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The Importance of Intelligence Activities During The Period of The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (1939-1945)
Vacková, Kateřina ; Michálek, Luděk (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee)
The research of this diploma thesis deals with the significance of the intelligence activity that was maintained on the territory of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia in the period 1939-1945. One of the main goals of this work is to introduce the reader to the meaning and essence of intelligence activity at the time when it was labeled as illegal. This activity is subjected to a closer examination by the author in an effort to better outline the operation of intelligence activities during the occupation of the Czechoslovak territory. Another goal is to take into account the approaches of two great powers (Great Britain and the Soviet Union) to Czechoslovak intelligence activities, which brought valuable information during the Second World War. The last goal was complementary to understanding the distinction and fragmentation of intelligence activity on the territory of the Protectorate. It is an examination of the branches of the domestic resistance, which replaced the intelligence activity that could not be carried out by an established institution with legislative delimitation.
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2021 Taliban Takeover: Defeat of the Afghan National Security Forces through the lens of proxy warfare theory
Bělohlávek, Dalibor ; Michálek, Luděk (advisor) ; Aslan, Emil (referee)
The war in Afghanistan conflict represents the longest engagement the United States has ever been involved in, and despite significant resource allocation and loss of life, the nation-building effort eventually failed. The most salient representation of the entire Afghan experience was the rapid collapse of the Afghan National Army. Despite the years of training by the Western forces and the resources poured into it, after the United States withdrew it rapidly collapsed and was defeated by Taliban forces. This thesis aims to examine the relationship between the United States and the Afghan National Army within the context of proxy warfare theory, drawing lessons that can be applied to future conflicts of a similar nature. Firstly, this study delineates the evolving nature of 21st-century warfare and underlines why it is essential for the U.S. to acknowledge these changes, acquiring valuable insights to better navigate future challenges. To this end, the research scrutinizes the Afghan conflict, which is not typically perceived as a classic case of proxy warfare. Using the perspectives of four different proxy warfare theorists, each with distinctive approaches, common characteristics of proxy warfare are distilled and applied to analyze the case of the Afghan National Army and its relationship with...
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Targeted Killing as a Tool of Counter-terrorism: The case of Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
Máka, Marek ; Michálek, Luděk (advisor) ; Bureš, Oldřich (referee)
This thesis explores the topic of targeted killings and their effectiveness as a tool of counter-terrorism. The study begins with discussing the employed theory of decapitation and the legal and ethical questions the use of this method raises. The effectiveness is studied in two cases of leadership decapitations, specifically the case of Ahmed Abdi Godane, the former leader of Al-Shabaab, and Nasir al-Wuhayshi, the former leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The analysis was conducted through a combination of quantitative and qualitative approach and the timeframe has been set as two years before and two years after the decapitation. The results from the short-term perspective seem to suggest that leadership decapitation does decrease the organization's capability, with the scope of it depending on individual groups. In the medium to long-term timeframe, the results of the analysis were ambiguous as in the case of Al-Shabaab, there was no significant decrease in the capabilities of the group present due to the decapitation, however, in the case of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, there was a serious decrease occurring in all of the studied indicators. Finally, the thesis suggests that using targeted killings as part of more complex counter-terrorist operations greatly improves its...
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Hidden Swallows- The role of female agents in Iranian intelligence practices
Farsi, Arghawan ; Michálek, Luděk (advisor) ; Mehdi Beyad, Mohammed (referee)
This study analyzes how Iranian intelligence agencies use female agents referred to as swallows to conduct honey-traps against specific targets. Furthermore, the study critically reflects on the role of female agents within the context of the Iranian security system with reference to Manjikian's (2020) theory of queer intelligence. Since the Iranian state is based on strict gender-segregation laws, the interplay between the use of swallows within this system, will be reviewed. For this a total of twenty-four English and Farsi online news articles have been reviewed, coded, and analyzed. In addition, the gendered dimension that comes with the language used within the online news articles will be critically assessed. The analysis concludes that Iranian women are indeed being used as swallows for honey-trapping opposing voices yet much of the recruitment tactics, motivations and background information is left in secrecy. It is evident that the use of swallows by Iranian intelligence agencies includes an inherently gendered-dimension due to the official theocratic nature of the Iranian state, yet this is contrasted by its willingness to secretly use female agents for methods of seduction. Keywords: Gender Studies, Intelligence Studies, Iran, Iranian Intelligence Agencies, Qualitative Content Analysis.
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Obstacles to Security Cooperation: The Problem of Maritime Piracy in South-East Asia
Robertson, Shaun ; Michálek, Luděk (advisor) ; Schottli, Jivanta (referee)
South-East Asia is the most prolific piracy region in the world which seldom receives any attention from international governments or media alike. The purpose of this thesis is to understand why piracy can exist at such high levels without gaining the attention of other piracy spots such as Somalia and the Gulf of Guinea and how it is combatted in lieu of more international responses seen in those African regions. Various methods and sources have been used to answer this puzzle like qualitative methods through analysing academic articles, international treaties and up to date news in the region. Furthermore, quantitative analysis through piracy statistic databases have been vital to understanding the situation in not only the South-East Asia but Somalia and the Gulf of Guinea too. The geography of the region is constrained by international law creating tight political boundaries in maritime spaces. The consequences of this are that states value protecting their sovereign territory over combatting piracy. Pirates understand this and can cross transnational boundaries to commit crimes and escape where security forces cannot follow due to respecting maritime territorial boundaries. States do not want to give authority for other states to perform security in their territory and this creates a situation...
