SISDE
Encyclopedia
Servizio per le Informazioni e la Sicurezza Democratica (Intelligence and Democratic Security Service), was the domestic intelligence agency of Italy.
With the reform of the Italian Intelligence Services approved on 1 August 2007, SISDE was replaced by AISI
.
have been reorganized many times in an attempt to increase their effectiveness and bring them more fully under civilian control.
The agency was established as part of a broader reform of the Italian intelligence community, which represented the latest in a long string of government attempts to effectively manage Italy's intelligence agencies.
SISDE's most recent director was Prefect Franco Gabrielli.
It shared responsibility for this task with SISMI, except in matters involving organized crime.
SISDE reported to the Ministry of the Interior
, which
attended to its regulations, supervised its activities, and designated its directors.
for "Through difficulties towards the truth"). It was depicted for the first time only in the second version of its official logo, in 1982, and it was maintained in the third and last version, adopted in 2002.
It was chosen because, «by means of the balance between tradition and innovation, [it] emphasizes with full meaning the will of the Institution to address the challenges of modern society, characterised by new and emerging asperities and instabilities, with the purpose to defend national security with that kind of knowledge offering which founds the mission of every modern intelligence system».
With the reform of the Italian Intelligence Services approved on 1 August 2007, SISDE was replaced by AISI
Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Interna
The Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Interna , commonly known as AISI, is the domestic intelligence agency of Italy...
.
History
Since the end of World War II, Italian intelligence agenciesItalian intelligence agencies
Italian intelligence agencies have been reorganized many times since the 1946 birth of the Italian Republic in an attempt to increase their effectiveness and bring them more fully under civilian control.- 1970s-2007 :...
have been reorganized many times in an attempt to increase their effectiveness and bring them more fully under civilian control.
The agency was established as part of a broader reform of the Italian intelligence community, which represented the latest in a long string of government attempts to effectively manage Italy's intelligence agencies.
- In 1977, with Legislative Act n.801 of 24/10/1977, this came after a former chief of SID, Vito MiceliVito MiceliVito Miceli was an Italian general and politician. He was chief of the SIOS , Italian Army Intelligence's Service from 1969 and SID's head from October 18, 1970 to 1974...
, was arrested for "conspiration against the State" (See Golpe BorgheseGolpe BorgheseThe Golpe Borghese was a failed Italian coup d'état allegedly planned for the night of 7 or 8 December 1970. It was named after Junio Valerio Borghese, an Italian World War II commander of the notorious Xª MAS unit, the "Black Prince", convicted of war crimes, but still a hero in the eyes of many...
), and the intelligence agencies were reorganized in a democratic attempt. This re-organization mainly consisted of:- The split of SID, the intelligence agency at that time, into two separate agencies with different roles: SISDE (the domestic one) and SISMISISMIServizio per le Informazioni e la Sicurezza Militare was the military intelligence agency of Italy from 1977-2007....
(the military one). - The creation of CESISCESISComitato Esecutivo per i Servizi di Informazione e Sicurezza was an Italian government committee whose mission was the coordination of all the intelligence sector, and specifically between the two civilian and military intelligence agencies , with the aim to report all the relevant information...
, with a coordination role between the two intelligence agencies and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. - The creation of the Parliamentary Committee, COPACOCOPACOComitato Parlamentare di Controllo per i Servizi di Informazione e Sicurezza e per il Segreto di Stato , is a body of the Italian Parliament deputed to survey and oversee the activities of the Italian intelligence agencies.- History :Since the end of World War II, Italian intelligence...
, to oversee the activities of the two agencies.
- The split of SID, the intelligence agency at that time, into two separate agencies with different roles: SISDE (the domestic one) and SISMI
- Since 1 August 2007, with Legislative Act n.124 of 08/03/2007, following the reform of the Italian intelligence agencies, SISDE, SISMI and CESIS were replaced respectively by AISIAgenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza InternaThe Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Interna , commonly known as AISI, is the domestic intelligence agency of Italy...
, AISEAgenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza EsternaThe Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna , commonly known as AISE and formerly known as SISMI, is the external intelligence agency of Italy. Operating outside of Italy, the organisation protects Italy's regional interests mainly through the use of HUMINT.-External links:*...
and DISDipartimento delle Informazioni per la SicurezzaThe Dipartimento delle Informazioni per la Sicurezza is a department of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Italy, instituted in 2007 as part of the reform of the Italian security services...
, and the COPACO was granted additional oversight and control powers.
SISDE's most recent director was Prefect Franco Gabrielli.
Mission
SISDE's mission was targeted to the defense of the State and its Institutions against whoever tries to threaten them, and from all subversion attempts.It shared responsibility for this task with SISMI, except in matters involving organized crime.
SISDE reported to the Ministry of the Interior
Italian Minister of the Interior
This is a list of Italian Ministers of the Interior since 1861.-Kingdom of Italy:-Italian Republic:...
, which
attended to its regulations, supervised its activities, and designated its directors.
The directors
- Giulio Grassini (1977–1981)
- Emanuele De Francesco (1981–1984)
- Vincenzo Parisi (1984–1987)
- Riccardo Malpica (1987–1991)
- Alessandro Voci (1991–1992)
- Angelo Finocchiaro (1992–1993)
- Domenico Salazar (1993–1994)
- Gaetano Marino (1994–1996)
- Vittorio Stelo (1996–2001)
- Mario Mori (2001 - 15 December 2006)
- Franco Gabrielli (16 December 2006 - 3 August 2007)
Motto and logo
SISDE's motto, as seen on its logo, was "Per aspera ad veritatem" (LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "Through difficulties towards the truth"). It was depicted for the first time only in the second version of its official logo, in 1982, and it was maintained in the third and last version, adopted in 2002.
It was chosen because, «by means of the balance between tradition and innovation, [it] emphasizes with full meaning the will of the Institution to address the challenges of modern society, characterised by new and emerging asperities and instabilities, with the purpose to defend national security with that kind of knowledge offering which founds the mission of every modern intelligence system».
External links
- Gnosis - "The Italian Intelligence Magazine" - SISDE's official on-line magazine)
- The Italian Intelligence and Security Services Official Website - SISDE
- The Italian Intelligence and Security Services Official Website - Home Page
- The Italian Intelligence and Security Services Official Website - A Brief History