Surveillance Detection Unit

Last updated

Surveillance Detection Units (SDU) are organizations belonging to the US Government that have conducted secret surveillance that potentially broke national laws in various European countries. The SDUs were publicly discussed in Congress in 2000 and the Norwegian broadcaster TV 2 first publicly reported the existence of the network of SDUs, on 3 November 2010. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Description

In the year 2000, at least 22 United States (US) embassies and consulates around the world operated the US Department of State's "worldwide surveillance detection program", which "[emphasised] quasi-covert operations and information gathering." [3] The SDU operates under the authority of the RSO (Regional Security Officer) and stores the collected data in a system called Security Incident Management Analysis System (SIMAS). [1]

Norway

Since 2000, [4] former leaders of the police force of Oslo, the Norwegian Police Security Service, and the National Criminal Investigation Service have been recruited to conduct secret surveillance of Norwegians in order to prevent terrorist attacks on the U.S. Embassy and the residence of the U.S. Ambassador. [2] The unit consists of 15-20 people that were based on the sixth floor of the building Handelsbygningen at Solli Plass, several hundred metres from the embassy at Henrik Ibsens Gate, until the November 2010 controversy. [1] [5] [6] Its leader, Olaf Johansen, was a former anti-terrorism chief before being recruited for the American unit. [1] Knut Storberget, Norway's Minister of Justice, initially claimed the government was unaware of the program and that there would be an investigation, [2] but later presented updated information to the Norwegian parliament after the U.S. Embassy stated that notification had been made. [7]

Norway television channel TV 2 claimed that the SDU's surveillance of Norwegian citizens was illegal. [8] The head of the Norwegian surveillance agency, Datatilsynet, Bjørn Erik Thon, said that the operation was unprecedented, stating "I think it's very serious that something like this can be conducted on Norwegian territory and that it's Norwegian citizens carrying out the work." [5] Thon stated that the SDU violated the Norwegian privacy law Personopplysningsloven. He said that he was disturbed "that the Norwegians employed by the embassy to, for example, take photos of persons engaging in political demonstrations, apparently have felt they can avoid the law because they were working for a foreign employer." [5]

Parliamentary reactions ranged from "To the degree [it's] true, it's frightening information" from Conservative Party parliamentarian André Oktay Dahl to a "scandal" for Socialist Left Party parliamentarians. [5] Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre took up the surveillance issue with State Secretary Hillary Clinton in a meeting on 7 December. [9]

Finland

In late 2010, the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo/FSIS) initially stated that it was unaware of an SDU at the US Embassy in Helsinki, Finland. [10] The following week, SUPO stated that it was aware of US Embassy surveillance work, that the surveillance was legal and that it had consulted with the embassy. The US Embassy stated that it does have an SDU unit in operation and that the unit does not carry out espionage. [11]

Germany

The German government initially said that it was unaware of the SDU program, but in December confirmed that the groups were providing security for U.S. installations and that some German security experts were part of them. A statement signed by Ole Schröder, Secretary of State in the Ministry of the Interior, said that such measures were understandable in view of the security threat. [12]

Iceland

A US Embassy SDU in Reykjavík, Iceland has been "broadening security surveillance beyond the embassy building and into the immediate surrounding area." The Icelandic Foreign Office stated that it had found no records of the SDU operations having been discussed with Icelandic authorities. The Vice-Chairperson of the Left-Green Movement parliamentary group Álfheiður Ingadóttir, asked for the SDU to be investigated. [13]

Sweden

Shortly after the initial report in Norway, the Swedish government confirmed [14] that similar secret surveillance of residents of Stockholm had been sponsored by the U.S. Embassy there, and Justice Minister Beatrice Ask said that the authorities had yet to be adequately informed. [15] She described the situation as "very serious". [10] The Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat referred to 2000 Swedes under surveillance by the US Embassy's SDU in Stockholm. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martti Ahtisaari</span> President of Finland from 1994 to 2000

Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari is a Finnish politician, the tenth president of Finland (1994–2000), a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and a United Nations diplomat and mediator noted for his international peace work.

Helsingin Sanomat, abbreviated HS and colloquially known as Hesari, is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. Its name derives from that of the Finnish capital, Helsinki, where it is published. It is considered a newspaper of record for Finland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SCA (company)</span> Swedish timber, pulp and paper manufacturer

Svenska Cellulosa AB is a Swedish forest industry company with headquarters in Sundsvall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Estonia</span>

Crime in Estonia is combated by the Estonian police and other agencies.

