| جهاز الأمن الوطني | |
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 8 May 2002 (2002-05-08) |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of Bahrain |
| Headquarters | Diwan Fort,Manama 26°13′22.47″N50°34′33.8″E / 26.2229083°N 50.576056°E /26.2229083; 50.576056 |
| Agency executive |
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| Judiciary |
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| Administrative divisions(governorates) |
Related topics |
 Bahrain portal |
TheNational Security Agency (NSA) orBahrain Intelligence Agency (BIA1) (Arabic:جهاز الأمن الوطني) is an investigative authority, andsecret police agency, inBahrain that is associated with but not formally part of theMinistry of the Interior.[1] The NSA was formed afterKing Hamad issued Decree No. 14 of 2002 declaring it as the replacement of the General Directorate for State Security Investigations.[1][2][3] The NSA was granted the power to make arrests by a 2008 royal decree,[4] and lost this power in 2011, again by royal decree.[5]
Before 2002, the NSA was organized as the 'General Directorate for State Security Investigations' (Arabic:الإدارة العامة لمباحث أمن الدولة), also known as 'Security and Intelligence Service'. It was headed byIan Henderson from 1966 to 1998.[6][7] After Henderson retired in 1998, the position was taken by Khalid bin MohammedAl Khalifa, a nephew of the then-rulerIsa bin Salman Al Khalifa.[6]
Adel Flaifel served in the organization until 2002.
The NSA director is appointed by the King, has cabinet rank, and is a member of theSupreme Defence Council along with the Minister of Interior.[1] According to theBCHR and opposition, senior positions of the NSA are occupied by relatives of the King, the majority of the agency's employees are non-Bahraini citizens and, despite being a majority of Bahrain's population, Shi'ites make up only 4% of the NSA's employees.[3][8]
The current president of the NSA is Talal bin Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, who was appointed on 4 August 2016.[9] Talal bin Mohammed is the son ofMohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa who served as theInterior Minister of Bahrain for 31 years (1973–2004), and is the grandson of Khalifa bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the former Director General of Police & Public Security (1937–1961).[citation needed] Talal's great grandfather was the ruler of BahrainHamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa (1872–1942).[citation needed] Talal is the brother of Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, the current ambassador of Bahrain to the United Kingdom.[citation needed]
Prior to Talal bin Mohammed's appointment, the director of the NSA was Major-General Adel bin Khalifa bin Hamad Al Fadhel. Adel bin Khalifa was appointed on 28 November 2011[10] to fill a vacancy created when the former director, Khalifa bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, was promoted to the position of Secretary General of the Supreme Defense Council.[11] Khalifa bin Abdullah is a cousin ofKing Hamad and a member of theAl Khalifa royal family of Bahrain. Khalifa bin Abdullah was appointed on 23 March 2008, prior to which he was serving as Bahrain's ambassador to London. He was previously the acting CEO ofBahrain Radio and Television Corporation and director of Press and Foreign Media Relations.[citation needed]
Prior to Khalifa bin Abdullah, the position of NSA director was occupied by another cousin of the King, Khalifa bin Ali bin Rashid Al Khalifa, who was appointed in September 2005, and is the current ambassador to London.[3][12] The first director of the NSA was another cousin of the King, Abdul Aziz bin Atiyatallah Al Khalifa, who was appointed by the King in May 2002.[3][13]
After the attempted overthrow of theBahraini Government and assistance from neighbouringGCC states to support the Bahraini Government (Peninsula Shield Force) during theArab Spring, the NSA's role in defending the country from foreign perils become more imperative as Iranian efforts to export its revolution to Bahrain intensified since the establishment of theIslamic Republic of Iran and thetoppling of the Shah,as Iran considered Bahrain as a part of Iranian Soveringty. Despite this, the NSA remains consistent inswaying Iranian attempts to incite serious violence in the country. Attempts of this includes a series of supporting itsproxy groups in Bahrain as well as attempts to smuggle weaponry inside Bahrain, these litany of terrorist attacks extend as late as 2018, when Bahraini Officer Hisham Alhammadi was murdered in a blaze ofgunfireand the affiliates were arrested at sea,Al-Ashtar Brigades claimed responsibility, precedently, in theKarranah Blast which killed a Police officer and injuring 7 others after a home made bomb was detonated inKarranah Village and theculprits were also arrested.
Furthermore, it has been speculated that after theAbraham Accords, Bahrain andIsrael enhancedrelations in many fields, includingintelligence agencies, signing asecurity cooperation agreement andtraining Mossad agents in the Kingdom for both countries to receive mutual benefits on behalf of security.
| # | Name | Picture | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian Henderson | 1966 | 1 February 1998 | |
| 2 | Khalid bin Mohammed Al Khalifa | 1 February 1998 | 8 May 2002 | |
| 3 | Abdul Aziz bin Ateyatallah Al Khalifa | 8 May 2002 | 26 September 2005 | |
| 4 | Khalifa bin Ali bin Rashid Al Khalifa | 26 September 2005 | 23 March 2008 | |
| 5 | Khalifa bin Abdullah Al Khalifa | 23 March 2008 | 28 November 2011 | |
| 6 | Adel bin Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Fadhel | 28 November 2011 | 4 August 2016 | |
| 7 | Talal bin Mohammed Al Khalifa | 4 August 2016 | 12 September 2017 | |
| 8 | Adel bin Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Fadhel | 13 September 2017 | Current |
The NSA, while not formally part of the Ministry of Interior, has offices in Interior Ministry headquarters
