Author(s): Florin BUȘTIUC, Mircea STAN
Publication name: Romanian Intelligence Studies Review
Publisher name: Mihai Viteazul National Intelligence Academy
Publication type: Journal article
Publication date: December 31, 2021
Pagination:
Issue/ Volume: 26/2021
DOI:
Abstract:
In general, counterintelligence is a process of detecting, preventing, exploiting
and manipulating the intelligence activities of opposing/external entities (groups,
organizations, states), and is usually explained as protection of secrets against espionage
(counterintelligence). In particular, in some states, in addition to the classic intelligence
activities, clandestine/covert operations (in Western terminology) or active measures (in
Soviet/Russian terminology) are conducted. By means of such operations the decisions
or events, the political, military or social circumstances in another state are influenced in
order to promote own foreign policy objectives. Such operations are conducted by
intelligence structures, as they have available specialized personnel and specific skills,
necessary for the complex integration of various resources and techniques to exercise
influence. Taking this aspect into account, it should come as no surprise that the
approaches used in order to identify and neutralize such operations get materialized in
the area of counterintelligence. The paper is aimed at exploring some active measures
which could be used to reconfigure counterintelligence, becoming then relevant for an
effective national security policy. A comparative analysis between the two former Cold
War superpowers – the USSR and the US – is performed in order to exemplify and
support the arguments presented while also underlining the peculiarity of Soviet
(present day Russian) conducts. In the first instance, the historical perspective/lens is
used to account for the patterns developed during the Cold War, and then, shifting to the
current status-quo, their relevance is explained in the present-day context.
Keywords: intelligence, counterintelligence, espionage, counterespionage,
active measures.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License.