E 14 (Norway)
Encyclopedia
E 14 was a unit within the Intelligence Service of Norway
. The section was focusing on covert missions abroad. This particular unit was active from 1995 to 2005. The original section consisted of 140 individuals. Male and female agents worked together as a small independent unit to gather HUMINT
intelligence information in various countries, including Bosnia , Kosovo
, Macedonia
, Serbia
, Sudan
, Lebanon
, Syria
, Iraq
and Afghanistan
.
of Norway
and its existence were known to very few individuals in Norway
. The unit was established as a direct consequence of the turmoils in the Balkans
in the middle of the 1990s. The enemy scenario in the Balkans
became more difficult as NATO took overall command of the UN. To secure Norwegian
personnel in the area, it was necessary to have a tighter and better intelligence.
The unit gathered vital information in the areas it operated. Information that gained the unit recognition both domestically and abroad.
E14 developed new ways of operation that made the team on the ground able to operate more independently than before.
The unit focused mainly on confidence-building activities, and primarily recruited people who had plenty of cultural and language skills, in addition to a "common sense" attitude.
According to information released about the unit actions, the E 14 unit was the first one to identify that Ibrahim Rugova
would be the most likely person to create stability in Kosovo
. This was at a time when Norway
, represented by the then foreign minister Mr Knut Vollebæk
was chairman of OSCE. Most other international leaders and governments were pointing out that UCK
was the best option. However the E 14 solution was accepted by the international community after a while.
The E 14 is older then from the 90's. E 14 is the same as Stay Behind who started from the early 1950's.
in 2000. Gathering HUMINT
intelligence at a time when the country was under the Taliban regime, and was housing some of the worlds most notorious terrorists. The unit was gathering information about the country and the population in the Khyber pass
border area between Afghanistan
and Pakistan
. The agents returned to Afghanistan
only a few months after 9/11, and established a base in a house in Kabul
. For 3 years they gathered vital information, and established connections with other contacts across the country.
E 14 was also one of very few western intelligence units that had central sources high up in the regime of Saddam Hussein
before the invasion of Iraq
. The sources gave the unit and the Norwegian Intelligence Service
information that Saddam Hussein
did not have weapons of mass destruction
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The section was focusing on covert missions abroad. This particular unit was active from 1995 to 2005. The original section consisted of 140 individuals. Male and female agents worked together as a small independent unit to gather HUMINT
HUMINT
HUMINT, a syllabic abbreviation of the words HUMan INTelligence, refers to intelligence gathering by means of interpersonal contact, as opposed to the more technical intelligence gathering disciplines such as SIGINT, IMINT and MASINT...
intelligence information in various countries, including Bosnia , Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Evolution
The E 14 section was kept separate from the rest of the Norwegian Intelligence ServiceNorwegian Intelligence Service
Etterretningstjenesten or the Norwegian Intelligence Service is a Norwegian military intelligence agency under the Chief of Defence and the Ministry of Defence....
of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and its existence were known to very few individuals in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The unit was established as a direct consequence of the turmoils in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
in the middle of the 1990s. The enemy scenario in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
became more difficult as NATO took overall command of the UN. To secure Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
personnel in the area, it was necessary to have a tighter and better intelligence.
The unit gathered vital information in the areas it operated. Information that gained the unit recognition both domestically and abroad.
E14 developed new ways of operation that made the team on the ground able to operate more independently than before.
The unit focused mainly on confidence-building activities, and primarily recruited people who had plenty of cultural and language skills, in addition to a "common sense" attitude.
According to information released about the unit actions, the E 14 unit was the first one to identify that Ibrahim Rugova
Ibrahim Rugova
Ibrahim Rugova was an Albanian politician who was the first President of Kosovo and of its leading political party, the Democratic League of Kosovo ....
would be the most likely person to create stability in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. This was at a time when Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, represented by the then foreign minister Mr Knut Vollebæk
Knut Vollebæk
Knut Vollebæk is a Norwegian diplomat and centrist politician . He is educated from the Norwegian School of Economics and the University of California, Santa Barbara....
was chairman of OSCE. Most other international leaders and governments were pointing out that UCK
Kosovo Liberation Army
The Kosovo Liberation Army or KLA was a Kosovar Albanian paramilitary organization which sought the separation of Kosovo from Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the 1990s....
was the best option. However the E 14 solution was accepted by the international community after a while.
The E 14 is older then from the 90's. E 14 is the same as Stay Behind who started from the early 1950's.
21st Century
Agents from E 14 were already active in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in 2000. Gathering HUMINT
HUMINT
HUMINT, a syllabic abbreviation of the words HUMan INTelligence, refers to intelligence gathering by means of interpersonal contact, as opposed to the more technical intelligence gathering disciplines such as SIGINT, IMINT and MASINT...
intelligence at a time when the country was under the Taliban regime, and was housing some of the worlds most notorious terrorists. The unit was gathering information about the country and the population in the Khyber pass
Khyber Pass
The Khyber Pass, is a mountain pass linking Pakistan and Afghanistan.The Pass was an integral part of the ancient Silk Road. It is mentioned in the Bible as the "Pesh Habor," and it is one of the oldest known passes in the world....
border area between Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The agents returned to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
only a few months after 9/11, and established a base in a house in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
. For 3 years they gathered vital information, and established connections with other contacts across the country.
E 14 was also one of very few western intelligence units that had central sources high up in the regime of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
before the invasion of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The sources gave the unit and the Norwegian Intelligence Service
Norwegian Intelligence Service
Etterretningstjenesten or the Norwegian Intelligence Service is a Norwegian military intelligence agency under the Chief of Defence and the Ministry of Defence....
information that Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
did not have weapons of mass destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
.
Merger
In 2006 the unit was merged into another section of the Norwegian Intelligence ServiceNorwegian Intelligence Service
Etterretningstjenesten or the Norwegian Intelligence Service is a Norwegian military intelligence agency under the Chief of Defence and the Ministry of Defence....