A security agency is a governmental organization that conducts intelligence activities for the internal security of a nation. They are the domestic cousins of foreign intelligence agencies, and typically conduct counterintelligence to thwart other countries' foreign intelligence efforts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sauli Niinistö</span> President of Finland since 2012

Sauli Väinämö Niinistö is a Finnish politician who has served as president of Finland since March 2012, the 12th person to hold that office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finnish Security Intelligence Service</span> National security and intelligence agency of Finland

The Finnish Security Intelligence Service, formerly the Finnish Security Police, is the security and intelligence agency of Finland in charge of national security, such as counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior. The agency had a distinct role during the Cold War in monitoring communists as well as in the balance between Finnish independence and Soviet appeasement. After the 1990s, Supo has focused more on countering terrorism and in the 2010s, on preventing hybrid operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Air Station Keflavik</span> U.S. Navy base at Keflavik Airport, Iceland

Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF) was a U.S. Navy station at Keflavík International Airport, Iceland, located on the Reykjanes peninsula on the south-west portion of the island. NASKEF was closed on 8 September 2006, and its facilities were taken over by the Icelandic Defence Agency as their primary base until 1 January 2011, when the Agency was abolished and the base handed over to the Icelandic Coast Guard, which has since then operated the base.

The Special Detective Unit (SDU) is the main domestic security agency of the Garda Síochána, the national police force of Ireland, under the aegis of the Crime & Security Branch (CSB). It is the primary counter-terrorism and counter-espionage investigative unit within the state. The Special Detective Unit superseded the Special Branch, which itself replaced the older Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which was founded in 1921. They work in conjunction with the Defence Forces Directorate of Military Intelligence (J2) – Ireland's national intelligence service – on internal matters. The unit's headquarters are in Harcourt Street, Dublin City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finnish Defence Intelligence Agency</span> Combined intelligence agency of the Finnish military

The Finnish Defence Intelligence Agency is the combined signals (SIGINT), geospatial (GEOINT) and imagery intelligence (IMINT) agency of the Finnish Defence Forces. Operational since 2014, its responsibility is to support the defence of Finland through information gathering and analysis as an intelligence agency, organic to the Intelligence Division of Defence Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finland–Russia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Finland–Russia relations have been conducted over many centuries, from wars between Sweden and Russia in the early 18th century, to the planned and realized creation and annexation of the Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire during Napoleonic times in the early 19th century, to the dissolution of the personal union between Russia and Finland after the abdication of Russia's last czar in 1917, and subsequent birth of modern Finland. Finland had its own civil war with involvement by Soviet Russia, was later invaded by the USSR, and had its internal politics influenced by it. Relations since then have been both warm and cool, fluctuating with time. Russia has an embassy in Helsinki, a consulate-general in Turku and consulates in Lappeenranta and Mariehamn. Finland has an embassy in Moscow, a consulate-general in Saint Petersburg and two branches of the consulate.

Einsatzkommando Finnland was a German paramilitary unit active in northern Finland and northern Norway during World War II, while Finland was fighting against the Soviet Union with the support of Nazi Germany. The official name of the unit was Einsatzkommando der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD beim AOK Norwegen, Befehlsstelle Finnland, but it was often referred to as Einsatzkommando Finnland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johan Bäckman</span> Finnish political activist, author, legal sociologist, propagandist, and criminologist

Erkki Johan Bäckman is a Finnish political activist, author, legal sociologist, propagandist, and convicted stalker working for the Russian Government. Bäckman has been a prominent Finnish propagandist in Russia who has actively participated in long-standing operations to propagate anti-Finnish and anti-Western propaganda in Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpo Rusi</span>

Alpo Rusi served in the Foreign Ministry of Finland in several assignments, and from 1994 to 1999 as foreign policy adviser to the President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari. He also served as EU Coordinator for the Sarajevo Summit 1999 and deputy Coordinator of the Stability Pact for Western Balkans in 1999–2000. He worked as professor of International Relations, 2000–2003, at Lapland University and in Hamburg. Later on 2007-2009 he was senior adviser in the Cabinet staff of the President of the UN General Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jukka Rusi</span>

Jukka Rusi (1935–2004) was a TV journalist and the press secretary of the government of Finland from 1968 to 73. He is best known for supplying both East Germany and the Soviet Union with Finnish documents from 1973 to 1977, as he confessed. His Stasi code was XV/11/69.

