See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/348944154

Internal Security Scenario: An International Outlook

Article  in  The Indian Police Journal · January 2021

CITATIONS READS
0 2,023

1 author:

Hanif Qureshi
Government of Haryana
67 PUBLICATIONS   501 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Crimes against women View project

Crime in India View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Hanif Qureshi on 26 July 2021.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Indian police Journal, New Delhi, June 2020

Dr Hanif Qureshi, IPS

IGP Haryana Police

Abstract

The modern concept of a nation state is not possible without a strong foundation of

internal security. The dimensions of internal security include armed rebellions, economic

security, environmental security, and cyber security. We look at the formulation of concerns of

internal security at an international level, especially of the United States of America, the United

Kingdom and France. Though internal security is conceptualized differently in various

jurisdictions, the common thread remains adherence to the rule of law and securing peace and

security of its citizens ensured through deft handling of internal and external destabilizing

elements.

Introduction

An important component of governance is upholding the rule of law and ensuring the safety

and security of its people. If a country fails in this endeavor, it loses its claim to be called a nation

and becomes prone to disintegration and turmoil. There may be many reasons which could lead to

such a situation including political unrest, economic instability, social breakdown, or violence

along ethnic lines. Many times, the forces leading these attempts are within a country, however,

there may be external powers who intend to exploit the local turmoil and may foster violence or
other forms of instability within the host country. All these issues form a part of the internal

security situation of a country.

There are various elucidations of the concept of internal security and it may mean different

things to different people. We may look at various characterizations of internal security including

dictionary definitions and those proposed by various international conventions. For instance, the

Committee on Centre–State Relations, Government of India has defined internal security as:

“Security against threats faced by a country within its national borders, either caused by inner

political turmoil, or provoked, prompted or proxied by an enemy country, perpetrated even by

such groups that use a failed, failing or weak state, causing insurgency, terrorism or any other

subversive acts that target innocent citizens, cause animosity between and amongst groups of

citizens and communities intended to cause or causing violence, destroy or attempt to destroy

public and private establishment”.

Thus, internal security refers to the ability of a state to secure to its citizens peaceful and

harmonious existence and safety of their life and property. Threats to internal security are many

and they are different at various times and in different countries. There is no unity regarding the

dimensions of internal security as well. Several components are included in it by most observers.

We shall also look at these components of internal security.

Definitions of Internal security

The nature of internal security can be understood as a wide and comprehensive concept

which involves multiple dimensions which have a direct impact on the lives, safety, and well-being

of the citizens of a country. These dimensions may include large scale violence, terrorism,
insurgency, financial strains, and natural and man-made disasters such as forest fires, earthquakes,

floods and storms.

To manage the internal security of a State is the responsibility of that State, but it cannot

be dealt with by that State acting alone. Many threats to security, such as cyber-security or cross

border terrorism—are global in nature, or often involve other countries. These kinds of threats

have to be dealt with in conjunction with concerned countries.

Sometimes other terms are used to refer to the concept of internal security, for instance,

low intensity conflict, national security, or operations other than war. There seems to be no clear

definition of internal security in the law books. Article 1(2) of Protocol II additional to the Geneva

Conventions, uses the expression “situations of internal disturbances and tensions” but does not

provide a clear definition. It states that the reference is to “riots, isolated and sporadic acts of

violence and other acts of a similar nature”.

A variety of definitions provide an indication of the many usages of the term internal

security. The concept still remains unclear, having originated from simpler definitions which

initially stressed the freedom from military threat and political compulsion. However, later it seems

to have included other forms of non-military security also such as environmental or financial

situations.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at the first session of the 1971

Conference of Government Experts in Geneva has talked about internal security. It says that

internal disturbances are situations in which there is no international armed conflict, but there is

an internal struggle, characterized by a certain importance or period and which has some element

of violence. This condition can be created where there is a revolt against the state. It can also be
created when there is a struggle between some organized groups and the authorities in power. In

these situations, there may not be an open hostility but the state may have to array extensive police,

or even armed forces to quell those disturbances.

Charles Maier, a history professor at Harvard University, defined national security by

referring to the concept of national power: "National security... is best described as a capacity to

control those domestic and foreign conditions that the public opinion of a given community

believes necessary to enjoy its own self-determination or autonomy, prosperity and wellbeing”

(Romm, 1993).

