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The life of secret agent Vojtěch Kučera: microhistorical study
Veselý, Vojtěch ; Činátl, Kamil (advisor) ; Michela, Miroslav (referee)
This thesis intends to introduce the life story of Vojtěch Kučera, "agent-walker", who undertook at least twenty-six illegal border crossing across Czechoslovakia border during the years 1946 - 1954. During his last illegal border crossing he was catched, accused of espionage and then sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in the year 1955. The first part of the thesis is based on three variations of Kučera's life story. These three stories are constructed (and later deconstructed ) by using informations from family memories, Kučera's statement as well as from the film Agent K vypovídá. The second part of the thesis is based on several microhistorical probes. By using microhistorical analysis we aim to understand Kučera's thinking, behaving and motivations.
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Is it neccessary to reform Czech intelligence services?
Bulan, Jiří ; Šándor, Andor (advisor) ; Balabán, Miloš (referee)
Bulan, Jiří. Je třeba reformovat české zpravodajské služby? Praha, 2011. 101 s. Diplomová práce (Mgr.) Univerzita Karlova, Fakulta sociálních věd, Institut politologických studií. Katedra mezinárodních vztahů. Vedoucí diplomové práce Gen. Ing. Andor Šándor. Abstract The thesis is a comparative analysis of the Czech intelligence system. It is trying to answer how and whether or not to reform the Czech intelligence services on the basis of scholarly articles and especially interviews with current and former intelligence officials and particular politicians. It turned out that among some of the Czech intelligence services and even within those services prevails the tense atmosphere, which had been caused by various personal failings. All the cases were the individual personal excesses, not the system errors. Representatives of the services assesses the ability to detect security threats very critically. The services miss particularly tight government management as well as the independent overview of the service operations. How to improve the intelligence services work? The intelligence community must establish a common vision that will emerge from a deeper internal discussion only. It is not possible to reform the system without it.
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Crisis of U.S. Intelligence? George W. Bush and the decision to invade Iraq
Ondrejka, Miroslav ; Kozák, Kryštof (advisor) ; Anděl, Petr (referee)
The intelligence failure regarding the estimates of the Iraqi regime is often cited as the main reason for President George W. Bush to change the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. Between 2002 and 2003, the highest figures o George W. Bush's administration often used arguments of the intelligence community to justify their decision to overthrow Saddam's regime by force. Their arguments were based primarily on the information on Hussein's contacts with al-Qaeda and his continuing ability to produce weapons of mass destruction. After the war, these estimates were proven wrong and the intelligence community was marked as the force that triggered the invasion. In my master's thesis called Crisis of U.S. Intelligence? George W. Bush and the decision to invade Iraq, I put forward arguments contradicting this widespread idea. The goal of the thesis is to cast light on the fundaments of the intelligence failure regarding Hussein's alleged contacts with al- Qaeda and his capability to stockpile and produce weapons of mass destruction. I reveal the ideological and strategic reasons behind the Bush's decision to invade Iraq and the fact that the intelligence findings played only secondary role. The true reason of the intelligence failure wasn't only flawed manipulation with human intelligence (HUMINT) and...
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Zpravodajská komunita Spojených států amerických: Byla adekvátně zreformována po teroristických útocích v září 2001?
Kondrótová, Katarína ; Rolenc, Jan Martin (advisor) ; Machoň, Miloslav (referee)
The purpose of this thesis will be to identify the failures and shortcomings of the US intelligence community which allowed the 9/11 terrorist attacks to take place, and analyze whether the subsequent Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 managed to address them appropriately. The paper will examine the development of intelligence practices in the USA, focusing on the failures that occurred before and during 9/11, and analyze the appositeness of the 2004 reform for fixing these failures and improving counter-terrorism measures in the US and internationally. Towards the end, it should provide answers to the following questions: Was the IRTPA a suitable response to 9/11? How did it affect the American intelligence community?
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The life of secret agent Vojtěch Kučera: microhistorical study
Veselý, Vojtěch ; Činátl, Kamil (advisor) ; Michela, Miroslav (referee)
This thesis intends to introduce the life story of Vojtěch Kučera, "agent-walker", who undertook at least twenty-six illegal border crossing across Czechoslovakia border during the years 1946 - 1954. During his last illegal border crossing he was catched, accused of espionage and then sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in the year 1955. The first part of the thesis is based on three variations of Kučera's life story. These three stories are constructed (and later deconstructed ) by using informations from family memories, Kučera's statement as well as from the film Agent K vypovídá. The second part of the thesis is based on several microhistorical probes. By using microhistorical analysis we aim to understand Kučera's thinking, behaving and motivations.
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Crisis of U.S. Intelligence? George W. Bush and the decision to invade Iraq
Ondrejka, Miroslav ; Kozák, Kryštof (advisor) ; Anděl, Petr (referee)
The intelligence failure regarding the estimates of the Iraqi regime is often cited as the main reason for President George W. Bush to change the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. Between 2002 and 2003, the highest figures o George W. Bush's administration often used arguments of the intelligence community to justify their decision to overthrow Saddam's regime by force. Their arguments were based primarily on the information on Hussein's contacts with al-Qaeda and his continuing ability to produce weapons of mass destruction. After the war, these estimates were proven wrong and the intelligence community was marked as the force that triggered the invasion. In my master's thesis called Crisis of U.S. Intelligence? George W. Bush and the decision to invade Iraq, I put forward arguments contradicting this widespread idea. The goal of the thesis is to cast light on the fundaments of the intelligence failure regarding Hussein's alleged contacts with al- Qaeda and his capability to stockpile and produce weapons of mass destruction. I reveal the ideological and strategic reasons behind the Bush's decision to invade Iraq and the fact that the intelligence findings played only secondary role. The true reason of the intelligence failure wasn't only flawed manipulation with human intelligence (HUMINT) and...
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Is it neccessary to reform Czech intelligence services?
Bulan, Jiří ; Šándor, Andor (advisor) ; Balabán, Miloš (referee)
Bulan, Jiří. Je třeba reformovat české zpravodajské služby? Praha, 2011. 101 s. Diplomová práce (Mgr.) Univerzita Karlova, Fakulta sociálních věd, Institut politologických studií. Katedra mezinárodních vztahů. Vedoucí diplomové práce Gen. Ing. Andor Šándor. Abstract The thesis is a comparative analysis of the Czech intelligence system. It is trying to answer how and whether or not to reform the Czech intelligence services on the basis of scholarly articles and especially interviews with current and former intelligence officials and particular politicians. It turned out that among some of the Czech intelligence services and even within those services prevails the tense atmosphere, which had been caused by various personal failings. All the cases were the individual personal excesses, not the system errors. Representatives of the services assesses the ability to detect security threats very critically. The services miss particularly tight government management as well as the independent overview of the service operations. How to improve the intelligence services work? The intelligence community must establish a common vision that will emerge from a deeper internal discussion only. It is not possible to reform the system without it.
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