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ARMENIAN SECURITY CHIEF SAYS NINE FOREIGN SPIES DETAINED IN 2006
Golos Armenii , Armenia
Dec 19 2006
The Armenian security chief has said that nine agents of foreign
special services have been detained and convicted of espionage
in Armenia in 2006. Speaking to Golos Armenii newspaper, Armenian
National Security Service Director Gorik Akopyan said that one of the
detained foreign agents was also convicted of plotting a terrorist
attack. Armenia closely cooperates with foreign special services, in
particular with the Russian FSB, in the fight against international
terrorism, Akopyan said. He also said that his agency's task ahead
of the forthcoming polls was to prevent "anticonstitutional actions".
The following is an excerpt from V. Darbinyan's report on Armenian
newspaper Golos Armenii website on 19 December headlined "'The fight
against terrorism requires a multifaceted approach,' Gorik Akopyan,
director of the National Security Service, has said in an interview
with Golos Armenii"; subheadings have been inserted editorially:
[Darbinyan] Mr Director, it seems it has become a good tradition
that at the end of every year, on the eve of the Day of Members of
National Security Agencies, you grant interviews to newspapers.
Nine foreign spies detained in 2006
[Akopyan] You are quite right. I am sure that both you and your
readers understand that for the National Security Service any report,
including those published in connection with their professional
holiday, cannot be an end in itself. Every time, to the credit of the
agency, we inform the public about specific results of our work. It
is particularly remarkable that while preserving the trend towards
qualitative progress in almost all fields of our agency's activity,
the most significant results this year were achieved in the key areas.
To back up what I have just said, I will note one fact only. Yet
another agent of foreign special services, the ninth one, Valiakhmetov,
was uncovered on the territory of the republic and brought to book
in November. But while the previous convicts were charged with high
treason and espionage, for the first time the list included a foreigner
who was convicted of both committing espionage and plotting to commit
terrorist attacks.
Antiterror fight
[Darbinyan] The civilized world almost every day learns about terrorist
attacks and their horrifying consequences in different parts of the
world. The threat of terrorism is growing, and there is an impression
that ways to eradicate it have still to be found.
[Akopyan] Both national security agencies and the public, which
has been overcoming the hardest consequences of terrorist attacks
committed in the past decade, cannot overestimate the expanding
scale of international terrorism. I strongly believe that the key
precondition for the eradication of terror threats is the prevention
of religious and interstate disagreements and the demonstration of
the appropriate will to resolve them. Any terrorist attack creates
a new chain of terrorist actions, thus even more complicating the
already existing problems.
[Darbinyan] How does your agency assess this threat and in what way
is it involved in the fight against it?
[Akopyan] I believe you also know that reducing the terror threat
and its eradication is the task of all people. National security
agencies' task is to carry out specific measures to fight this evil,
in particular to define the possible targets of terrorists and prevent
terror attacks. A division for the protection of the constitutional
government and for fighting terrorism has been operating within
our system for six years. The fight against terrorism requires a
multifaceted approach and close cooperation between relevant state
bodies. To ensure a more effective struggle, we cooperate with the
special services of the countries which play a vital role in the
creation of both regional and international security systems.
Cooperation with foreign special services
[Darbinyan] Was the Atom-Antiterror 2006 exercise part of this?
[Akopyan] The joint exercise Atom-Antiterror 2006 held in Armenia last
September is a graphic example of cooperation that involved CIS states
as participants, G8 countries as observers, as well as members of
influential international security organizations, and special services.
Major exercises like this have a specific aim - work out possible
options of joint action between partner special services in carrying
out antiterrorist measures if necessary. I am happy to say that the
exercise achieved all the goals and tasks set. I would like to also
note that such exercises will give an opportunity to Armenia's state
bodies to act in a systemic and concerted way in case of a terror
threat and to take specific steps with the involvement of the Armenian
National Security Service and the Russian Federal Security Service
in case of an attack on nuclear energy facilities.
