Incorporation of Georgian Intelligence Service into the State Security Service appears to be on the agenda. Naturally, every country has national security system in correspondence with its national interests and geopolitical reality. As for Georgia, considering the challenges and foreign policy direction which is Euro-Atlantic integration, it is obvious how the national security system should be formed, reformed or developed – based on the best experience of the western partner countries and if necessary, recommendations from them.
Georgian Intelligence Service has been an independent state agency since 1997. Until now, the decision to make it part of State Security Ministry was taken only once, during the governance of the United National Movement. However, this decision had been reversed in several months and Georgian Intelligence Service became independent again. This experiment with the reform caused negative effects on the performance of the agency. In 2017 there were some discussions regarding the incorporation of Georgian Intelligence Service into the State Security Service once again but after various consultations, the Service remained independent and gained even more support in order to strengthen its activities.
Integration of Georgian Intelligence Service into the State Security Service can be assessed as irrelevant. This decision needs to be revised in the future so the agency eventually is able to develop independently, assert itself within the national security system and become the full-right member of the western intelligence community. The mentioned “reform” challenges the ability of Georgian Intelligence Service to be effective and creates risks that foreign threats will remain beyond proper attention. Georgian security sector is threatened to appear under the centralized control with those in charge getting enormous power which may lead to the deficit of alternative thoughts and views. In general, considering Georgia’s current political reality, we’ll be getting the security system with intelligence and counterintelligence directions controlled by a handful of people.
The announced “reform” is characterized with the following negative factors:
- Considering trends of national security sector, the agency’s ability to function independently and experience institutional development, its flexibility and international cooperation will be constrained. The Service will most probably, become the secondary support unit to the leading operational department of the State Security Service. Strengthening of political influence is not excluded as well;
- Georgian Intelligence Service has always been the most effective and crucial platform for the cooperation with the western partners. The “reform” poses threat to this partnership and creates risks for the decline of defense mechanisms against foreign challenges as well as partial isolation;
- Such kind of shake up may lead to some officers of Georgian Intelligence Service to question whether their job really matters. This can result in brain drain which rises the risk of leak of information that is accumulated in the institutional memory. This “reform” also implies that the number of people with the access to sensitive information will increase;
- Currently, the interest of motivated and educated youth towards intelligence/security services are decreasing and even powerful countries struggle with the difficulties of generational replacement within security agencies. Considering this factor, it is hardly imaginable that our youth will be attracted to the service that is under constant reforms and experiences instability;
- It is also notable that protection mechanisms for people who work undercover, deserve attention. When the situation is unstable, it is difficult to take responsibility for their security as well as implementation of active measures;
Hopefully, if the “reform” is executed, the new unit of State Security Service will be guaranteed maximum independence on legislative as well as practical levels. “Reformers” would be advised to secure the independence of intelligence service, support the growth of its role in national security system and its dominance on international arena, enhance its material-technical capabilities and attract intellectual, educated, devoted youth to serve the country.