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Analysis of the applicability of Ninja intelligence and arts in the contemporary world
Hashimoto, Miki ; Michálek, Luděk (advisor) ; Peacock, Timothy (referee)
Ninja existed approximately from the 14th century to roughly the 17th century as an occupation for conducting intelligence and military work for generals in Japan. On one hand, the term 'ninja' is widely known around the world, however on the other hand, the real feature of ninja is not well known. The reality of shinobi was a military intelligence officer who gains information sometimes by infiltrating into adversary territory, communicating with others pretending to be merchants or using other disguises. Ninja also worked as soldiers and mainly conducted surprise attacks such as ambushes or incendiarism tactics. Ninja were, therefore, people who blurred into the dark night to collect intelligence and/or conduct military attacks behind the spotlight of history. In spite of its limited number of historical records in ninja literature, the recent study has been expanding more in Japan since the establishment of the Iga Community- based Research Institute at Mie University in 2012, followed by the creation of the International Ninja Research Centre in 2017. As research on ninja itself is relatively new, there are many opportunities in this field to find new aspects of ninja as well as its implication into today. In fact, the research on ninja intelligence and military tactics have never yet been...
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Brothers in espionage: Examining the relationship between the Stasi and the KGB
Brütsch, Nickolas Adler ; Kaczmarski, Marcin (advisor) ; Michálek, Luděk (referee)
This dissertation seeks to answer the research question "what was the relationship between the Soviet KGB and the East German Stasi". Based on the maxim that "there are no such thing as friendly intelligence services, just intelligence services of friendly states" this work analyses the KGB-Stasi relationship through a theoretical framework grounded in the work of Sophia Hoffmann and Joseph Hatfield. In order to provide an answer to the research question this dissertation analyses the KGB- Stasi relationship at the levels of state, institution and individuals. Throughout this project argues that there are no such thing as friendly intelligence services, and that the relationship between the Stasi and the KGB was far from friendly despite shared goals, adversaries and history.
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Police intelligence innovation and transnational organized crime in cyberspace: A South American challenge
Simoni, Felipe Lobato ; Michálek, Luděk (advisor) ; Aliyev, Huseyn (referee)
Cyberspace is a new domain and a lot has changed since it emerged. This dissertation evaluates the impacts it has had in transnational organized crime and police intelligence innovations, not as a cyber revolution, but as a cyber metamorphosis. After evaluating how each, transnational organized crime and police intelligence, has been impacted by the world transformations, two case studies are presented, one referring to the Tripartite Joint Command in the tri- border area between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, and EUROPOL, their relations to the regional integration projects (respectively MERCOSUL and European Union) and their challenges in innovating. At last, this dissertation runs a risk assessment and a scenario forecasting to enable for a better comprehension on how the key findings can be useful in strategically planning for the future.
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Criminal Intelligence in the Fight Against Organized Crime in Italy
Matiz, Sophie ; Michálek, Luděk (advisor) ; Aslan, Emil (referee)
Criminal intelligence or Law Enforcement intelligence has been conceived to fight crime and restore the order of law whenever a country's national security is at risk. The discipline has its origins in the 1920s, a time in which the main method for intelligence collection was the famous dossier system - the gathering of basic information about individuals. Nowadays, the discipline has come to be considered a key tool in order to contrast organized crime. However, the European discipline on the matter as well as the establishment of the European Model on Criminal Intelligence are to be considered quite recent. In fact, the first real model on criminal intelligence was established only at the beginning of the years 2000s in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the scope of this thesis project is to study the ways in which criminal intelligence operates at the European level. However, this cannot be accomplished without providing an accurate definition of the main concepts - such as organized crime and intelligence - related to the discipline. Moreover, a fundamental part of this thesis regards the study of Europol and its evolution into a proper agency that works to eradicate the phenomenon of organized crime throughout the European territory. In particular, the elaborate aims to underline Europol's...
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The Impact of Edward Snowden on Data Protections, Individual Privacy, and Ontological Security
McCardel, Kylie ; Michálek, Luděk (advisor) ; Ludvík, Jan (referee)
Kylie McCardel This thesis will discuss the impacts of whistleblower Edward Snowden from his 2013 leaks of confidential documents to global media. In context of these leaks, this thesis will seek to determine the resulting changes and advancements made in the field of whistleblowing, as well as highlight other important whistleblowers in primarily American history to demonstrate the importance of their actions over the years for legislative change. Additionally, this thesis will also examine how corporations and private citizens have reacted to the Snowden revelations, with emphasis on the corporations' reactions following several major events in American society, as these entail the potential data leak from private devices.
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