The main aim of this article is to show the role of Ukrainian police and special services in religious conflicts. According to the author the religious conflictis the situation in which at least one party to a dispute is defined through the prism of its relationship to religion. Ukraineis one of those post-Soviet countries, where–due to nothing unhampered freedom of religion–religious conflicts are the most. In view of the size of the paper we present only the most important of them. The author notes that the Ukrainian police and the Security Service of Ukraine are not contracting safeguard security and public order, but antagonizes parties to the dispute, andevenactors are considered conflicts. Many hope related to improving the image associated with the reform of the authorities responsible for internal security of Ukraine.
The existence of NATO and the Warsaw Pact was the start of intensified competition for spheres of influence. Beneficiaries who were leading those political-military organizations, the United States and the Soviet Union, in the process of implementing their strategic objectives used a wide range of forces and assets owned. Their secret services, whose activities were of total character, took an active part in this rivalry. It is difficult to say what those services were not interested in. They were active participants in the information war, which supported primarily foreign policy and military operations. Their satellite states, which were of interest to intelligence services because of their military potential, were also involved in the ongoing political and ideological confrontation. One such example was Poland, which was recognized not only by the intelligence of the NATO countries (U.S., Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, West Germany), but also by intelligence of its allies (the Soviet Union and East Germany).
One of the most basic functions of the state is to ensure the security to it and its citizens. Significant elements are: perseverance, political independence, territorial integrity and maintenance proper level of life quality. Today’s intelligence, which is part of the structures of security organs, belongs to the elite part of the special forces performing strategic goals. Therefore, acquiring the information by OSINT is important not only for the institution itself but also for citizens. OSINT is one of the means by which security is provided to the internal and external states. Open source information is one of the agents of economic, political, military, etc. Books, periodicals, statistical yearbooks, social networking sites and daily newspapers belong to the basic, verified sources. In globalized world, OSINT has particular importance because, due to the obtained information, the state can take defensive action. In this article, the author pointed out the use of OSINT in the military diagnosis.
The article presents proposals for actions aimed at shaping the desired perception of surveillance by Polish citizens. It addresses the following issues: the terminology of operational control and the public perception of specific concepts covering surveillance issues, the impact of trust in the special services and the institutions supervising them on the public’s approach to the issue of surveillance, and the level of the public awareness of security. The article cites the results of a survey conducted by the author in 2023 and an analysis of material on surveillance and its public perception. Based on these, solutions are proposed to raise public awareness of the need for specific security activities.
In this article considered was issue of special services, which became particularly interesting after the Second World War. Made was an attempt of characterizing methods used by special services, and of formulating general definitions of terms associated to them, such as: intelligence services, spy, diversion and sabotage. Considered was also an unevident relation of special services to terrorist activity, especially the so called cyberterrorism, which in the article was characterized through indication of most common methods of such actions. Relevant for the article is also issue of security and information protection, particularly legal ways of fighting terrorism and activities of foreign special services.
The purpose of this article is to present the origins and assumptions of the Russian concept of coercive migration engineering and its practical application with particular emphasis on the role of special services in such activities. The engineering of coercive migration has become an unprecedented form of leverage through which the Russian Federation pursues its geopolitical interests. The country’s use of this tool is a fact and not a conspiracy theory devoid of empirical evidence, as some analysts associated with European Union institutions believe. A comparison of the course of the exodus of Cubans from Mariel to Miami in 1980 and the Finnish-Russian migration crisis in 2015-2016 proves that at least since the Cold War, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and then the Russian Federation - on the basis of innovative approaches to security problems and conflict theory in military science - have developed effective means and methods of engineering coercive migration, making it a tool for destabilizing states and forcing political concessions favorable to themselves.
The author discussed the matter of managing Polish special services, including the liquidation of the security service created in the period of the Polish People’s Republic and the establishment of the State Protection Office (SPO). The attention was paid inter alia to changes in the organization and in the scope of supervision over the SPO, which took place in 1996, as well as to the establishment in 1995 of the Sejm’s Special Services Committee. In 2002, the Internal Security Agency and the Foreign Intelligence Agency were established in the place of the SPO. Four years later, the Central Anticorruption Bureau was formed. The author came to the conclusion that changes in the scope of supervision and control over civil special services in the Polish state between 1990 and 2016 were connected, above all, to ongoing political events in Poland.