The National Surveillance Unit (NSU) is the principal clandestine intelligence gathering and surveillance operations unit of the Garda Síochána, the national police force of Ireland. The unit operates under the Crime & Security Branch (CSB), based at Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, and also works from Harcourt Street, Dublin. Members of the unit are specially trained and selected Detective Gardaí who are tasked to remain covert whilst on and off duty, tracking suspected criminals, terrorists and hostile, foreign spies operating in Ireland. The unit's detectives are routinely armed. The National Surveillance Unit is understood to possess a manpower of approximately 100 officers, and is considered to be the most secretive arm of the force.

Contents of the United States diplomatic cables leak has depicted Europe and related subjects extensively. The leak, which began on 28 November 2010, occurred when the website of WikiLeaks—an international new media non-profit organisation that publishes submissions of otherwise unavailable documents from anonymous news sources and news leaks—started to publish classified documents of detailed correspondence—diplomatic cables—between the United States Department of State and its diplomatic missions around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikael Storsjö</span>

Mikael Storsjö is a Finnish IT entrepreneur, journalist and non-governmental organization activist. He is a board member of FINROSFORUM. He is known for his clashes with the Finnish and Swedish authorities concerning the hosting of the Kavkaz Center's website on his servers. In 2011–2012, he has also been involved in a court case, in which he was found guilty of arranging illegal entry into Finland of 25 Chechens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finland–NATO relations</span> Bilateral relations

The Republic of Finland and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have a close relationship. Finland is one of six members of the European Union that are not members of NATO. Finland has had formal relations with NATO since 1994, when it joined the Partnership for Peace programme. The country maintains positive relations with the organisation and the possibility of membership has been a topic of debate in the country since the end of the Cold War. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the debate turned in favour of NATO membership, and the country officially applied to join NATO on 18 May 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finland–North Korea relations</span> Bilateral relations

Finland–North Korea relations are bilateral relations between Finland and North Korea.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Her drev USA systematisk overvåkning av nordmenn" (in Norwegian). TV 2. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "Medien: USA überwachen Norweger in deren Heimat" (in German). Österreichischer Rundfunk. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  3. 1 2 Williams-Bridgers, Jacquelyn L. (17 May 2000). "Statement of Jacquelyn L. Williams-Bridgers, Inspector General Of The U.S. Department Of State And The Broadcasting Board Of Governors, for the House Committee on International Relations, May 17, 2000". FAS. Archived from the original on 11 November 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  4. ↑ Tancau, Ramona; Sandelson, Michael (1 December 2010). "Did US' Oslo embassy breach Norwegian law?". The Foreigner. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Officials howling over US Embassy's secret surveillance in Norway". Views and News from Norway. 4 November 2010. Archived from the original on 11 January 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  6. ↑ Klungtveit, Harald S. (3 November 2010). "Flere hundre registrert av hemmelig gruppe i Norge" [Several hundred recorded by secret group in Norway]. Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  7. ↑ Sandelson, Michael (17 November 2010). "US embassy spy scandal mystery may never be solved". The Foreigner. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  8. ↑ Emon (5 November 2010). "Norwegian Authorities Outraged at U.S. Surveillance of Norwegian Citizens". Star City News. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  9. ↑ "Foreign Minister discussed surveillance with Hillary Clinton". newsinenglish.no. 9 December 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  10. 1 2 3 "Finnish Security Police to investigate possible US surveillance work in Finland - American Embassy in Sweden had 2,000 Swedes under surveillance". Helsingin Sanomat. 2010. Archived from the original on 13 January 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  11. ↑ "Security Police knew about security activities of US Embassy - Embassy says Surveillance Detection Unit broke no laws". Helsingin Sanomat. 2010. Archived from the original on 12 November 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  12. ↑ Fras, Damir (3 December 2010). "Geheim-Organisation überwacht US-Botschaft". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  13. ↑ "U.S. Embassy in Reykjavik monitoring Icelandic citizens". IceNews - News from the Nordics. 9 November 2010. Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  14. ↑ "Ask: USA övervakade Sverige". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 6 November 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  15. ↑ "US-Agenten spionierten Schweden aus" (in German). Schweizer Fernsehen. 7 November 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.