Letnik 9/2, september 2007 - Slovenska vojska

OBOROŽENE SILE KOT POMEMBEN DEJAVNIK V BOJU PROTI TERORIZMU
documents. In a definite sense, it substitutes the missing defence strategy.
The Slovenian Armed Forces have to be capable of adapting to the changes of
strategic environment which is more and more determined by great dynamics
and unpredictable operations and of operating against conventional and nonconventional
sources of threat to national security. In principle, the Slovenian
Armed Forces are aware of the threats which have been brought in the system
of national security by the changing security circumstances in the world. In
the framework of supra-national threats two main threats appear lately such as
terrorism and illegal proliferation of weapons of mass distraction. The Slovenian
Armed Forces try hard to be active in all processes of planning and executing of
measures for countering terrorism on the base of their authorities. In executing
these activities inside the national security system there are also negative responses
by some structures which do not agree with the fact that the Slovenian Armed
Forces could use their personnel, technical, organizational and financial assets to
build a more efficient system of countering terrorism. Such views are a result of
historical experiences and never ending dilemmas about efficient civil control of
armed forces. On the other hand such views could be shared by narrow interest
groups, which are hiding behind “the danger of inefficient control” over armed
forces and see just theirs narrow interests. Such views do not help improve the
efficiency of the whole system of countering terrorism. I would now like to
present the role of the Slovenian Armed Forces in the area of countering terrorism,
especially in the organizational sense.
Tasks related to the countering terrorism are executed in a framework of basic tasks
of the Slovenian Armed Forces. The most important counterterrorism processes run
in connection with the following basic tasks of the Slovenian Armed Forces:
Military Defence of the Republic of Slovenia,
Protecting personnel and infrastructure, which are of special importance for
defence, and military personnel, units and locations under the authority of the
Slovenian Armed Forces,
Protecting air space and the Slovenian territorial waters,
Assisting civil agencies with safeguarding of critical infrastructure,
Assisting civil police with control of broader territory on state borders,
Assisting civil institutions in consequence management after terrorist attacks.
The staff intelligence and security bodies in the Slovenian Armed Forces cooperate
with the MOD Intelligence and Security service within the frame of their
136