The material scope of the research problem presented in the text encompasses the issues concerned with the possibilities for and limitations of recruiting secret collaborators by the Polish civilian intelligence service. The analysis of the problematics of secret collaboration focuses mainly on institutional and legal aspects, which can be seen in its inclusion in the systemic legal perspective, encompassing such dimensions as administrative and legal, criminal and legal, civil and legal, and ethical one. Next to the normative aspects, the text addresses sociological and psychological aspects of recruiting secret collaborators by special services, thereby depicting the main recruitment methods. The methodology adopted is chiefly based on the institutional and legal approach, in which use is made of, inter alia, textual, functional and systemic interpretations. The problem of possible abuse concerned with the recruitment of secret collaborators by special services is illustrated with an abstract case study and a relevant legal interpretation. Besides, to extend the analysis of psychological and sociological aspects of recruiting secret collaborators, the study uses limited open interviews with former officers of the civilian special services operating in Poland before 1990.
The aim of the article is to analyze the determinants and other conditions of the religious policy of the Polish state towards the Methodist Church in the Stalinist period. The author took into account conceptual, programmatic, executive and operational activities undertaken by a complex subject of power, formed by three structures: party, administrative and special services. In his opinion, the liquidation direction of religious policy towards the Methodist Church was determined primarily by two factors: 1) the activity of Methodists in Masuria, which was assessed as “harmful activities” because they were competitive to the activity of the Evangelical-Augsburg Church (in which the authorities placed great hopes for effective repolonization of the native population), 2) strong links between the Methodist Church in Poland and the Methodist Church in the West (United States of America, Canada, Great Britain, Sweden). The liquidationa ctivities have been depicted primarily on the basis of solutions included in the action of special services under the codename “Moda”. The author also explains the reasons for the final resignation from the liquidation policy towards Polish Methodism and the inclusion of the Methodist Church in the direction of the rationing policy.
The main objective of this article is to systematize the knowledge of the place occupied, and the role played, in the structure of government administration by the head of the Internal Security Agency. The author examines legal solutions allowing to characterize the legal status of the head of the Internal Security Agency as a body performing tasks arising from the functions of the State and as the entity in charge of a part of government administration capable to perform these tasks. According to the author, this objective requires presentation of the constitutional and statutory provisions relating to the position of Head of the Internal Security Agency and characterization of powers which he/she may use in order to implement his/her tasks. The article provides a survey of the constitutional solutions that determine the status of the Head of the Internal Security Agency as central government administration body. In this context, the author shows the relations between the Head of the Internal Security Agency and the Prime Minister, to whom he/she is subordinate and who oversees the activities of the Internal Security Agency. He also provides an analysis of the principles of organization and management of the substantive work of the Agency. From this analysis it clearly follows that the Head of the Agency has to play at least some of the key roles in the “governmental” system of the State security. On the one hand, it accounts for an important aspect of national security, which is the “internal security” and “protection of the constitutional order”. On the other hand, the head of the Internal Security Agency has the authority to initiate certain specifi c activities of the Agency in fulfi llment of its tasks. His/her scope of competences include also assessment of performance of the Agency’s functionaries in the context of their offi cial operations. Moreover, he/she is responsible for implementation of important duties in rendering information to constitutional organs of the executive and to parliament.
The end of the communist dictatorship in Poland in 1989 was tantamount to the necessity of changing the manner of the functioning of the existent special services. The book presents the model of change of the civil special services between 1989 and 1990, when the communist Security Service was liquidated, and the Of ce for State Protection was appointed with the act of 6 April 1990. The author describes the process and demonstrates that in Poland both the “option zero” and “continuation” models were rejected and a “hybrid” model was adopted instead.
