Belgian General Information and Security Service
Encyclopedia
The General Intelligence and Security Service (GISS), known in Dutch as Algemene Dienst Inlichting en Veiligheid (ADIV), and in French as Service Général du Renseignement et de la Sécurité (SGR) is the Belgian
military intelligence
service under responsibility of the Minister of National Defense. It is one of two Belgian intelligence services, together with the civilian Belgian State Security Service
.
The director of GISS is also called the Assistant Chief of Staff Intelligence and Security (ACOS IS), which is part of the Defense Staff of the Belgian military.
The Service has four divisions, the Intelligence Division, the Security Division, the Security Intelligence Division, and the Support Division.
brought attention and criticism to the activities and ineffectiveness of the nation’s police and intelligence agencies.
In 1991, following two government enquiries, a permanent parliamentary committee known as the Committee I
was established to bring these agencies, not previously subject to any outside control, under the authority of Belgium’s federal parliament. Legislation governing the missions and methods of these agencies was put in place in 1998.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
service under responsibility of the Minister of National Defense. It is one of two Belgian intelligence services, together with the civilian Belgian State Security Service
Belgian State Security Service
The Belgian State Security Service, known in Dutch as Veiligheid van de Staat, or Staatsveiligheid , and in French as Sûreté de l'État , is a Belgian intelligence agency...
.
The director of GISS is also called the Assistant Chief of Staff Intelligence and Security (ACOS IS), which is part of the Defense Staff of the Belgian military.
The Service has four divisions, the Intelligence Division, the Security Division, the Security Intelligence Division, and the Support Division.
History
During the 1980s, a number of incidents including the Walloon Brabant supermarket killings, the activities of terrorist groups such as the Combatant Communist Cells and the neo-Nazi Westland New PostWestland New Post
Westland New Post was a Belgian extreme right-wing organization founded in March 1981 by Paul Latinus and members of the Front de la Jeunesse...
brought attention and criticism to the activities and ineffectiveness of the nation’s police and intelligence agencies.
In 1991, following two government enquiries, a permanent parliamentary committee known as the Committee I
Committee I
The Committee I, or the Permanent Oversight Committee on the Intelligence and Security Services , exercises external oversight over the Belgian State Security Service and the General Intelligence and Security Service...
was established to bring these agencies, not previously subject to any outside control, under the authority of Belgium’s federal parliament. Legislation governing the missions and methods of these agencies was put in place in 1998.
See also
- Belgian stay-behind networkBelgian stay-behind networkThe Belgian stay-behind network, colloquially called "Gladio" was a secret mixed civilian and military unit, trained to form a resistance movement in the event of a Soviet invasion and part of a network of similar organizations in NATO-countries...
- Gladio in Belgium