“In the work of the State Security organs, we have weaknesses, especially in terms of Foreign Intelligence, since we have no agency at all and…”/ Mehmet Shehu’s Discussion on Political Intelligence, January ’65

By Kastriot Dervishi

Memorie.al / The State Security Bodies were conceived according to Yugoslav and Soviet experiences, according to the directions of Counterintelligence, Leadership Security and Political Intelligence. Until 1962, the State Security Directorate in the Ministry of Internal Affairs was a unique body. In 1956, the 1st Branch (Political Intelligence) was separated from it, creating the Political Intelligence Directorate. In 1962, this directorate received a number, while in the years 1966-1991, it was known as the Third Directorate of State Security, in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It was located near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the officers camouflaged themselves with diplomatic duties, in the Albanian diplomatic representations.

Its activity extended abroad. The officers of this directorate established a mediocre secret network abroad, which served no purpose. They could bring some information about escaped Albanians, while from the secret services of other countries, the information was zero. Since this was a major failure and without an agent product, they tried by all means to keep it with propaganda, as if they knew everything, as if they were committing murders abroad, etc.

From Athens, Belgrade, Rome, no information came. While from other countries, such a thing could not even be thought of. That is, the Political Intelligence of Albania, only lied to itself with fictitious reports, as if who knows what it was doing. It extracted information from newspapers and magazines, translated them badly and claimed that it was working.

On 23.11.1964, the Ministry of Internal Affairs compiled the report; “On the activity of the enemy in the years 1963-1964 and the work of the State Security organs”. This report was discussed at the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Albanian People’s Liberation Army, dated 19.1.1965. Minister Kadri Hazbiu declared that; “you are not achieving your goal”, that the Soviets knew the Albanian agency abroad well and the network was problematic. In total, there were about 15-20 cadres abroad. Among other things, Mehmet Shehu accepted the great truth, that Political Revenge was a nothing, that it gave nothing.

Part of the discussion of Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu:

“In the work of the State Security organs, we have weaknesses, especially in terms of Foreign Intelligence. We have no data on what the foreign enemy is doing, we do not have an agency that can inform us of the enemy’s activities abroad. If a war breaks out, the agency that we have, we are left with no connection to us. The main object of Foreign Intelligence should be, first of all, the plan to attack Albania from Greece, Yugoslavia and the 6th American Fleet.

That is, from the defense of the homeland, this is the main object. Comrades, this agency is tracking. Therefore, if the two sectors, the Army Intelligence and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, should be united, I think we should look at this too. This is something to be seen, but it is not the main thing. Therefore, let us think deeply, let us think about it, because for years we have not been able to bring this sector out of the backlog.” Memorie.al