General Intelligence Department (Saudi Arabia): Difference between revisions
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Saudi Arabia's national intelligence service, the '''General Intelligence Department (GID)''', grew to substantial size in the 1970s, under the directorship of Prince Turki al-Faisal. | |||
It was described as organizationally modeled after the | It was described as organizationally modeled after the CIA, with directorates including operations and intelligence, as well as signals intelligence.<ref name=Coll>{{citation | ||
| author = Steve Coll | | author = [[Steve Coll]] | ||
| publisher = Penguin | year = 2004 | | publisher = Penguin | year = 2004 | ||
| title = Ghost Wars: the Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001}},pp. 79-82</ref> The general impression is that it does not have a direct action capability of its own, but recruits foreign individuals or groups. | | title = Ghost Wars: the Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001}},pp. 79-82</ref> The general impression is that it does not have a direct action capability of its own, but recruits foreign individuals or groups; Turki was said to have told a CIA colleague "We don't do operations. We don't know how. All we know how to do is write checks."<ref>Quote attributed to Frank Anderson, a retired CIA officer and partner of journalist Nat Kern, quoted by Coll, p. 72</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
Latest revision as of 11:00, 25 March 2024
Saudi Arabia's national intelligence service, the General Intelligence Department (GID), grew to substantial size in the 1970s, under the directorship of Prince Turki al-Faisal.
It was described as organizationally modeled after the CIA, with directorates including operations and intelligence, as well as signals intelligence.[1] The general impression is that it does not have a direct action capability of its own, but recruits foreign individuals or groups; Turki was said to have told a CIA colleague "We don't do operations. We don't know how. All we know how to do is write checks."[2]
References
- ↑ Steve Coll (2004), Ghost Wars: the Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, Penguin,pp. 79-82
- ↑ Quote attributed to Frank Anderson, a retired CIA officer and partner of journalist Nat Kern, quoted by Coll, p. 72