Transcript Slide 1

The Organizational
Structures of Security
Agencies In Arab States
Dr. Mamdooh Abdelhameed (Ph.D., J.D)
Professor of Police Science & Law
General Remarks And Notices
First: The upper political leadership of the security organs.
Second : Upper executive leadership of security organs in
Arab
states.
Third: The philosophy of security work
Fourth: Summarizing common aspects of organizational structures of
Arab security organs.
First: The upper political leadership
of the security organs
1 - All Arab states have a central
ministry that is responsible for
internal
security
in
its
comprehensive sense. This ministry
is called the Ministry of the Interior
and the person in charge of it is
called the Minister of the Interior.
2 - In all Arab states, the Minister of the
Interior is assisted by Deputy Ministers,
Assistant Ministers, Under-Secretaries of
the Ministry
3 - The modern criminal justice system is .1
composed of a police force (with its
administrative and criminal parts), general
prosecution, the judiciary, penal and
reformatory institutions and the juvenile
criminal justice system.
4 - The duties of the modern criminal justice
system
are
divided
among
three
ministries: The Ministry of Interior, the
Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of
Social Affairs.
5 - All Arab states follow at varying degrees, the principle of
separation of powers. Here we notice the following:
* In Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the Emirates, Yemen and
Sudan, the Ministry of Interior shoulders the
responsibility for combating crime, detection, arresting
those who commit crimes, investigations, presenting
cases
before
criminal
courts,
representing
the
prosecution and then supervising the implementation of
penalties, penal and reformatory institutions and
supervising juvenile justice In Saudi Arabia and Sudan, a
system of prosecution is being instated under the
supervision of independent bodies or the Ministry of
Justice.
* In Algeria, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt, it is noticed how
procedures of crime fighting, such as crime control, detection and the
gathering of evidence (undertaken by the organs of the Ministry of
Interior) and judicial or semi-judicial procedures and supervision of
penal institutions, which are left to the charge of the Ministry of Justice
or the Ministry of Social Affairs
Second: Upper executive leadership of
security organs in Arab states.
1 - The general executive commander
responsible for security organs before the
Minister of Interior is known in each Arab
states as:
1- Saudi Arabia : Deputy of Minister of Interior.
2 - Egypt :A number of assistants to minister.
3 - United Arab Emirates : Under-secretary of Ministry.
: Director of Public Security .
Qatar
4-
2 - Arab security organs take up the
following administrative division :
* Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , Egypt :Sectors ,
General
Department ,Department , General
Directorate.
the rest of the countries take one or more
from these administrative security
division.
*
Third Remark:
Facts and notices related to type of security
administrative system
1 - All Arab states follow central security-agency system
wherein the minister of the interior and the supreme
executive commander directly supervises security
operations in all regions of the state and on all
administrative, financial and technical matters.
The only exception is the United Arab Emirates which follow a
decentralized system by which each emirate undertakes
responsibility of its security organs in full whereas the
federal security command is considered a general
,coordinating and supervising body.
2 - Members of security agencies in all Arab
states have considerable military training,
wear a uniform and carry fire arms which
the are allowed to use in accordance with
discretionary powers they are granted.
They are subject to military discipline and
follow a ranking system that is similar to
military ranks in practice in Arab countries.
Third: The philosophy of
security work:
1- The organizational structures and the naming of security organs in
Arab states are affected by lack of compatibility between security
philosophy and the general directives for security work and their
organizational structures.
Some Arab states adopt a concept of comprehensive security. Others limit
their focus to criminal or political security. There is the
comprehensive security man who possesses the powers of arresting,
control and search – anywhere and in the different fields of law
enforcement.
There are also security people who specialize in specific fields of work or
have specific domains of competence that they do not operate
outside of.
2 - One of the most controversial matters in the issue of
structures of Arab security organs is the presence of
security sectors under different names, such as the
public security sector, the police sector, the public
investigation sector, the state security investigation
unit or the criminal investigation unit.
In some countries public security means the special organ
for the state’s political security, the crime combat
forces and the traffic department.
On the other hand, we find that public investigation means
the political security organ, or it means the crime
control agency. All of this represents an obstacle in the
way of efforts to unify organizational structures and
sows the seeds of misunderstanding in the general
public.
Fourth: Summarizing common aspects of
organizational structures of Arab security
organs.
1 - The political history of each Arab state has had its
impact on the official organization of the security body
and that was further reflected on the organizational
structure of security organs in general.
2 - Although each state started doing away with the
systems and names left behind by the colonial powers,
they kept some of the local and environmental
circumstances. However, the echo of the European
system is still heard from far away, especially in terms of
names and organizations at a second degree
3 - Arab states almost follow a unified system in selection
of personnel for security organs in general, and the
police in particular.
4 - The system of selection of personnel for security
sectors undoubtedly relates to the dominant social
system in Arab countries in general and in each state in
particular.
5 - It is noticed that the formation of personnel manning
Arab security organs is divided into two categories:
commissioned officers and other ranks. Each category
has its own system of selection and the conditions of
such selection and the social class that those chosen
come from .
A.) Officers are generally selected out of university
graduates or high-school graduates as a
minimum requirement. They then are qualified at
security colleges and institutes for a period of no
less than two years at least. There are systems
of three-year and four-year training.
B.) Other ranks that set about their professional
process from the rank of foot-soldier have
different conditions for their joining the forces.
They are not required to meet all requirements
asked of commissioned officers. It suffices to
have a primary schooling. Some countries did not
even ask for that but were satisfied with
.knowledge of reading and writing
6 - The Interior Ministries in all Arab states are
sovereign ministries. This helps upgrade security
work, boost its value and significance. This is
because the ministries of interior are responsible
for security in all Arab states.
7 - Therefore, it is noticed that ministries and
organs of security in Arab states have a
sovereign status, which places security work at
the top priority of state work and positions those
in charge of security among the leaders who
draw up general policies of states, whereby
security
aspects
have
presence
and
consideration in public life.
8 - all Arab countries take up a centralized system of
security. Some countries tried to adopt a decentralized
system because of the vast area of the country and the
difficulty in controlling security from the capital .
9 - If we look at region security organs in Arab countries,
with the exclusion of the political security agency, we
find that most Arab countries adopt not only the system,
but also the designations in unison. We find departments
of criminal investigation, passports, immigration and
nationality, planning and training, civil defense, Police
College and institutes, special security forces, an
administrative sector and officer affairs and the traffic
.sector that are adopted by almost all Arab countries.
10 - Although all police organs in Arab countries
carry out the task of crime prevention and
detection as a traditional charge, along with
gathering
of
evidence
and
preliminary
investigation into crimes, the difference comes
later when some Arab criminal systems give the
police all duties including conducting all
procedures of criminal investigation and
presenting cases to court. But some countries
assign the police the task of gathering evidence
and assign the powers of investigation to the
Prosecutors office.
11 - It is noticed, from the general fabric of
Arab security organs, that there is a
similarity in terms of organizational
structures but when you look into details
of these structures and designations, you
find that there is disparity. This difference
may stem from the particularity of each
state and the local circumstances
surrounding it and this occurs to suit the
situation.
So,
what is required is to look into the
disparity of philosophies and work
directives and goals, then to move
to look into structures and
designations. We are convinced
that
security
structures,
philosophies and directives stay
.the same and are harmonious