Conflicts in both the military and non-military spheres have always accompanied humanity. They are part of the transformation of civilization, which is the source of many complex threats in the global security space. The international community, through its representatives, takes legal and structural decisions aimed at preventing and, in extreme cases, minimizing the consequences of irrational decisions leading to a breach of security of the state. This task is carried out by international organizations with both universal and special competence. However, the global security space and the scale of the changes taking place, with the constant competition for dominance in the geopolitical dimension and the vested interests of the participants in international relations, make organizations such as the UN or the OSCE unable to fulfill their tasks aimed at maintaining peace and international security. On the other hand, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, NATO, or the European Union represent the political and economic interests of selected states that hold key positions in these organizations and a dominant position in the international environment (global powers, regional powers and those aspiring to such a role). This affects the balance of political and military power, which subordinates weak states that only serve their interests in the global security space. Such a situation violates, among other things, the European security space, which is highly sensitive to any disruptions. With the ongoing rivalry, any irrational decision can result in an outbreak of uncontrolled conflict, the victims of which are most often civilians. Such an outcome of confrontation should always be taken into account by political elites in their decision-making process. It is worth bearing in mind that the security space is not a sphere of exporting, but of serious and prudent decisions.
The article addresses the issue of Africa's position in Soviet/Russian foreign policy viewed from historical and contemporary standpoint. The analysis indicates the fact that until early 1950's the USSR paid scant attention to African countries. Thereafter until mid 1980's the USSR attempted to influence processes of modernization and decolonization in African continent. The 1990's are characterized by withdrawing from the presence in Africa. In recent 20 years Russia again has become increasingly involved in defusing armed conflicts in that continent.
W artykule przedstawiono współpracę służb specjalnych z jednostkami specjalnymi. W pierwszej części materiału scharakteryzowano instytucje związane z działalnością jednostek specjalnych w Polsce. Opisano zmiany dokonane przez MON, którym ulegało Dowództwo Wojsk Specjalnych od końca 2013 r. do połowy 2015 r. Wspomniano elementy dotyczące planowania rozwoju sił specjalnych zarówno w Polsce, jak i w USA. Zaprezentowano spektrum operacji specjalnych z dość szczegółowym ich opisem. W drugiej części materiału opisano służby specjalne, których zadania sprowadzają się do zapewniania bezpieczeństwa kraju. Trzecia – ostatnia – część dotyczy współpracy służb specjalnych z formacjami specjalnymi, którą można podzielić na kilka elementów. Pierwszy z nich to współpraca związana z tworzeniem i wzajemnym wspieraniem się nowych jednostek specjalnych i jednostek antyterrorystycznych wchodzących w skład służb specjalnych. Kolejny element to współpraca, która przejawia się we wzajemnych skoordynowanych ćwiczeniach (szkoleniach), ostatni zaś – to wymiana informacji wywiadowczych i realizacja misji specjalnych oraz operacji specjalnych o zasięgu międzynarodowym. Zaprezentowana współpraca dotyczy polskich i zagranicznych jednostek oraz służb specjalnych.
EN
The article presents the work of the special services of special units. The first part of the material describes the characteristics of the institutions associated with the activities of special units in Poland and the changes made by the Ministry of National Defence during the period of the end of 2013 and mid 2015 relating to the Special Forces Command. The author has mentioned the elements involved in planning the development of the special forces, both in Poland and in the USA. The spectrum of special operations, with a fairly detailed description of special operations has also been presented. In the second part of the material special forces are described, whose tasks boil down to ensure the safety of the country. And the third – the last part of the article deals with cooperation between special services and special units. Special collaboration between the above mentioned departments and units can be divided into several components. The first one is related to the establishing of co-operation, mutual support that new special units get from antiterrorist units of special services. Another element is associated with mutual coordinated exercises. The next element of cooperation is the exchange of information, intelligence and implementation of special missions and special operations with international scope. Presented cooperation concerns Polish and foreign units and special services.
Artykuł ma na celu przedstawienie zmian charakteru funkcji ministra koordynatora do spraw służb specjalnych w Polsce w latach 1997–2020 ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem elementów cywilnej kontroli nad działalnością służb specjalnych ze strony władzy wykonawczej oraz elementów wskazujących na możliwość ingerencji o charakterze politycznym w merytoryczną sferę ich działalności. Funkcjonowanie takiego organu, który powinien koordynować działalność tych newralgicznych instytucji w systemie bezpieczeństwa państwa w celu harmonizacji ich współdziałania dla osiągnięcia jak najlepszych efektów dla bezpieczeństwa państwa, jest zasadne. Analiza aktów prawnych regulujących działalność tego organu oraz określania jego kompetencji w omawianym okresie wskazuje raczej na próby politycznej ingerencji i wpływu rządzących na służby specjalne niż merytorycznej działalności w celu usprawnienia systemu bezpieczeństwa państwa w tym przedmiocie lub zapewnienia demokratycznej kontroli cywilnej.
