Hundred fifth edition of the N&O column / Spooks newsletter

(Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2006 21:29:15 +0200)

Intelligence profile : Belarus

Background

After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place.

General

Country name	:	Respublika Byelarus' (Belarus)
		Republic of Belarus (Belarus )
Capital	:	Minsk

Administrative divisions	:	6 provinces (voblastsi); Brest, Homyel', Horad Hrodna, Mahilyow, Minsk, Vitsyebsk and 1 municipality (horad); Minsk.

Note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers.

Military, security & intelligence

Military branches:

Army, Air and Air Defense Force.

Security & Intelligence:

State Control Committee
Security Council
Ministerstvo Vnutrennykh Del - MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs)
Ministry of Defense
- Military Intelligence Section
State Custom Committee
Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti - KGB (Committee on State Security)
Presidential Guard

Security Council

The Security Council is composed of ministers and heads of security and is chaired by the president. The council advises the president on national security issues.

State Control Committee

The State Control Committee (former State Security Committee) is a parliamentary committee that reviews the Belarus laws and the activities of the security services.

Komitet Gosudarstvenno Bezopasnosti - KGB
(Committee on State Security)

Belarus is the only former Soviet country where the secret service retained its name. The tasks and responsibilities of the KGB are also still the same. The KGB reports directly to the president. Some 2000 officers are employed by the KGB.

The agency has at least 10 Directorates:

Main Counterintelligence Directorate
Main Directorate for Economic Security and the Fight Against Corruption
Military Counterintelligence Directorate
Foreign Intelligence Directorate
Economic Security Directorate
Regional directorates at Minsk City, Minsk Oblast, IBrest Oblast, Vitsebsk Oblast and Hrodna Oblast

Ministerstvo Vnutrennykh Del - MVD
(Ministry of Internal Affairs)

The MVD reports directly to the president. The ministry is responsible for the Belarussian Police Force, the Border Troops and the Special Riot Police. The Police Force also has an intelligence unit.

Ministry of Defence

The Military Intelligence Section of the MoD is responsible for military intelligence collection and counterintelligence.

State Custom Committee

The State Custom Committee protects the economic interests of Belarus in cooperation with customs bodies of foreign states, international customs organizations and it participates in the international customs and trade organizations. It collects customs duties, taxes and other customs payments. The Committee has an intelligence unit.

Presidential guard

The Belarusian Presidential Guard is a law-enforcement body that was designed to protect the President of Belarus and other high ranking officials. Unofficially, the Guard is said to be a secret police force under direct control of President Alexander Lukashenko.

Sources

KGB (http://www.kgb.by/)
RFE/RL Newsline (http://www.rferl.org)
Axis News (http://www.axisglobe.com)
The Library of Congress Country Studies (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/bytoc.html)
CIA World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html)