Commemoration of the 65th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Signal Intelligence

: Published: Wednesday, 26 April 2017 12:08

The 65th anniversary of the establishment of the Signal Intelligence Company, today known as the Defense Intelligence and Security Agency (DISA), part of the Armed Forces structures, was held at the premises of the Ministry of Defence.

Defence Minister Mrs. Mimi Kodheli, Defence Deputy Minister Mr. Idlir Peçi, Force Commanders, DISA employees and veterans of Signal Intelligence attended this event. DISA General Director, Colonel Bardhyl Kollçaku, praised the work over the years of this structure and shared curiosities about the role of the Armed Forces Signal Intelligence Company, in reporting historic events at home and abroad.

In her address, the Defence Minister expressed her special consideration and respect for the military achievements of this service over the years and once again recalled the difficult situations which the servicemen of that time had to face: "I always leave the part of history, achievements and success to historians and leaders over the years. I respect and have special consideration for all the decisive military achievements of this service. You have worked in difficult conditions facing at the same time the foreign enemy and the paranoia of the isolating policy."

Further on, Minister Kodheli recalled the moment she was assigned Minister of Defence and noted the great contrast between the use of this service yesterday and today. "When I took office as Defence Minister, almost four years ago, I came from the opposition party which was tapped by your agency, persecuted by your devices, threatened by the black shadow of the misuse of an intelligent military service. Politicians of this country's opposition, along with many Western diplomats, experienced Pinochetian realities in the 21st century, in the heart of Europe, in a NATO country. And to prevent what happened to the opposition prior 2013, I had as primary objective to clean your agency from the evil.”

Pointing out the good human resources that this agency has, Minister Kodheli asked to the Signal and Communications Intelligence Service to increase the dedication and professionalism, in order to cooperate as closely as possible with allied structures to respond to the challenges of the time. "We need to transform the Signal and Communications Intelligence Service into a seriously integrated and professional part of similar NATO structures, the organization through which we guarantee common defense. Your personnel operate professionally in the NATO staffs and commands and I often receive praises for your work."

The Signal Intelligence Company was established 65 years ago as an Armed Forces structure, known at that time as "the company of receiving audio and electronic communications coming from outside the territory of the Republic of Albania".