KGB head thinks threat to national security comes not from opposition

Yury Zhadobin, head of the Committee of State Security (KGB) spoke about the opposition on his first press conference on his new position. Having reported about capture of foreign spies, he said he knew the opposition by names and it consisted of 1767 “destructive elements,” but they didn’t threaten the national security.

More than 10 agents of foreign secret services were uncovered and their activity was terminated in Belarus this year, Yury Zhadobin said to journalists.

“Though Belarus is demonstrating peaceable external policy, our opponents try to intrude our country to gather political, economical, military, scientific and technical information. The Committee uncovered the agent net of military intelligence from the neighbouring country [Poland – IF] and activity of more than ten agents of foreign secret services was terminated,” head of the Belarusian KGB noted.

According to him, activity of agent net of military intelligence of a state was terminated due to “classical counterintelligence operation.” “We have created a severe counterintelligence regime, to say the least, for the opponents on the territory of our country,” Y. Zhadobin said.

The KGB head forecasts burst of activity of foreign secret services during the coming parliamentary election campaign in 2008. “I am sure in this, as I have the facts: who, how much money they will spend and what they will try to do. There are no doubts, certain services watch the situation and report,” head of the Belarusian KGB said, answering the question of Interfax.

Speaking of condition of the Belarusian opposition, Y. Zhadobin said: “I wouldn’t say they [opposition – IF] pose a threat to the national security.” “The so called community of destructive elements consists of 1767 people. We know their names and surnames, their number doesn’t grow or reduce,” the KGB head noted.

According to him, “these people confess something they like, most of them confess nothing, just earn living by foreign grants.” Y. Zhadobin told about one of the Belarusian oppositionists, but didn’t say his name: “There is a father, who didn’t work anywhere for 17 years, but lived on grants. Today his son begins to live on these grants.” “It is a means of earning, they [opposition – IF] don’t need the power, they have found their niche where they can earn money,” head of KGB said.