R.A. and Intelligence and Security Organization, as well as police corps.
