The General Intelligence Presidency (GIP) (Arabic: (ر.ا.ع) رئاسة الاستخبارات العامةRi'āsat Al-Istikhbārāt Al-'Āmah) is the primary intelligence agency of Saudi Arabia.
Structure
The highest authority for GIP is the King of Saudi Arabia, King Salman. In accordance with Article 60 of the Basic Law, he has the authority to dismiss and appoint the directors.
From 2005 to 2012, Prince Muqrin was the Director General of the GIP and Prince Faisal ibn Abdullah ibn Muhammed Al Saud was his deputy.
History
The role of intelligence was recognized by King Abdulaziz Al Saud who had used it in his unification of Saudi Arabia. His interest in modern communication increasingly grew when he set up the first radio communications system in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom started the intelligence service in 1955 under the name of Al-Mabahith Al Aammah.
During the reign of King Saud bin Abdulaziz, the General Intelligence was separated from the Mabahith (General Investigation Directorate). Intelligence was established as an independent security service with the issuing of the Royal Decree 11 in 1957 that ordered the setting up of a special department under the title of Maslahat Al-Istikhbarat Al-Aammah or (General Intelligence Department).[2] During this period two branches of the Presidency were set up locally, the western branch in Jeddah, and eastern one in Dhahran.[2]
The GIP expanded under King Faisal bin Abdulaziz, with the opening of offices abroad. The agency expanded its monitoring of internal threats after the 1979 capture of the Grand Mosque in Mecca.[3]
The GIP's charter was changed by King Khaled bin Abdulaziz in 1982, by Royal Decree M-5, dated 19 December 1982, which set out its responsibilities, duties, and the limits of its activities. This established the internal organization of the agency with a General Department for Operations, the General Department for Administration and Finance, the General Department for Training and Planning, and the General Department for Technical Affairs. Along with the National Research Center, and the Center for Media and International Communications (previously Center for Translation and Media).[2]
In 1997, the Office for External Communications was transferred to the Presidency from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. Its name was also changed to the General Department for External Communications, and it was strengthened with the addition of high-tech equipment and specialists in radio surveillance. This period saw the expansion of the activities of the agency abroad with the establishment and development of more offices in other countries, and through more effort to organize its work.
During the reign of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz the Higher Committee for Development was set up and was chaired by the President of the General Intelligence Presidency; its membership consisted of the heads of the various departments of the GIP. Also during the tenure of King Fahd, the administrative structuring of the Information Center was approved.
In late January 2013, interior minister Prince Muhammad bin Nayef announced that Saudi women would be allowed to work at the directorate.[4]
The Safari Club was an alliance of intelligence services formed in 1976 that ran covert operations around Africa at a time when the United States Congress had clipped the CIA's wings over years of abuses.[5] Its formal members were Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and France. The group maintained informal connections with the United States.
The Soviet–Afghan War lasted over nine years, from December 1979 to February 1989. Insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller Maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the Soviet Army and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan government, mostly in the rural countryside. The mujahideen groups were backed primarily by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, making it a Cold Warproxy war. Saudi Arabia would continue to support certain factions of the Mujahedeen against the Afghan government of Mohammad Najibullah following the withdrawal of Soviet forces from the country.
On 29 October 2010, two packages, each containing a bomb consisting of 300 to 400 grams (11–14 oz) of plastic explosives and a detonating mechanism, were found on separate cargo planes. The bombs were discovered as a result of intelligence received from Saudi Arabia's security chief. They were bound from Yemen to the United States, and were discovered at en route stop-overs, one at East Midlands Airport in the UK and one in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
One week later, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) took responsibility for the plot, and for the crash of UPS Airlines Flight 6.[6] American and British authorities believed Anwar al-Awlaki of AQAP was behind the bombing attempts, and that the bombs were most likely constructed by AQAP's main explosives expert, Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri.[7][8] The bombs were probably designed to detonate mid-air, with the intention of destroying both planes over Chicago or another city in the U.S.[9][10] Each bomb had already been transported on passenger and cargo planes at the time of discovery.
Saudi Arabia's involvement in the Syrian War involved the large-scale supply of weapons and ammunition to various rebel groups in Syria during the Syrian civil war.
The Financial Times reported in May 2013 that Qatar was becoming a larger provider of arms to the various groups.[11] In the summer of 2013 Saudi Arabia emerged as the main group financing and arming the rebels.[12] Saudi Arabia financed a large purchase of infantry weapons, such as Yugoslav-made recoilless guns and the M79 Osa, an anti-tank weapon, from Croatia via shipments shuttled through Jordan.[13] The weapons began reaching rebels in December 2012 which allowed rebels' small tactical gains against the Syrian army.[13] This shipment was said to be to counter shipments of weapons from Iran to aid the Syrian government.[13]
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar have received criticism from the Western Media for backing certain Syrian rebels associated with the Army of Conquest, which includes the al-Nusra front, an al-Qaeda affiliated group.[14]
In August 2017, the Syrian opposition was informed by the Saudi foreign minister that the Kingdom was disengaging from them.[15] Subsequently, Saudi Arabia has taken a more conciliatory stance towards the Syrian government.[16]
Timber Sycamore was a classified weapons supply and training program run by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and supported by Arab intelligence services, including the security service in Saudi Arabia. Launched in 2012 or 2013, it supplied money, weaponry and training to rebel forces fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war. According to US officials, the program trained thousands of rebels.[17][18]
Turki Al Faisal (1979-2001): Turki Al Faisal served as the president of Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah until 2001.[21] Prince Turki resigned abruptly from his post tens days before the 9/11 attacks in 2001 (in which 14 Saudi nationals hijacked and crashed US commercial airliners) despite having had his appointment extended in May 2001 for another four years.[22]
Nawaf bin Abdulaziz (2001-2005) replaced Prince Turki on 1 September 2001. The organization was renamed "The General Intelligence Presidency" during Nawwaf's tenure.[23] Nawwaf was relieved of his duty as the head of GIP by Crown Prince Abdullah on 25 January 2005. For nine months, nobody was appointed to head the presidency.[24][25]
Prince Bandar bin Sultan (2012-2014) was appointed director general of Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah, replacing Muqrin bin Abdulaziz.[29] Another Saudi royal, Prince Abdulaziz bin Bandar, who had been vice head of the directorate, was relieved from his post, and Youssef bin Ali Al Idrisi replaced him as vice head in October 2012.[30]
Youssef bin Ali Al Idrissi (2014): On 15 April 2014 Prince Bandar bin Sultan was removed from his position "at his own request" according to the announcement in the Saudi state media.[31][32] It was reported that Prince Bandar would be replaced by his deputy, Youssef bin Ali Al Idrissi.[33]
Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud (2014-2015): However, Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud became the director general of the Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah on 30 June 2014.[34] His term ended on 29 January 2015 when Khalid bin Ali Al Humaidan replaced him in the post.[35]
^Anthony Cordesman. (2006). Saudi Arabia: National Security in a Troubled Region. Center for Strategic and International Studies. p. 234. ISBN9780313380761.
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