The aim of our cooperation with the partner services of foreign
countries is to expand effective collaboration both within our region
and beyond it in order to establish peace and security. I will give
you a recent example. I recently met Deputy Director of the USA's
FBI John Pistole, who was visiting Yerevan. During the meeting we
discussed issues concerning the fight against terrorism and organized
crime. Practical measures were drawn up and carried out to prevent
ethnic Armenians of the USA who had committed crimes from hiding in
Armenia in order to avoid punishment. This can be backed up by the
arrest of a number of US nationals in Armenia and their handover
to the US authorities. Under our laws, if a criminal is an Armenian
national, he or she cannot be handed over to a foreign state, they
are prosecuted on the territory of our republic.
Agency to prevent anticonstitutional actions ahead of polls
[Darbinyan] Parliamentary and presidential elections are to be held
in 2007-08, and it seems the election campaign has already kicked
off. What is your agency's role in this process?
[Akopyan] Although the National Security Service is not a political
body, taking account of the tasks facing it, we have to make the
current public and political processes the focus of our attention.
Our aim is to foresee possible anticonstitutional actions and take
appropriate measures. Our priority task is to prevent such attempts
and ensure the security of the people.
Unfortunately, very often the period in the run-up to any election
is perceived as a period of tension. The reason is that the natural
course of an election campaign, as a rule, is disrupted by a political
force or unions. In this context, our public's task is to find a way
out of this complicated state of mutual distrust.
Incidentally, there are always quite a few people who are willing to
take advantage of this situation. Two of the leaders of the so-called
Armenian Union of Volunteers were arrested recently on suspicion of
plotting illegal and forcible interference in this process. These facts
once again prove that interference in the natural course of political
events runs counter to the interests of our nation in the first place.
Some media try to discredit national security agency
[Darbinyan] Mr Director, can you please comment on reports of illegal
actions by some members of your agency?
[Akopyan] We will not tolerate the destabilizing manifestations of
extremism that pose a threat to the country's stability and people's
security. Any political struggle should be carried out within the
constitution. This might be very dangerous for our country and have
a negative impact on the international image of our republic.
I strongly believe that there are two factors explaining this. First,
lack of knowledge on the part of some journalists about the functions
of our agency. Second, the deliberate manipulation of information. No
doubt, free press is a key element in the life of a democratic state.
However, some of the country's media descend to publishing lies or
provocative information, not realizing that they might discredit an
organization whose sacred duty is to ensure the security of citizens,
public and state.
Golos Armenii , Armenia
Dec 19 2006
The Armenian security chief has said that nine agents of foreign
special services have been detained and convicted of espionage
in Armenia in 2006. Speaking to Golos Armenii newspaper, Armenian
National Security Service Director Gorik Akopyan said that one of the
detained foreign agents was also convicted of plotting a terrorist
attack. Armenia closely cooperates with foreign special services, in
particular with the Russian FSB, in the fight against international
terrorism, Akopyan said. He also said that his agency's task ahead
of the forthcoming polls was to prevent "anticonstitutional actions".
The following is an excerpt from V. Darbinyan's report on Armenian
newspaper Golos Armenii website on 19 December headlined "'The fight
against terrorism requires a multifaceted approach,' Gorik Akopyan,
director of the National Security Service, has said in an interview
with Golos Armenii"; subheadings have been inserted editorially:
[Darbinyan] Mr Director, it seems it has become a good tradition
that at the end of every year, on the eve of the Day of Members of
National Security Agencies, you grant interviews to newspapers.
Nine foreign spies detained in 2006
[Akopyan] You are quite right. I am sure that both you and your
readers understand that for the National Security Service any report,
including those published in connection with their professional
holiday, cannot be an end in itself. Every time, to the credit of the
agency, we inform the public about specific results of our work. It
is particularly remarkable that while preserving the trend towards
qualitative progress in almost all fields of our agency's activity,
the most significant results this year were achieved in the key areas.
To back up what I have just said, I will note one fact only. Yet
another agent of foreign special services, the ninth one, Valiakhmetov,
was uncovered on the territory of the republic and brought to book
in November. But while the previous convicts were charged with high
treason and espionage, for the first time the list included a foreigner
who was convicted of both committing espionage and plotting to commit
terrorist attacks.
Antiterror fight
[Darbinyan] The civilized world almost every day learns about terrorist
attacks and their horrifying consequences in different parts of the
world. The threat of terrorism is growing, and there is an impression
that ways to eradicate it have still to be found.
