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Egyptian intelligence agency From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The General Intelligence Service (Arabic: جهاز المخابرات العامة Gihaz El Mukhabarat El ‘Amma; GIS), often referred to as the Mukhabarat (Arabic: المخابرات El Mukhabarat) is an Egyptian intelligence agency responsible for providing national security intelligence, both domestically and internationally.[4] The GIS is part of the Egyptian intelligence community, together with the Office of Military Intelligence Services and Reconnaissance (Arabic: إدارة المخابرات الحربية والاستطلاع Idarat El Mukhabarat El Ḥarbiya Wel Istitlaʾ) and National Security Agency (Arabic: قطاع الأمن الوطني Ketaʿ El Amn El Watani).[4]
| جهاز المخابرات العامة | |
 Seal of the General Intelligence Service | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1954 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Egypt |
| Headquarters | Cairo, Egypt |
| Agency executives | |
| Parent agency | Presidency of Egypt |
The decision to set up an Egyptian intelligence service was taken following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, led by the Free Officers Movement, when Egypt was under increased threat from foreign adversaries, such as the United Kingdom, and the State of Israel. The General Intelligence Directorate was formally established by then Prime Minister, and future President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, in 1954, and placed under the command of Zakaria Mohieddin. It was formed with the help of the CIA that backed the Free Officers in their coup against King Farouk in the form of Project FF[5]
The agency's importance rose when Nasser assigned its command to Salah Nasr, who held the post of director of the GID from 1957 to 1967 and thoroughly reorganized the agency. Under Nasr's supervision, the GID relocated to its own building and established separate divisions for Radio, Computer, Forgery and Black Operations. To cover the agency's expenses, Nasr set up Al Nasr Company, ostensibly an import-export firm, as a front organization. He played a very important role helping Algeria, Southern Yemen and many Arab and African states gain independence. Although the Egyptian foreign ministry was officially responsible for foreign affairs, GID initiated and aided many Arab and African movements for independence as a part of Gamal Abdel Nasser's anti-imperialist policies. Nasr established good relations with other intelligence agencies across the globe, which helped providing Egypt with wheat and establishing industries such as (Al Nasr Company for Motor Cars). One of his constructions is the Gezeera Tower in Cairo.
For several years the name of GID director was a secret only known to high officials and government newspapers chief editors. However, Major-General Omar Suleiman, who was the head of the GID from 1993 to January 2011, was the first one to break this taboo. His name was published before he himself became a known face in media after being envoyed by former Egyptian president Mubarak to Israel, USA and Gaza on several occasions.
On 31 January 2011, Major-General Murad Muwafi was declared the director of GID, after Omar Suleiman was appointed as a Vice President of Egypt and then resigned after former president Mubarak had to step down during the Egyptian revolution. He was replaced by Mohamed Raafat Shehata in August 2012 by president Mohamed Morsi.[6]
In July 2013, as result of 2012–13 Egyptian protests, Mohamed Raafat Shehata was sacked by interim president Adly Mansour and was replaced by General Mohamed Ahmed Fareed al-Tohami.[6][7]
At the beginning of his presidency in 2014, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi apparently had a difficult relationship with GIS. As a former head of military intelligence, his power base lay exclusively with the armed forces. With the appointment of its then office manager Abbas Kamel as head of GIS in 2018, the GIS was upgraded in terms of power politics.[8] As a result of this personnel change, the president assigned the GIS more and more tasks in connection with the consolidation of his rule, probably also in order to become more independent from the Egyptian armed forces.[9]
The service was already significantly involved in the preparation of the constitutional referendum in 2019, which enabled Sisi to extend his term of office. Since spring 2022, he has been involved in organizing the “National Dialogue”, which, according to critics, simulates political participation without implementing actual reforms.
In addition, the service was given extensive powers by parliamentary resolution to set up its own commercial companies, a privilege that had previously been reserved for the military in this form.[9]
In October 2023, the Egyptian intelligence service claimed that it had warned Israel 10 days before the incursion of Hamas fighters onto Israeli territory. Egypt’s Intelligence Minister General Abbas Kamel personally warned the Netanjahu government that “something unusual, a terrible operation” is about to happen. The Ynet news site had distributed such information, which was rejected by Netanjahu as "totally faked news". The outlet claimed that Egypt's Intelligence Minister General Abbas Kamel was in direct communication with Israel before the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. Egyptian officials noted that the Israeli government was indifferent with regard to that warning and "submerged' in troubles with the West Bank. Later a U.S. senator and member of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs confirmed that warning by Egyptian intelligence three days prior to the event but mentioned that the warning was unspecific and therefore not heeded.[10][11]
The GIS is omnipresent in Egypt's economy, media and society.[12] The organization is active as an entrepreneur in various sectors and uses them as a source of finance and a hub for political influence.[13]
GIS is significantly involved in the Egyptian media landscape. In the 2000s, GIS gradually took control of various private media companies in the country and brought them together under the umbrella of the holding company United Media Services (UMS). The UMS ownes and operates popular satellite channels such as CBC and ON E as well as high-circulation print media such as the daily newspaper Al Youm Al Sabea (Youm7). The German think tank SWP wrote in 2022 that the GIS "has a significant influence on domestic reporting... For example, human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch are vilified as the mouthpiece of terrorists."[14]
With financial support from Saudi Arabia, a separate news channel was established, similar to the two large Arabic news channels al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya. It also serves to disseminate government positions outside of Egypt and to counteract international criticism, for example of the country's human rights situation. “Al-Qahera News” launched in 2022.
GIS operations which have (eventually) gone public have been much dramatized on Egyptian TV and cinema.
| Director of the General Intelligence | |
|---|---|
| Appointer | Abdel Fattah el-Sisi President of Egypt |
| Inaugural holder | Zakaria Mohieddin |
| Formation | 1954 |
The Director of the General Intelligence serves as the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, which is part of the Egyptian Intelligence Community. The Director reports to the President. The Director is a civilian or a general or flag officer of the armed forces appointed by the President.
As of October 2024[update], the current director is Major General Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, while Nasser Fahmi[2] and Sisi's son, Mahmoud el-Sisi,[3] are deputy directors.
According to Mohamed Ali, the building contractor whose online videos criticising president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi sparked off the September 2019 Egyptian protests, Kamel's "main qualification ... was his close relationship with Sisi". Sisi's son Mahmoud, officially one of the deputy directors,[3] was seen by Ali as the de facto real head of the GIS.[22]
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