Israeli Security Forces - Directorate of Military Intelligence
Aman (אמ"ן) is the
Hebrew abbreviation for the Israel Defence Forces' (IDF) Directorate of
Military Intelligence (אגף מודיעין), Israel's central, overarching
military inteligence. Aman was created in 1950, when the 'Intelligence
Department' was spun off from the IDF's General Staff (then, Agam: אג"ם).
Aman is an independent service, on a par with the Infantry Corps, Navy
Corps, and the Air Force Corps, with a staff of 7,000 personnel
(estimate as of 1996). It is currently headed by Major General Aaharon
Zeevi-Farkash.
Head of Aman
The head of Aman engages in intelligence decision and policy-making at
the same level as the heads of the Shin Bet and the Mossad: together,
they form the three highest-ranking, co-equal heads of the Israeli
Intelligence Community, and are focused on the military, domestic
(including The Territories), and foreign fronts respectively. The head
of Aman also serves concurrently as overseeing head of the following
military departments/agencies:
------------------------------------------------------------------
* Intelligence Corps
* Research Department
------------------------------------------------------------------
* Collection Department
* Field Security
* External Relations Department
* Organization
* Censorship
* Combat Intelligence
* Naval Intelligence Department
* Air Intelligence Squadron
* General Staff Reconnaissance unit
------------------------------------------------------------------
New head of Aman announced
On 10 June 2005, the IDF's chief, Lieutenant General Dan Halutz, in a
move viewed as surprising, announced that Major General Aharon
Zeevi-Farkash will be replaced by Major General Amos Yidlin. Yidlin,
currently the IDF's military attaché in Washington, was a combat pilot,
former head of the Air Intelligence Squadron, and Halutz's deputy. The
new appointment has already met the approval of Israel's Defence
Minister, Shaul Mofaz, and will take effect in the next several few
months.
Roles and jurisdictions
Intelligence Corps badge.
Intelligence Corps badge.
Modash: IDF's newest corps.
Enlarge
Modash: IDF's newest corps.
The IDF's Intelligence Corps (חיל המודיעין), abbreviated as Haman and
headed by a Brigadier General, has been detached from Aman since the Yom
Kipur War, but remains under its jurisdiction. In April 2000, the newest
IDF corps was founded (the IDF's fifth land corps), the Field
Intelligence Corps (מוד"ש), abbreviated as Modash. It was designed to
fulfil some of Haman's former combat intelligence functions, and is also
headed by a Brigadier General. Unlike Haman, however, Modash falls under
the jurisdiction of the GOC Army Headquarters (מז"י), abbreviated as
Mazi, and currently headed by Major General Yiftach Ron-Tal (as of 10
June 2005, outgoing: to be replaced by Major General Benny Gantz,
outgoing head of GOC Northern Command). In 1976, according to the
Lexicon of National Security, some of Aman's principal roles consisted
of:
1. Intelligence evaluation for security policy, military planning and
'fluid security policy,' and the dissemination of intelligence to IDF
and governmental bodies.
2. Field security at the level of the General Staff (today, Matkal:
מטכ"ל), and the training and operation of field security in general (all
levels).
3. The operation of military censorship.
4. Direction and operation of the 'Collection Agencies.'
5. Drawing maps; providing the direction and supervision for the
dissemination of maps.
6. The development of 'special measures' for intelligence work.
7. The development of intelligence doctrine in the realms of research,
collection, and field security.
8. Staff responsibility for military attachés overseas.
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_Directorate_of_Military_Intelligence
Back to Israeli Security Forces
|
|