EN
The aim of the article is to present the tranformation of the function of the minister – coordinator of special services in Poland between 1997 and 2020. In particular, the elements of civil democratic control and the examples of political influence towards special services are taken into consideration. It is very important to establish the institution that can provide suitable coordination in the specific area of the state security that can lead to the special services effectiveness. The analysis of the regulations connected with the minister-coordinator creation and activity shows rather the political involvment and influence towards special services activity than the positive aspects of impoving their coordination and cooperation for the state security and civil democratic control.
In this article an attempt is made to use the cognitive approach in the study of the activities and history of a definite special service. The organization of Ukrainian nationalists is very significant for this kind of research. Its officers are characterized by national and ideological homogeneity to a high degree. The study used the concept of the „national frame of the world”., to define the professional work of staff factor. The declared historical framework allows to arrive to valid conclusions.
PL
W artykule została podjęta próba wykorzystania kognitywnego podejścia podczas badania działalności i historii wiadomej służby specjalnej. Organizacja Ukraińskich Nacjonalistów jest bardzo wzorową (znamienną) dla tego typu badań. Jej członkowie w bardzo wysokim stopniu charakteryzują się narodową i ideologiczną jednorodnością. W trakcie badań w charakterze organizującego pracę członków (OUN – red.) czynnika wykorzystane zostało pojęcie narodowego obrazu świata. Określone historyczne ramy uzasadniają prowadzone wywody.
The author in his article analyses the problem whether in the law making process, on the basis of which operate Polish special services, constitutional rights of citizens are respected. He addressed operational powers of special services as well from the respective competence acts which enable stat’s interference into freedoms and rights of citizens due to general social and state interest. In constitutional provisions regarding freedoms and rights of citizens (Article 31.3 of the constitution of 2 April 1997) there has been indicated the area in which public authority organs and other entities can interfere (solely on the basis of legal authorization) in order to ensure security for citizens, public order or environment protection, health, public morality, and freedoms and rights of other people. The author described, inter alia, the nature of operational powers of special services on the basis of the law in force, including the meaning of these powers for an effective implementation of actions designed for the services, as well as the constitutional and non-statutory frames for possible interference into rights of citizens.
PL
W artykule autor podjął się analizy problemu, czy w procesie stanowienia prawa, na którego podstawie działają polskie służby specjalne, są respektowane prawa obywateli wyrażone w Konstytucji RP. Odniósł się także do uprawnień operacyjnych służb specjalnych zawartych w ustawach kompetencyjnych, które umożliwiają ingerencję państwa w wolności i prawa jednostki ze względu na ochronę interesu ogólnospołecznego i ogólnopaństwowego. W przepisach dotyczących wolności i praw obywatela – zawartych w art. 31 ust. 3 Konstytucji RP z 2 kwietnia 1997 r. – określono obszar, w który organy władzy publicznej i inne podmioty mogą wkraczać (wyłącznie na podstawie upoważnienia ustawowego) w celu zapewnienia obywatelowi bezpieczeństwa, ochrony porządku publicznego albo ochrony środowiska, zdrowia, moralności publicznej oraz wolności i praw innych osób. Autor opisał m.in. charakter uprawnień operacyjnych służb specjalnych na gruncie obowiązującego prawa, w tym znaczenie tych uprawnień dla skutecznej realizacji ustawowych zadań nałożonych na służby, oraz granice konstytucyjne i pozaustawowe ingerowania służb w wolność jednostki.
W artykule autor podjął się analizy problemu, czy w procesie stanowienia prawa, na którego podstawie działają polskie służby specjalne, są respektowane prawa obywateli wyrażone w Konstytucji RP. Odniósł się także do uprawnień operacyjnych służb specjalnych zawartych w ustawach kompetencyjnych, które umożliwiają ingerencję państwa w wolności i prawa jednostki ze względu na ochronę interesu ogólnospołecznego i ogólnopaństwowego. W przepisach dotyczących wolności i praw obywatela – zawartych w art. 31 ust. 3 Konstytucji RP z 2 kwietnia 1997 r. – określono obszar, w który organy władzy publicznej i inne podmioty mogą wkraczać (wyłącznie na podstawie upoważnienia ustawowego) w celu zapewnienia obywatelowi bezpieczeństwa, ochrony porządku publicznego albo ochrony środowiska, zdrowia, moralności publicznej oraz wolności i praw innych osób. Autor opisał m.in. charakter uprawnień operacyjnych służb specjalnych na gruncie obowiązującego prawa, w tym znaczenie tych uprawnień dla skutecznej realizacji ustawowych zadań nałożonych na służby, oraz granice konstytucyjne i pozaustawowe ingerowania służb w wolność jednostki.
