Office of State Protection

{{more footnotes|date=December 2012}}

{{Infobox government agency

| name = Office of State Protection

| native_name = Urząd Ochrony Państwa

| native_name_a = UOP

| native_name_r =

| type =

| logo =

| logo_width = 100px

| logo_caption =

| image =

| image_size =

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| formed = 1990

| preceding1 = Służba Bezpieczeństwa

| dissolved = 2002

| superseding1 = Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego

| superseding2 = Agencja Wywiadu

| jurisdiction = Poland

| headquarters = Warsaw

| coordinates =

| motto =

| employees =

| budget =

| chief1_name = Andrzej Barcikowski

| chief1_position =

| deputy =

| parent_department =

| parent_agency = Ministry of Interior

| child1_agency =

| child2_agency =

| website =

}}

The Office of State Protection (Polish: Urząd Ochrony Państwa ({{IPA|pl|ˈuʐɔnt ɔˈxrɔnɨ ˈpaɲstfa}}, UOP)[http://orka.sejm.gov.pl/WydBAS.nsf/0/17C98969A5C511EDC125767F003357C3/$file/S%C5%81OWNIK%20PROCEDUR%20PARLAMENTARNYCH.pdf Słownik procedur parlamentarnych], Kancelaria Sejmu, {{ISBN|83-909381-0-3}}, p. 401) was the intelligence agency of Poland from 1990 to 2002, when it was split into two new agencies.

Foundation

The UOP was founded on 6 April 1990 as a department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Krzysztof Kozłowski served as the UOP's first chief from 1990 to 1992.{{cite news|title=Krzysztof Kozłowski nie żyje. Rozwiązał służbę bezpieczeństwa, milicję zmienił w policję

|url=http://wyborcza.pl/1,75478,13630508,Krzysztof_Kozlowski_nie_zyje.html#BoxSlotIIMT |work=Gazeta Wyborcza |date=2013-03-26 |access-date=2013-04-01}} In 1996 UOP was transformed into a separate government agency under the supervision of the prime minister. It was responsible for intelligence, counter-intelligence and government electronic security, including telephone wiretaps.

Reasons for formation

The UOP replaced the communist-era Służba Bezpieczeństwa (SB), I Departament People's Republic of Poland Ministry of Internal Affairs – intelligence, II Departament People's Republic of Poland Ministry of Internal Affairs – counter-intelligence, whose responsibilities had additionally included the suppression of opposition to the government prior to 1989.

Agency split

In June 2002, the agency was split into two separate entities – Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego (Internal Security Agency), which deals with internal security of the country, and Agencja Wywiadu (Intelligence Agency), which deals with foreign intelligence.

Chiefs

See also

References

{{Reflist}}