May 28, 2018 <Back to Index>
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The General Intelligence Services (GIS) (Arabic: جهاز المخابرات العامة / Gihaz al-Mukhabarat al-Amma), often called the Mukhabarat (Arabic: المخابرات / al-Mukhabarat), is an Egyptian intelligence agency responsible for providing national security intelligence, both domestically and transnationally, with a counter - terrorism focus. The GIS is part of the Egyptian intelligence community, together with the Office of Military Intelligence Services and Reconnaissance (Arabic: ادارة المخابرات الحربية والاستطلاع / Idarat al-Mukhabarat al-Harbyya wa al-Istitla) and the State Security Investigations Service (SSIS) (Arabic: جهاز مباحث أمن الدولة / Gihaz Mabahith Amn al-Dawla). The decision to set up an Egyptian intelligence service was taken by President Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1954, and placed under the command of Zakaria Mohieddin (ar:زكريا محيي الدين). However, the agency's rose in importance when Nasser assigned its command to Salah Nasr (ar:صلاح نصر), who held the post of director of the GIS from 1957 to 1967. Under Nasr's supervision, the GIS 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. For several years the name of GIS director was a secret only known to high officials and government Newspapers chief editors. However, Major - General Omar Suleiman ar:عمر سليمان who was the Chief of the GIS from 1993 to January 2011, was the first one the break this taboo. His name was published before he himself became a known face in media after being envoyed by the former Egyptian president Mubarak 1981 - 2011 to Israel, USA and Ghaza on many occasions. On January 31st 2011, Major - General Murad Muwafi was declared the current director of GIS, after Omar Suleiman was appointed as a Vice President of the Arab Republic of Egypt then resigned after the former president Mubarak had to step down during the Egyptian revolution. In spite of the rule which says "success in intelligence world is a buried secret while failure is a world wide scandal" the GIS did achieve many successes a few of which were released and dramatized in Egyptian TV and Cinema
The plan included a major operation whose details are still not published. This operation aimed at getting detailed information of American Spy satellites covering Middle East, by knowing exact trajectories and timing of those Satellites the GIS prepared complicated logistic movement schedules for all Egyptian Army units to avoid moving mass troops in timings where they could be spotted by satellites. Despite declared peace between Egypt and Israel, every few years the GIS declares the arrest of Israeli espionage networks, yet until now Israel has not declared the arrest of any Egyptian spies on its soil. The two countries agreed not to get engaged in espionage against each other after signing the 1979 peace treaty. |