Intelligence service is confronted with more and more threats
Published: Tuesday, Oct 22nd 2024, 14:20
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Switzerland is significantly less secure than it was just a few years ago. This is what the intelligence service writes in its latest situation report. According to the report, foreign states are increasingly conducting espionage and propaganda from Switzerland. The threat of terrorism has become more acute.
Since the beginning of 2024, the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) has registered an intensified international dynamic among jihadist actors, according to the annual report published on Tuesday. This is reflected, for example, in an increase in police interventions in Europe on suspicion of terrorism.
There has been an increase in the radicalization of minors. This takes place online, in a short space of time and can even lead to the perpetration of a terrorist attack. Jewish and Israeli interests in particular remain exposed, including in Switzerland.
According to the FIS, there is also a "multitude of other threats". These include Russian influence activities, espionage, the proliferation of weapons and violent right-wing and left-wing extremism. The current FIS situation radar in the "Security Switzerland 2024" report covers a total of 48 topics.
More jobs required
"Switzerland's security environment continues to deteriorate from year to year," says the FIS annual report. The group of Eurasian autocracies - China, Russia, North Korea and Iran - which are also increasingly cooperating militarily, is one of the most worrying of the strategic patterns currently emerging. Early detection of threats is therefore becoming increasingly important.
This requires personnel. In mid-October, the Security Policy Committee of the Council of States (SIK-S) called for the FIS's personnel resources to be increased for 2025 and the years thereafter so that 150 new full-time positions can be created by 2028 at the latest. The FIS currently has around 400 employees. The Finance Committee of the Council of States (FK-S) will discuss this next.
Head of the FIS Christian Dussey has been warning for some time that staff are overworked and has repeatedly called for additional resources to identify and assess threats and relevant changes in Switzerland's strategic environment in good time and then take the necessary preventive measures.
Spies in embassies
The greatest threat to Switzerland from espionage currently comes from several Russian intelligence services, as the FIS writes further. The threat to Switzerland from Chinese intelligence services is also high. "Numerous services maintain camouflaged bases in Switzerland, so-called residences." As a rule, these are operated in diplomatic representations.
According to the FIS annual report, the war against Ukraine and the escalating global confrontation over power politics have also increased the hybrid threat to Switzerland, particularly through Russian influence operations. Russia is also attempting to circumvent Western sanctions via private companies in third countries. This poses a major challenge for Swiss export controls on dual-use goods requiring a license.
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