EN
The author in his article analyses the problem whether in the law making process, on the basis of which operate Polish special services, constitutional rights of citizens are respected. He addressed operational powers of special services as well from the respective competence acts which enable stat’s interference into freedoms and rights of citizens due to general social and state interest. In constitutional provisions regarding freedoms and rights of citizens (Article 31.3 of the constitution of 2 April 1997) there has been indicated the area in which public authority organs and other entities can interfere (solely on the basis of legal authorization) in order to ensure security for citizens, public order or environment protection, health, public morality, and freedoms and rights of other people. The author described, inter alia, the nature of operational powers of special services on the basis of the law in force, including the meaning of these powers for an effective implementation of actions designed for the services, as well as the constitutional and non-statutory frames for possible interference into rights of citizens.
The security apparatus in People’s Poland played one of the main roles in the installation of communist power, its consolidation and organization of the repressive system. The security apparatus was created by the communists to perpetuate the power they introduced. The events of 1989 became a symbol of the breakthrough that was carried out in important segments of Poland’s functioning. The reform of secret services in 1989–1990 was one of the main challenges for Poland in the period of systemic transformation. The reform of the special services was to be one of the most important challenges, because the security apparatus of the People’s Republic of Poland functioned under the control of the USSR and was largely used to fight the opposition or the Church. The systemic transformation in Poland in 1989–1990 was a significant turning point in the further development of Polish secret services. One of the main tasks of the political and political transformation in Poland in the years 1989–1990 was the dissolution of the old services and the appointment of new ones. These services were to be politically neutral. Parallel to the development of democracy in Poland, it was important that the shaping of the tasks and powers of the new services took into account the ongoing political and social changes, both in the external and internal dimensions. In Poland after 1989, a process of significant changes was initiated consisting in the transition from a socialist society to a democratic society. At the beginning of the 1990s, it was believed that the changes were modernizing and were an attempt to move to proven Western variants.
PL
Aparat bezpieczeństwa w PRL odegrał jedną z głównych ról w instalacji władzy komunistycznej, jej utrwaleniu i organizacji systemu represji. Aparat bezpieczeństwa został stworzony przez komunistów w celu utrwalenia wprowadzonej przez nich władzy. Wydarzenia 1989 roku stały się symbolem przełomu, jaki dokonał się w ważnych segmentach funkcjonowania Polski. Reforma służb specjalnych w latach 1989–1990 była jednym z głównych wyzwań stojących przed Polską w okresie transformacji ustrojowej. Reforma służb specjalnych miała być jednym z najważniejszych wyzwań, gdyż aparat bezpieczeństwa PRL funkcjonował pod kontrolą ZSRR i był w dużej mierze wykorzystywany do walki z opozycją lub Kościołem. Istotnym punktem zwrotnym w dalszym rozwoju polskich służb specjalnych była transformacja ustrojowa w Polsce w latach 1989–1990. Jednym z głównych zadań transformacji ustrojowej i ustrojowej w Polsce w latach 1989–1990 było rozwiązanie starych służb i powołanie nowych. Służby te miały być neutralne politycznie. Równolegle z rozwojem demokracji w Polsce ważne było, aby kształtowanie zadań i uprawnień nowych służb uwzględniało dokonujące się zmiany polityczne i społeczne, zarówno w wymiarze zewnętrznym, jak i wewnętrznym. W Polsce po 1989 roku rozpoczął się proces znaczących zmian polegający na przejściu od społeczeństwa socjalistycznego do społeczeństwa demokratycznego. Na początku lat 90. uważano, że zmiany mają charakter modernizacyjny i stanowią próbę przejścia do sprawdzonych wariantów zachodnich.
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