Author(s): Mircea STAN, Florin BUȘTIUC
Publication name: Romanian Intelligence Studies Review
Publisher name: Mihai Viteazul National Intelligence Academy
Publication type: Journal article
Publication date: December 31, 2018
Pagination:
Issue/ Volume: 19-20/2018
DOI:
Abstract
The article analyses the impact of the active measures program within the
collaboration and information exchanges among Warsaw Treaty Organization
member states’ security and intelligence services against the West and NATO allies
during the Cold War. The active measures conceived by the Soviets have been and still
are truly sophisticated instruments that generate strategic events with the aim of
creating advantages on short, mid and long term. The Soviet active measures program
was an integrated part of the Warsaw Treaty Organization members’ security and
intelligence services collaboration against what was known as a common enemy, the
West and NATO.
From the very eve of institutionalized intelligence/counter intelligence
structures the cooperation and information sharing were a necessity for gathering
information. The fall of the Iron Curtain over Europe was the start of a race between
security and intelligence services from East and West. The successful operations of the
Warsaw Treaty members against the West and NATO were partly due to the cooperation
of their security and intelligence structures, and a very important role was played by the
active measures program.
The working hypotheses are: the insufficient studies dedicated to the subject
and the importance of the active measures for the past, present and future of the
security and intelligence services; declassification and further possibility of studying
documents relevant for the topic; the importance of bilateral and multilateral
cooperation and information sharing during the Cold War inside the Warsaw Treaty
Organization; the extent of the active measures program in the field of cooperation
and information sharing.
Keywords: active measures program, security, intelligence, counterintelligence,
espionage, inter-institutional cooperation, information sharing, diplomacy.
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