KGB: Difference between revisions

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{{Quote|Loyalty to the party – Loyalty to motherland.|The KGB's motto.}}

The '''Committee for State Security''' (''Комите́т Госуда́рственной Безопа́сности'') or more commonly known as the '''KGB''' was the main intelligence agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until it’s dissolution in 1991.

==Background==

As a direct successor of preceding agencies such as the [[Cheka]], NKGB, [[NKVD]] and MGB, the committee was attached to the Council of Ministers. It was the chief government agency of "union-republican jurisdiction", acting as internal security, intelligence and secret police. Similar agencies were constituted in each of the republics of the Soviet Union aside from Russian SFSR, and consisted of many ministries, state committees and state commissions.

As a ~~direct successor~~ of ~~preceding agencies such as~~ the ~~Cheka~~, ~~NKGB~~, ~~[[NKVD]]~~ and ~~MGB~~, the ~~committee~~ was ~~attached to~~ the ~~Council of Ministers~~. It was the ~~chief~~ government ~~agency~~ of ~~"union-republican jurisdiction"~~, ~~acting as internal security~~, ~~intelligence~~ and ~~secret police~~. ~~Similar agencies were constituted in each of~~ the ~~republics~~ of ~~the Soviet Union aside from Russian SFSR~~, and ~~consisted of many ministries~~, ~~state committees~~ and ~~state commissions~~.

The agency was a military service governed by army laws and regulations, in the same fashion as the Soviet Army or MVD Internal Troops. While most of the KGB archives remain classified, two online documentary sources are available. Its main functions were foreign intelligence, counter-intelligence, operative-investigatory activities, guarding the State Border of the USSR, guarding the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Soviet Government, organization and ensuring of government communications as well as combating nationalism, dissent, and anti-Soviet activities.

A ''Time'' magazine article in 1983 reported that the KGB was the world's most effective information-gathering organization. It operated legal and illegal espionage residencies in target countries where a legal resident gathered intelligence while based at the Soviet embassy or consulate, and, if caught, was protected from prosecution by diplomatic immunity. At best, the compromised spy was either returned to the Soviet Union or was declared ''persona non grata'' and expelled by the government of the target country. The illegal resident spied, unprotected by diplomatic immunity, and worked independently of Soviet diplomatic and trade missions, (cf. the non-official cover CIA officer).

In its early history, the KGB valued illegal spies more than legal spies, because illegal spies infiltrated their targets with greater ease. The KGB residency executed four types of espionage: (i) political, (ii) economic, (iii) military-strategic, and (iv) disinformation, effected with "active measures" (PR Line), counter-intelligence and security (KR Line), and scientific–technological intelligence (X Line); quotidian duties included SIGINT (RP Line) and illegal support (N Line).

The ~~agency~~ was a ~~military service governed~~ by ~~army laws and regulations~~, in the ~~same fashion as~~ the ~~Soviet Army or MVD Internal Troops. While most~~ of the ~~KGB archives remain classified~~, ~~two online documentary sources are available~~. ~~Its main functions were foreign intelligence~~, ~~counter~~-~~intelligence~~, ~~operative-investigatory activities~~, ~~guarding the State Border of the USSR~~, ~~guarding the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party~~ and ~~the Soviet Government~~, ~~organization~~ and ~~ensuring~~ of ~~government communications~~ as ~~well as combating nationalism~~, ~~dissent~~, and ~~anti-Soviet activities~~.

The KGB classified its spies as agents (intelligence providers) and controllers (intelligence relayers). The false-identity or legend assumed by a USSR-born illegal spy was elaborate, using the life of either a "live double" (participant to the fabrications) or a "dead double" (whose identity is tailored to the spy). The agent then substantiated his or her legend by living it in a foreign country, before emigrating to the target country, thus the sending of US-bound illegal residents via the Soviet embassy in Ottawa, Canada. Tradecraft included stealing and photographing documents, code-names, contacts, targets, and dead letter boxes, and working as a "friend of the cause" or as agents provocateurs, who would infiltrate the target group to sow dissension, influence policy, and arrange kidnappings and assassinations.

In 1991, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the KGB was split into the Federal Security Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation.

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 {{Quote|Loyalty to the party – Loyalty to motherland.|The KGB's motto.}}
 The '''Committee for State Security''' (''Комите́т Госуда́рственной Безопа́сности'') or more commonly known as the '''KGB''' was the main intelligence agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until it’s dissolution in 1991.
+==Background==
+As a direct successor of preceding agencies such as the [[Cheka]], NKGB, [[NKVD]] and MGB, the committee was attached to the Council of Ministers. It was the chief government agency of "union-republican jurisdiction", acting as internal security, intelligence and secret police. Similar agencies were constituted in each of the republics of the Soviet Union aside from Russian SFSR, and consisted of many ministries, state committees and state commissions.
-As a direct successor of preceding agencies such as the Cheka, NKGB, [[NKVD]] and MGB, the committee was attached to the Council of Ministers. It was the chief government agency of "union-republican jurisdiction", acting as internal security, intelligence and secret police. Similar agencies were constituted in each of the republics of the Soviet Union aside from Russian SFSR, and consisted of many ministries, state committees and state commissions.
+The agency was a military service governed by army laws and regulations, in the same fashion as the Soviet Army or MVD Internal Troops. While most of the KGB archives remain classified, two online documentary sources are available. Its main functions were foreign intelligence, counter-intelligence, operative-investigatory activities, guarding the State Border of the USSR, guarding the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Soviet Government, organization and ensuring of government communications as well as combating nationalism, dissent, and anti-Soviet activities.
+A ''Time'' magazine article in 1983 reported that the KGB was the world's most effective information-gathering organization. It operated legal and illegal espionage residencies in target countries where a legal resident gathered intelligence while based at the Soviet embassy or consulate, and, if caught, was protected from prosecution by diplomatic immunity. At best, the compromised spy was either returned to the Soviet Union or was declared ''persona non grata'' and expelled by the government of the target country. The illegal resident spied, unprotected by diplomatic immunity, and worked independently of Soviet diplomatic and trade missions, (cf. the non-official cover CIA officer).
+In its early history, the KGB valued illegal spies more than legal spies, because illegal spies infiltrated their targets with greater ease. The KGB residency executed four types of espionage: (i) political, (ii) economic, (iii) military-strategic, and (iv) disinformation, effected with "active measures" (PR Line), counter-intelligence and security (KR Line), and scientific–technological intelligence (X Line); quotidian duties included SIGINT (RP Line) and illegal support (N Line).
-The agency was a military service governed by army laws and regulations, in the same fashion as the Soviet Army or MVD Internal Troops. While most of the KGB archives remain classified, two online documentary sources are available. Its main functions were foreign intelligence, counter-intelligence, operative-investigatory activities, guarding the State Border of the USSR, guarding the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Soviet Government, organization and ensuring of government communications as well as combating nationalism, dissent, and anti-Soviet activities.
+The KGB classified its spies as agents (intelligence providers) and controllers (intelligence relayers). The false-identity or legend assumed by a USSR-born illegal spy was elaborate, using the life of either a "live double" (participant to the fabrications) or a "dead double" (whose identity is tailored to the spy). The agent then substantiated his or her legend by living it in a foreign country, before emigrating to the target country, thus the sending of US-bound illegal residents via the Soviet embassy in Ottawa, Canada. Tradecraft included stealing and photographing documents, code-names, contacts, targets, and dead letter boxes, and working as a "friend of the cause" or as agents provocateurs, who would infiltrate the target group to sow dissension, influence policy, and arrange kidnappings and assassinations.
 In 1991, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the KGB was split into the Federal Security Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation.