Directorate of General Military Intelligence

DGMI logo

The Iraqi Directorate of General Military Intelligence (DGMI) (Arabic: Mudiriyyat al-Istikhabarat al-'Askariyya al-'Amma‎) was the military intelligence service of Iraq from 1932^[1] to 2003.

Its responsibilities included: "1) tactical and strategic reconnaissance of regimes hostile to Iraq; 2) assessing threats of a military nature to Iraq; 3) monitoring the Iraqi military and ensuring the loyalty of the officer corps; 4) maintaining a network of informants in Iraq and abroad, including foreign personnel, and military human intelligence; and 5) protection of military and military-industrial facilities.^[2] Al-Istikhbarat is divided into a Special, Political and Administrative Bureau.^[3]"

It employed embassy personnel, especially the military attaché and his office within the embassy. It had duties inside the army, but it is unknown what these duties were. In 1979 a document called the Strategic Work Plan, by Khalil al-Azzawi, who was head of operations for the Estikhbarat, was leaked. The plan set goals of the overseas branches of the agency, e.g. the military attaché's office in London was told to provide reports of nuclear, chemical and bacteriological installations. Also photos of naval bases and their specifications were required.

In a separate section Ba'ath agents were expected to uncover the structure of NATO forces such as its land, air and sea bases around the world, especially in the Mediterranean Sea.

Several opposition leaders were found dead in Beirut and Paris. Their^{[citation needed]} involvement in the assassinations of Palestinian leaders in 1980 is also likely.

Notes

1. ^ Dilip Hiro, Neighbors, Not Friends, Iraq and Iran After the Gulf Wars (London and New York: Routledge, 2001), p.56, via Ibrahim Al-Marashi, 'Iraqi intelligence operations and objectives in Turkey, Alternatives, Vol. 2, No.1, Spring 2003
2. ^ Kanan Makiya, Republic of Fear: The Politics of Modern Iraq (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1998), p.14, via Al-Marashi, 2003
3. ^ Copley, p.714, via Al-Marashi, 2003

References

• Ibrahim Al-Marashi, 'Iraqi intelligence operations and objectives in Turkey, Alternatives, Vol. 2, No.1, Spring 2003

External links

• Globalsecurity.org, Iraqi Survey Group final report