The hoax about the legalization of "state terrorism" and the role of the secret services. Mario Mori speaks
Mario Mori (photo Ansa)
the interview
The former director of the SISDE explains why it is not true that the Security Decree will allow the services to carry out a coup d'état, as denounced by the unprecedented Boldrini-Renzi duo. And he says: "The agents of the services must be able to act at the high levels of terrorist organizations"
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“For the secret services, it is one thing to have a source within a terrorist or mafia group who is simply a sympathizer, in short a mafia picciotto. It is quite another thing to have a source who participates in the meetings of the strategic management of the group. What do they want from the services? That they carry out their operations along the coast, or that they go out to sea, trying to understand in depth how terrorist and mafia organizations work? ” The question was posed, interviewed by Foglio, by former general Mario Mori, former commander of the Carabinieri ROS and director of the SISDE , the intelligence body that until 2007 carried out the activity of gathering and analyzing information for internal security. Mori is referring to the controversy that accompanied the final approval of the Security decree, in particular for a provision contained in it that expands the crimes for which agents of the services can act without being punished. In fact, these will no longer be allowed only to participate but also to "direct and organize" associations with the aim of terrorism or subversion of the democratic order.
The provision has provoked indignation especially from the PD deputy Laura Boldrini, who denounced "the legalization of state terrorism", and from the leader of Italia Viva, Matteo Renzi , who on Wednesday in the Senate Chamber attacked the government: " You are saying that if the secret services want to carry out a coup d'état they are respecting the law , and there is no one who moves. You have chosen to put the secret services in the position of directing terrorist associations, are you crazy?". "In the country of P2, Gladio and Piazza Fontana, for the first time in the history of the republic we are giving the secret services the possibility of leading terrorist organizations", added Renzi.
In truth, things are not exactly as represented by the strange couple Boldrini-Renzi. The law that regulates intelligence activities in fact, as Mori also reminds us, clearly establishes that the conduct related to the exculpable crimes (for example, participation in subversive associations, recruitment for the purpose of terrorism, organization of transfers for the purpose of terrorism, participation in an armed gang) can be carried out by intelligence agents only if they respect the criteria of indispensability, reasonableness and proportionality. Above all, the law excludes that conduct aimed at endangering or harming the life, physical integrity, individual personality, personal freedom, moral freedom, health or safety of one or more people, and other particularly serious conduct, such as attacks against constitutional bodies or against political rights, can be authorized.
“Those in the profession know that there are very specific prerequisites for carrying out activities that can be traced back to exculpatory crimes,” Mori says. “For example, an intelligence agent cannot shoot, as is the case in other countries like France. Likewise, you cannot subvert institutions.”
In short, no, it is not true that the Security Decree will legitimize the secret services to carry out coups d'état, as some have claimed. Rather, the occasion is useful to reflect on the direction that the intelligence services should have. "If you want to make the work of the service truly effective, you have to give it the possibility to act at the right levels," Mori emphasizes.
“Do you know what the essence of the secret services' activity is?” What is it? “I'll explain it to you with an example. Let's take the most important fugitive in the world until a few years ago: Osama Bin Laden. The dream of a judicial police officer, a carabiniere or a policeman is to arrest Bin Laden. The dream of an intelligence agent, whether Italian or American, is to make Bin Laden his own source. That's the difference”. Why is this the dream of the secret services? “Because in this way you further develop the intelligence activity. You even enter the opposing camp and you can completely understand the organization and strategy of your enemy, because you have one of the top exponents who acts as your source”, replies Mori.
A lesson for those who are talking inappropriately about the role of the services these days.
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