C. Wiebes - Intelligence en de oorlog in Bosnië 1992-1995. De rol van de inlichtingen- en veiligheidsdiensten - Engels

194To date little is known about the role of Sigint and the interception of communications traffic duringthe war in the Balkans and in Bosnia in particular. This is chiefly because Sigint is one of the mostsecret methods of gathering intelligence.To begin with we need a good definition of Sigint. A US Marine Corps manual describes it as‘intelligence gained by exploiting an adversary’s use of the electromagnetic spectrum with the aim ofgaining undetected firsthand intelligence on the adversary’s intentions, dispositions, capabilities, andlimitations’. 1030 Sigint involves the acquisition of information from electromagnetic transmissions (ofany type whatsoever) aiming to intercept electronic message and data traffic and is always conductedunder the greatest secrecy by technical means. This is usually conducted from ground stations, specialships, aircraft or satellites. Sigint consists of three separate, mutually interconnected gatheringtechniques: Communications Intelligence (Comint), Electronic Intelligence (Elint) and ForeignInstrumentation Signals Intelligence (Fisint). 1031Communications Intelligence (Comint) concentrates on intercepting and processing domesticand foreign communications by means of voice and data traffic through telephone, radio, Morse, code,fax, video and telegraph links, and by means of other electronic media. Comint does not relate to theinterception of postal traffic or the monitoring of foreign radio and TV broadcasts. 1032 A typical targetof Comint during the Cold War was formed by the routine activities of Soviet airfields in the GDR,Poland and elsewhere: the radio links, the traffic between the ground personnel and the control towers,the conversations of the pilots and the weather reports for the pilots.Electronic Intelligence (Elint) concentrates on all the other information and data traffictransmitted by domestic and foreign electronic equipment. The most common Elint targets aretransmissions by radar stations and navigation systems. By means of Elint these radars can be identifiedby function, type, range and capabilities and their location can be precisely determined. This intelligence1033is chiefly of importance to the Military Intelligence Services. Foreign Instrumentation SignalsIntelligence (Fisint) involves the gathering and processing of emissions related to the testing of certainaircraft, missiles and (un)manned space vehicles. Fisint is also involved in the interception of electronictraffic transmitting video images to ground stations, and of transmissions intended to test all sorts ofweapons systems. 1034Over the last ten years Sigint has increasingly been used to intercept a new electroniccommunication medium: digital data traffic. Its main purpose is to transmit enormous quantities ofdigital data between computer systems and networks. One example is a special program for themonitoring of electronic banking traffic. This program was used, for instance, to closely monitorMilosevic’s cash flows abroad (especially to and from Cyprus). 1035 During the Balkan war too theintelligence services devoted attention to Comint, with particular attention given to the gathering,intercepting and decoding of military and diplomatic messages. This traffic can be conducted over an‘open’ line, but it may also be coded or encrypted. In cryptography (the art of secret writing)information is converted in a way that third parties are not thought capable of deciphering.1030 US Marine Corps, Marine Corps Warfighting Publication (MCWP), 2-15.2, Sigint, June 1999, p. 1-1.1031 US House of Representatives, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Annual Report by the Permanent Select Committeeon Intelligence, 95th Congress, 2nd Session, 1978, p. 50.1032 US Senate, Report No. 94-755, Final Report of the Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations With Respect to IntelligenceActivities, 94th Congress, 2nd Session, 1976, Book III, p. 737; US House of Representatives, Permanent Select Committeeon Intelligence, Report No. 95-1795, Annual Report by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, 1978, pp. 31, 58; Departmentof Defense Directive S-5100-20, The NSA and the Central Security Service, 23/12/71; David L. Christianson, ‘sigint’, in: Hopple& Watson (eds.), The Military Intelligence Community, p. 41.1033 E.A.O. Onderdelinden, ‘Verbindingsinlichtingen. Wat is dat eigenlijk?’ (Signals Intelligence. What is that actually?), in:Militaire Spectator, Vol. 170 (2001) 12, pp. 675-683.1034 Fisint was earlier known as Telemetry Intelligence. David L. Christianson, ‘sigint,’ in: Hopple & Watson (eds.), TheMilitary Intelligence Community, p. 40.1035 NAIC, Draft, Technical Requirements Document (TRD) for the SIGINT System Integration Contract, 24/07/00. See:http://www.pixs.wpafb.af.mil/pixslibr/DATAEX/sigsoo_drft1.doc.