Most damaging part of Stasi intelligence-gathering was flow of information to KGB

Security Police issue annual report for 2003

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The Finnish Security Police (SUPO) says that the most harmful aspect of the surveillance activities conducted in Finland by the former East German intelligence agency Stasi was that Stasi sent all important information directly to the Soviet KGB.
      In its annual report for 2003, SUPO says that the information it has on Stasi activities is based on years of analysis of information acquired from the Federal Republic of Germany.
     
According to the annual report, Stasi itself was not a very serious threat to Finland.
      "The most significant individual case in Stasi espionage directed at Finland was the action of the person registered under the code name XV/11/69."
      The suspected source of the information was Alpo Rusi and his brother Jukka, but there was not enough evidence against them for charges to be filed.
     
In its annual report, SUPO writes that foreign intelligence gathering in Finland last year focused more than usual on Finnish domestic politics and on the debate in security policy. This was mainly prompted by the public debate on NATO membership and last year’s Parliamentary elections.
      Surveillance activities were also "somewhat more active" than in 2002.
      Efforts to influence Finnish decisions in policies toward the EU, NATO, and Russia were more intense than before.
     
In his own assessment, the head of SUPO, Seppo Nevala, noted that terrorism stemming from Muslim extremism is in a constant race with the security services of different countries, and that there is no rapid solution to terrorism.
      "Although arrests have been made in many countries, and attacks under preparation have been prevented, new people have come to replace those that have been caught", Nevala writes.
      He adds, however, that Finland’s security situation is stable.
      In Nevala’s view, the situation can be best kept under control when national security mechanisms hone themselves into functioning units, and work in cooperation after that.
      "Now we do not need more bureaucracy. Instead, existing mechanisms must be utilised better than before."
     
SUPO notes that no terrorist activities, or even threats of terrorism, were aimed at Finnish state structures or civilian targets.
      Criminal activity affecting Finland’s internal security remained small, but SUPO says that there were signs of increased radicalism.
      The most conspicuous activity in the field involved the actions of radical animal rights groups. SUPO also warned that the approval of the construction of a new commercial nuclear reactor might encourage opponents of nuclear power to resort to illegal activities.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finnish Security Police seek new role (28.12.2003)
  Security Police to establish anti-terrorism unit (7.10.2003)
  Alpo Rusi: More than a year of silent torment over espionage allegations (16.9.2003)
  Alpo Rusi accuses Security Police of political conspiracy (16.9.2003)

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