Virgil Măgureanu
Encyclopedia
Virgil Măgureanu, is a Romania
n sociologist that was the head of the main intelligence service of Romania, Serviciul Român de Informaţii
, or SRI (Romanian Intelligence Service) between 1990-1997. His name at birth
was Imre Asztalos.
According to the Central Intelligence Agency
, Măgureanu was named to the post in March 1990 primarily on the basis of his "dissident" status within Ceausescu's regime, based on his teachings at the communist party's social science academy during the 1980s. Initially Măgureanu managed to hide his membership in the Securitate
from the post-communist authorities, but his affiliation was exposed by the press years later.
Western intelligence services discovered that immediately after his appointment, in April 1990, Măgureanu met secretly with KGB
Chief Evghenii Primakov without informing the political authorities in Romania. Măgureanu's KGB contacts remained unknown to the Romanian Presidency and Governments until 2003, when the Western services that monitored those contacts informed Bucharest
.
According to the CIA, Măgureanu's activities, and the fact that the CIA chief in Bucharest during 1990-92, Harold James Nicholson
was later exposed as a Soviet agent, followed by the 1994 arrest of Aldrich Ames
, effectively rendered closer intelligence relations between Romania and the West impossible during the first half of the 1990s.
Virgil Măgureanu was deposed as head of SRI in 1997, at the beginning of Emil Constantinescu
's mandate as President of Romania.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n sociologist that was the head of the main intelligence service of Romania, Serviciul Român de Informaţii
Serviciul Român de Informatii
The Romanian Intelligence Service is the Romanian domestic intelligence service. It is considered the descendant of the former Departamentul Securităţii Statului , of the Socialist Republic of Romania. The official decree The Romanian Intelligence Service (', SRI) is the Romanian domestic...
, or SRI (Romanian Intelligence Service) between 1990-1997. His name at birth
Name at birth
The name at birth is the name a child is given by his or her parents, according to a generally universal custom, and legal requirement. What happens subsequently about this name has a substantial cultural component....
was Imre Asztalos.
According to the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, Măgureanu was named to the post in March 1990 primarily on the basis of his "dissident" status within Ceausescu's regime, based on his teachings at the communist party's social science academy during the 1980s. Initially Măgureanu managed to hide his membership in the Securitate
Securitate
The Securitate was the secret police agency of Communist Romania. Previously, the Romanian secret police was called Siguranţa Statului. Founded on August 30, 1948, with help from the Soviet NKVD, the Securitate was abolished in December 1989, shortly after President Nicolae Ceaușescu was...
from the post-communist authorities, but his affiliation was exposed by the press years later.
Western intelligence services discovered that immediately after his appointment, in April 1990, Măgureanu met secretly with KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
Chief Evghenii Primakov without informing the political authorities in Romania. Măgureanu's KGB contacts remained unknown to the Romanian Presidency and Governments until 2003, when the Western services that monitored those contacts informed Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
.
According to the CIA, Măgureanu's activities, and the fact that the CIA chief in Bucharest during 1990-92, Harold James Nicholson
Harold James Nicholson
For the English diplomat, author, diarist and politician, see Harold Nicolson.Harold James Nicholson is a former Central Intelligence Agency officer and a twice-convicted spy for Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service...
was later exposed as a Soviet agent, followed by the 1994 arrest of Aldrich Ames
Aldrich Ames
Aldrich Hazen Ames is a former Central Intelligence Agency counter-intelligence officer and analyst, who, in 1994, was convicted of spying for the Soviet Union and Russia...
, effectively rendered closer intelligence relations between Romania and the West impossible during the first half of the 1990s.
Virgil Măgureanu was deposed as head of SRI in 1997, at the beginning of Emil Constantinescu
Emil Constantinescu
Emil Constantinescu was President of Romania from 1996 to 2000.He graduated from the law school of the University of Bucharest, and subsequently started a career as a geologist...
's mandate as President of Romania.