Directorate of General Security

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the later Iraqi domestic intelligence agency, see General Security Directorate (Iraq).
Directorate of General Security
al-Amn al-‘Amm
Government of Iraq
HeadquartersBaghdad, Iraq
Employees10,000 (2002)
Agency executive
  • Rafi Abd al-Latif Tilfah al-Tikriti (1997–2003), Director
Parent agencyIndependent

The Directorate of General Security (DGS) (

Arabic: مديرية الأمن العام, romanized: Mudiria al-Amn al-‘Amm, lit. 'Public Security Directorate') also known as Internal State Security was a domestic Iraqi intelligence agency
.

History

The DGS was founded in 1921 during the

Iraqi monarchy, and it operated under the Ministry of the Interior until 1968.[1] Its police and army officers were charged with the "general security of the state and its property", which included the use of torture and monitoring of dissent.[2]

Kzar coup

Nadhim Kzar was named director by Saddam Hussein in 1969 after the DGS had deteriorated under 10 years (1958–1968) of army rule.[3] Kzar was known for his sadism, and during his term the DGS tortured and killed thousands. Much of this violence was directed against the Iraqi Communist Party and Iraqi Kurds; Kzar twice attempted to assassinate Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani.[3]

Kzar was a

Izzat Ibrahim ad-Douri, then executed that same month.[4]

Reorganization

As a result of the attempted 1973 coup, Saddam Hussein sought a secret agreement with

Iraqi embassy support of Soviet agents in countries without Soviet relations.[5]

A 1974 Political Report of the Arab Socialist Baath Party' acknowledged the failings of the government in controlling the DGS:

"The State security service, though reinforced throughout by Party members and independent patriots, was an immense machine which, under previous regimes, had used blackmail against the party and other national movements, and thus had evolved a peculiar psychology. To reform it, to make it adopt new values and practices was therefore very difficult. It has indeed made serious mistakes during the period under review [1968–1973], to the detriment of the Party's reputation and policy in various fields. The leadership was at fault in allowing this sensitive organisation to operate without rigorous and careful control. Some officers of this service abused the confidence placed in them by the Party, to the extent of conspiring against the Party, as in the plot of 30 June 1973. This criminal enterprise alerted the Party to the dangers of inadequate control, and extensive changes were made."[6]

Saddam Hussein era

The DGS was reestablished as an independent entity reporting directly to

Ba'athist ideology within the ranks by appointing as DGS Director his first cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid. Majid led the DGS throughout the Iran–Iraq War, transforming it into a political force notorious for "torture, kidnapping, murder, and rape".[2]

During the

Al-Rashid Hotel and from Ministry of Culture and Information guides and translators, who were a journalist's only option when visiting Iraq.[8]

In 2002, Jane's Intelligence Review reported that the DGS employed 10,000 personnel, mainly Ba'ath Party members.[9]

In April 2002, a defector who had been a lieutenant colonel in the DGS stated that 40% of the rank and file DGS personnel were not showing up for work, instead preparing forged papers to exchange for dollars and euros.[10]

The last director of DGS before the

U.S. military's most-wanted Iraqi playing cards. According to the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, he was a leader in the insurgency against Coalition forces.[11] As of 2018, he remained wanted by the Iraqi government and is still at large.[12]

The DGS was officially dissolved on May 23, 2003, per

Order Number 2 of the Coalition Provisional Authority under L. Paul Bremer.[13]

Known directors

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f al-Marashi, Ibrahim (September 2002). "Iraq's Security and Intelligence Network: A Guide and Analysis". Middle East Review of International Affairs. Archived from the original on 2008-01-10. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
  2. ^
    ISBN 0-415-25411-6
    p. 54–55
  3. ^
    ISBN 0-679-73502-X
    p. 6
  4. ISBN 1-58234-050-1
    p. 103–105
  5. ^ al-Khalil, 12–13.
  6. ^ Kanan Makiya. Republic of Fear: The Politics of Modern Iraq, Updated Edition, (1998), p. 7.
  7. ^ a b Hiltermann, Joost. Bureaucracy of Repression: The Iraqi Government in Its Own Words. Human Rights Watch, 1994. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
  8. ISBN 1-56025-477-7
    p. 62
  9. ^ Gause, Ken. "Can the Iraqi security apparatus save Saddam?", Jane's Intelligence Review, November 1, 2002.
  10. ^ Borger, Julian. "Iraq rearming for war, say defectors: Gun running Baghdad buying up east European weapons: Baghdad buying up weapons, say defectors", The Guardian, April 29, 2002.
  11. ^ Jehl, Douglas; Schmitt, Eric (2004-06-13). "Errors Are Seen in Early Attacks on Iraqi Leaders". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 21, 2012. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
  12. ^ "فيديو | هكذا ردت رغد صدام حسين على حكومة بغداد". وكالة وطن للأنباء. Archived from the original on 2020-05-27.
  13. ^ "Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 2: Dissolution of Entities" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2004-07-01. Retrieved 2008-01-26.
  14. ISBN 0-275-96528-7
    p. 155
  15. ^ a b "Saddam appoints new intelligence, security heads", Al-Sharq al-Awsat, October 20, 1999. Translated by BBC Worldwide Monitoring.
  16. ^ Smith, David (2006-12-31). "Hunting the pack". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
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