The General Security Directorate (GSD) (مديرية الامن العامة, Mudiriyat al-Amn al-Amma) was the intelligence agency of Iraq. Although details on its organisation were not made clear at the time, the General Security Directorate's designated mission was to "infiltrate and annihilate Iraq's tenacious insurgency".[1]
After the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, L. Paul Bremer disbanded Saddam Hussein's military and security services, including the Mukhabarat. As the security situation within Iraq deteriorated and Iraqi resistance to the occupation became stronger and more violent, the need for a secret service became more pressing. In December 2003, the Washington Post reported, Iyad Allawi and Nouri Badran, two members of the Interim Governing Council and Iraqi National Accord officials, flew to the US to discuss details of setting up a new secret service with the help of the CIA. The agency was to be headed by Badran and recruit many agents of Saddam's Mukhabarat. The main objective of the new organisation was to counter the insurgency.[2]
In January 2004, the New York Times reported that the creation of the new agency was under way. It was to employ between 500 and 2,000 staff and be financed by the U.S. government. Ibrahim al-Janabi was said to be the main candidate for leading the spy agency. These efforts drew criticism from Ahmed Chalabi, another formerly exiled Iraqi politician who had good connections with the CIA, who voiced worries that the new agency might be used for the restoration of the old Ba'athist security apparatus and follow the well-established pattern of government repression.
In March 2004, L. Paul Bremer announced the creation of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, headed by Mohammed Abdullah Mohammed al-Shahwani and replaced the GSD. The INIS is funded from secret funds set aside within the Iraq appropriation approved by the US Congress. These secret funds, totalling $3 billion over three years, are said to be destined for covert CIA operations within Iraq (as well as, to a small extent, Afghanistan).[3]
In June 2004, it was reported that the GSD also included ex-Iraqi Intelligence Service agents.[4] It was announced by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi at a press conference in July 2004 in a climate of widespread violence by terrorist groups and the Iraqi insurgency.[5]
general, security, directorate, iraq, previous, iraqi, domestic, intelligence, agency, directorate, general, security, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsour. For the previous Iraqi domestic intelligence agency see Directorate of General Security This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources General Security Directorate Iraq news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2013 Learn how and when to remove this message The General Security Directorate GSD مديرية الامن العامة Mudiriyat al Amn al Amma was the intelligence agency of Iraq Although details on its organisation were not made clear at the time the General Security Directorate s designated mission was to infiltrate and annihilate Iraq s tenacious insurgency 1 General Security DirectorateMudiriyat al Amn al Ammaمديرية الامن العامةAgency overviewFormedJanuary 2004Preceding agenciesal Amn al Amm internal secret police Mukhabarat external Superseding agencyIraqi National Intelligence ServiceJurisdictionGovernment of IraqHeadquartersBaghdad IraqEmployees500 2 000Agency executiveZuheir Fadel Abbas al GhirbawiParent agencyIndependent The GSD was eventually replaced by the Iraqi National Intelligence Service History editAfter the 2003 U S invasion of Iraq L Paul Bremer disbanded Saddam Hussein s military and security services including the Mukhabarat As the security situation within Iraq deteriorated and Iraqi resistance to the occupation became stronger and more violent the need for a secret service became more pressing In December 2003 the Washington Post reported Iyad Allawi and Nouri Badran two members of the Interim Governing Council and Iraqi National Accord officials flew to the US to discuss details of setting up a new secret service with the help of the CIA The agency was to be headed by Badran and recruit many agents of Saddam s Mukhabarat The main objective of the new organisation was to counter the insurgency 2 In January 2004 the New York Times reported that the creation of the new agency was under way It was to employ between 500 and 2 000 staff and be financed by the U S government Ibrahim al Janabi was said to be the main candidate for leading the spy agency These efforts drew criticism from Ahmed Chalabi another formerly exiled Iraqi politician who had good connections with the CIA who voiced worries that the new agency might be used for the restoration of the old Ba athist security apparatus and follow the well established pattern of government repression In March 2004 L Paul Bremer announced the creation of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service headed by Mohammed Abdullah Mohammed al Shahwani and replaced the GSD The INIS is funded from secret funds set aside within the Iraq appropriation approved by the US Congress These secret funds totalling 3 billion over three years are said to be destined for covert CIA operations within Iraq as well as to a small extent Afghanistan 3 In June 2004 it was reported that the GSD also included ex Iraqi Intelligence Service agents 4 It was announced by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi at a press conference in July 2004 in a climate of widespread violence by terrorist groups and the Iraqi insurgency 5 References edit General Security Directorate Iraq Spy Service Planned by U S To Stem Attacks CIA Said to Be Enlisting Hussein Agents Washington Post December 11 2003 Phoenix Rising Archived 2004 09 23 at the Wayback Machine The American Prospect January 1 2004 Back to the past in Iraq Archived from the original on 2006 10 17 Allawi sets up spy agency 17 July 2004 33 20 N 44 29 E 33 33 N 44 48 E 33 33 44 48 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title General Security Directorate Iraq amp oldid 1182445749, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
