Greek Government to Restructure Intelligence Service, Introduce Transparency Document Number: FBIS-WEU-2002-0921 Document Date: 21 Sep 2002 Sourceline: GMP20020921000213 Athens I Kathimerini in Greek 21 Sep 02 p 3 Subslug: Report by K.P. Papadhiokhos: "EIP to Go Through Radical Changes Aimed at Transparency" [FBIS Translated Text] During a meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Simitis at Maximos Palace [Prime Minister's Office], Public Order Minister Khrisokhoidhis was given the go-ahead to restructure EIP [National Intelligence Service] so that it can fulfill the nation's new security needs and the demand for democratic control of an agency that has been linked to a number of "dark events" of the post-junta period. Despite the fact that the government officially detaches EIP's structure and operation from the current storm on the terrorism front, it is clear that Minister Khrisokhoidhis' initiative is directly connected to the weaknesses and corruption that have plagued the service recently. It is not accidental that EIP was excluded from the most critical phase of the government's efforts to eradicate 17N. Also discernible is the government's desire to introduce transparency and respect for individual rights to the organization, principles that were high priorities during the counter-terrorism investigation. EIP will go through an annual Parliamentary check by way of a report submitted to Parliament by the Minister in charge. As government sources report, Prime Minister Simitis' proposal is aimed at "EIP's rebirth and its operation on a professional foundation, combined with the introduction of safe guarantees for the individual and privacy rights of the public". The Bill Based on what was agreed during yesterday's meeting between Simitis and Khrisokhoidhis, which will be included in a bill proposed by the Ministry of Public Order, EIP's main task remains to collect information on every aspect of the nation's safety, especially on national issues such as the Cyprus problem and Greek-Turkish relations. This task was not made sufficiently clear in the previous law, and Khrisokhoidhis' new proposal plan to specify these task clearly. New Responsibilities Meanwhile, the creation of a new special task force will signal the introduction of a new task to EIP's "traditional" duties: the collection of information about new threats to democracy and the public, including financial crime. More specifically, EIP's duties now include combating crimes such as money laundering, illegal activities on behalf of offshore companies, trafficking in illegal immigrants, smuggling and drug trafficking. The framework will also include expanding EIP's cooperation with agencies specializing in these domains. The new bill will also bring radical changes to EIP's personnel. 100 new expert scientists and analysts will be hired by competition, whose work will be enhanced with the introduction of modern data analysis computer programs. Furthermore, the 400 Police officers who are currently part of the EIP will be gradually removed. Finally, it should be noted that, based on the bill Khrisokhoidhis presented to the Prime Minister yesterday, EIP will also be accountable to the Minister of Public Order, who will define its objectives and will be responsible for its operation within the limits of the law. The Clash with the Army EIP's inability, proven in the field, to fulfill the information supply requirements of the Armed Forces, and the competition that often emerged between the EIP and the General Staff, "forced" the leadership of the YEETHA [Armed Forces General Staff] to make its information service independent. Thus, in early 2000, under General Parayioudhakis, YEETHA established an independent information collection and processing service, the Information Service, by way of upgrading and modernizing the existing sector, which operated under the Second Branch of the General Staff. The new service will also operate under the Second Branch of the YEETHA, and its mission will be to coordinate military information originating from all sources for processing, especially in times of crisis. The upgrading process necessitated the procurement of the proper equipment and the identification and use of "alternative sources of information". The tasks of the new agency will also include making use of the new technologies that have been, or will be, procured through the five-year Armed Forces armament programs, such as AWACS aircraft ("flying radars") and UAV's. Plans also include acquiring a ground station, linked via satellite, that will supply information. Power Games, Abuse of Authority Before the dictatorship, what was then called KIP [Central Intelligence Service] and its role in post-civil war affairs was the cause of much protest. After the dictatorship, KIP made the transition to democracy with an even more damaged name. For decades, its role was murky, and as a result, neither the public nor the state wanted KIP to be strong, and not without good reason. The Power Because of their purpose, intelligence agencies are very close to centers of power, and those in power--at least until the last 3-4 years--often succumbed to the temptation to use them for their own advantage against their political opponents. The volatility of its authority did not leave safety margins for restrictions to power, which has led EIP many times in the past to accusations of abuse of authority. Furthermore, each government "planted" its own "trusted" officials in the intelligence agencies, who in time acquired influence and information, and played their own game with politicians and financial interest groups. In fact, they even began implementing their own "policies", and "threw the net" so far they reached the point of even not informing their superiors about their activities and contacts. A characteristic example is General Grillakis who, if he had become chief of KIP during Mitsotakis' term a Prime Minister, would have been less "omnipotent" than he would as a security advisor to the then Prime Minister, who ran the intelligence agencies behind the scenes. Competitions Furthermore, if Vaso Papandreou had not addressed the unionization of EIP's civilian employees by demanding elections with a unified ballot list, the intelligence agencies today would have been a broken-up domain, an endless "battlefield" with competitions and constant leaks of classified information. [Description of Source: Athens I Kathimerini in Greek -- Independent daily]