ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how Romanian intelligence services have transformed after the fall of communism, and how the conflicting imperatives of democratization and the need to respond to new security threats have shaped their organizational culture and place in society. The starting point in the reform of the Romanian intelligence system was a communist totalitarian society unspoiled by any attempt at political or economic liberalization. Several steps were taken in the early 1990s to establish a clear framework for objective civilian control of intelligence, with parliament, the government and the president sharing the legitimacy and responsibility for intelligence oversight. The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and the subsequent 'war against terrorism' have marked the beginning of a second wave in Romanian intelligence reforms. Romania's support for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and US-led coalitions deployed to fight terrorism has fostered military intelligence reform. The most important security laws in Romania were written before the emergence of the internet.