[Akopyan] Both national security agencies and the public, which
has been overcoming the hardest consequences of terrorist attacks
committed in the past decade, cannot overestimate the expanding
scale of international terrorism. I strongly believe that the key
precondition for the eradication of terror threats is the prevention
of religious and interstate disagreements and the demonstration of
the appropriate will to resolve them. Any terrorist attack creates
a new chain of terrorist actions, thus even more complicating the
already existing problems.
[Darbinyan] How does your agency assess this threat and in what way
is it involved in the fight against it?
[Akopyan] I believe you also know that reducing the terror threat
and its eradication is the task of all people. National security
agencies' task is to carry out specific measures to fight this evil,
in particular to define the possible targets of terrorists and prevent
terror attacks. A division for the protection of the constitutional
government and for fighting terrorism has been operating within
our system for six years. The fight against terrorism requires a
multifaceted approach and close cooperation between relevant state
bodies. To ensure a more effective struggle, we cooperate with the
special services of the countries which play a vital role in the
creation of both regional and international security systems.
Cooperation with foreign special services
[Darbinyan] Was the Atom-Antiterror 2006 exercise part of this?
[Akopyan] The joint exercise Atom-Antiterror 2006 held in Armenia last
September is a graphic example of cooperation that involved CIS states
as participants, G8 countries as observers, as well as members of
influential international security organizations, and special services.
Major exercises like this have a specific aim - work out possible
options of joint action between partner special services in carrying
out antiterrorist measures if necessary. I am happy to say that the
exercise achieved all the goals and tasks set. I would like to also
note that such exercises will give an opportunity to Armenia's state
bodies to act in a systemic and concerted way in case of a terror
threat and to take specific steps with the involvement of the Armenian
National Security Service and the Russian Federal Security Service
in case of an attack on nuclear energy facilities.
The aim of our cooperation with the partner services of foreign
countries is to expand effective collaboration both within our region
and beyond it in order to establish peace and security. I will give
you a recent example. I recently met Deputy Director of the USA's
FBI John Pistole, who was visiting Yerevan. During the meeting we
discussed issues concerning the fight against terrorism and organized
crime. Practical measures were drawn up and carried out to prevent
ethnic Armenians of the USA who had committed crimes from hiding in
Armenia in order to avoid punishment. This can be backed up by the
arrest of a number of US nationals in Armenia and their handover
to the US authorities. Under our laws, if a criminal is an Armenian
national, he or she cannot be handed over to a foreign state, they
are prosecuted on the territory of our republic.
Agency to prevent anticonstitutional actions ahead of polls
[Darbinyan] Parliamentary and presidential elections are to be held
in 2007-08, and it seems the election campaign has already kicked
off. What is your agency's role in this process?
[Akopyan] Although the National Security Service is not a political
body, taking account of the tasks facing it, we have to make the
current public and political processes the focus of our attention.
Our aim is to foresee possible anticonstitutional actions and take
appropriate measures. Our priority task is to prevent such attempts
and ensure the security of the people.
Unfortunately, very often the period in the run-up to any election
is perceived as a period of tension. The reason is that the natural
course of an election campaign, as a rule, is disrupted by a political
force or unions. In this context, our public's task is to find a way
out of this complicated state of mutual distrust.
Incidentally, there are always quite a few people who are willing to
take advantage of this situation. Two of the leaders of the so-called
Armenian Union of Volunteers were arrested recently on suspicion of
plotting illegal and forcible interference in this process. These facts
once again prove that interference in the natural course of political
events runs counter to the interests of our nation in the first place.
Some media try to discredit national security agency
[Darbinyan] Mr Director, can you please comment on reports of illegal
actions by some members of your agency?
[Akopyan] We will not tolerate the destabilizing manifestations of
extremism that pose a threat to the country's stability and people's
security. Any political struggle should be carried out within the
constitution. This might be very dangerous for our country and have
a negative impact on the international image of our republic.
I strongly believe that there are two factors explaining this. First,
lack of knowledge on the part of some journalists about the functions
of our agency. Second, the deliberate manipulation of information. No
doubt, free press is a key element in the life of a democratic state.
However, some of the country's media descend to publishing lies or
provocative information, not realizing that they might discredit an
organization whose sacred duty is to ensure the security of citizens,
public and state.