Second Directorate of the Federal Ministry of Interior

The IInd Directorate of the National security corps, the Main administration of the Counterintelligence, was created during the reorganisation of the Federal Ministry of Interior on 1 October 1988 by merging the former Directorates for the fight against the external enemy (formerly IInd Directorate of the Federal Ministry of Interior), for the fight against the internal enemy (formerly Xth Directorate) and for the protection of the economy (formerly XIth Directorate).

According to its organisational  order of 15 March 1989 the Main Directorate of the Counterintelligence was entrusted with the following tasks: uncovering enemy activities of intelligence services on the territory of the ČSSR; uncovering enemy activities of citizens of the ČSSR and foreigners carrying out these activities on the territory of the ČSSR in connection with foreign intelligence services; uncovering, prevention and curtailing of enemy activities of persons threatening the internal order of the ČSSR; carrying out counterintelligence measures against ideological diversion; carrying out counterintelligence protection of specified buildings;  in cooperation with the intelligence service, participation in penetration into central offices of enemy intelligence services (including participation in so-called intelligence games); participation in the protection of state secrets of the ČSSR; in cooperation with the military counterintelligence, participation in the protection of military buildings (including places of dislocation of Soviet units); implementation of preventive educational measures with the goal of prevention or curtailing of enemy activity; curtailing of ativity of terrorists or terrorist groups on the territory of the ČSSR; penetration into the environment of embassies and uncovering intelligence personnel serving there.

From the point of view of structure, the focus of the Main Directorate of the Counterintelligence was evident. These were its sections: 

  • For the fight against the so-called external enemy:
    • Section 1 – directed against the USA and countries of Latin America
    • Section 2 – FRG and Austria
    • Section 3 – Great Britain, France and other NATO countries, protection of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    • Section 4 – Afro-Asian countries, terrorism, human trafficking organisations, protection of Soviet armies
  • Sections for protection of the economy:
    • Section 5 –pre-production sphere, industry, agriculture
    • Section 6 – protection of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Trade, enterprises of foreign trade, economic representations of foreign companies
    • Section 7 – taffic, communications, energy
    • Section 8 – protection of state, economic and service secrets  
  • Sections for the fight against the internal enemy:
    • Section 9 – churches, religious societies, sects
    • Section 10 – counterintelligence measures against enemy groups / right-wing anti-socialist forces, former Communists, flyers, Czechosovak People’s Party, Czechoslovak Socialist Party, trade unions, independent initiatives, Charter 77, Committee for the defence of the unjustly prosecuted, Movement for civic freedom, Party of democratic socialism
    • Section 11 – youth, science, education, culture
    • Section 12 – ideological diversion centres and emigree organisations

The tasks of the State Security toward the anti-regime opposition remained constant during the 1980s – to impede the action readiness of the internal enemy, to incite and support mutual mistrust in the structures of the opposition, to disturb relations and connections to abroad and to discredit important representatives of the opposition.

See also: Counterintelligence residentura of the Federal ministry of interior

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