Internal security therefore connotes a multitude of ideas and relates to the ability to preserve

the nation's physical integrity and territory; to maintain its economic relations with the rest of the

world on reasonable terms; to preserve its nature, institution, and governance from disruption from

outside; and to control its border.

Dimensions of Internal Security

In view of these definitions, it may be practicable to list the various dimensions of internal

security as armed rebellions, political security, economic security, environmental security and

cyber security. Let us look at these dimensions on by one.

Armed rebellions

Many countries have faced the threat of armed rebellions by sections of local populations.

These are typically low intensity warfare and frequently the rebels use guerilla warfare tactics. For

instance, in Columbia, The Revolutionary Armed Forces-Peoples’ Army (FARC) have raised a

sustained armed campaign against the government. The group has used terrorism and military

tactics to fight Columbian security forces. Similarly, the Farabundo Marti National Liberation
Front (FMNL) in El Salvador, and the Sandinistas in Nicaragua followed the Maoist ideology and

sought to fight the government forces with weapons. The Zapatista uprising in Mexico was also

along similar lines.

Political security

The political aspect of security is an important part of internal security. Political security

is closely connected to the ruling class whether it is a democracy or any other form of government.

There may be large scale unrest if the policies of the ruling group are believed to be unfair or

prejudicial. In this sense, political security is linked to the societal order. Various groups of

political importance such as tribes, extreme left of right wing elements, some religious

organizations, or those allied with a particular race, caste or language within a country may try to

threaten the political security. Besides the groups operating inside a country, there may be threats

to internal security from other nation states or groups of nation states such as ASEAN, or NATO.

The forces outside the country may pose a threat to the internal security by their actions. The state

has to deal with each of them with an appropriate response which may range from negotiations,

diplomacy or low intensity warfare.

Economic security

The paradigm of economic security has changed over the years. While earlier the capture

of nations by invaders would give them new resources and control over trade routes, today’s

economy is characterized more by interdependence of world economies.

Historically, conquest of nations has made conquerors rich through loot, access to new

resources and enlarged trade by controlling a conquered nations' economy. Today's complex

system of international trade is characterized by multi-national agreements and mutual inter-

and protection of jobs which provide sustenance to people and fuel to the nation’s economic

progress vehicle are vital to internal security. In this regard, the developing world is still struggling

to provide basic services to its citizens. Third world countries are less secure due to lack of

employment for their citizens. For instance, Brazil’s economy suffered a major recession which

was linked to political crisis in the first half of 2016.

Environmental security

Environmental security deals with environmental issues which affect the internal security

of a country. There could be global environmental problems such as climate change, or

deforestation.

Climate change and other environments may affect livelihoods of people. For instance,

there was a dispute between Chile and Peru about their fish populations. Fisheries are an instance

of a resource that cannot be confined within borders of one country. A conflict before

the International Court of Justice between the two countries about maritime borders and their

associated fisheries is a case related to environmental security.

Environmental or resource problems could also threaten a nation's security. Such

disagreements could range from sharp tension or total conflict. For instance, disputes over water

scarcity in the Middle East could be an example. Similarly, illegal immigration into the United

States may be caused partly by the failure of agriculture in the neighbouring country of Mexico.

The civil war and the consequent genocide in the African country Rwanda, triggered in part by the

rise in population and decreasing availability of farmland, is an example of the extremity of

consequence which is due to the issues of environmental security.

Recently, cybersecurity began to be viewed as a pressing national security issue. Electronic

information systems are vital for maintaining a national security of any state. Possible

unauthorized access to the critical governmental infrastructures by state and non-state entities can

create a serious threat and have a negative impact on political, economic and military security of

a given nation.

The United States initiated the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI)

in 2008. The effort was aimed at recognizing existing and emerging cybersecurity threats and

finding the weaknesses in the vast cyber network used by the country (Harrop & Matteson, 2015).

President Obama issued a declaration that the "cyber threat is one of the most serious economic

and national security challenges we face as a nation" and that "America's economic prosperity in

the 21st century will depend on cybersecurity.

Internal Security in India

Threats to internal security of India have been in existence for quite some time. These
threats have been highlighted in various publications and reports. For instance, the publication
Global Risks Atlas 2012, lists out societal resilience or governance and takes into consideration
terrorism, conflict, resource security, economic security and considers aspects related to climate
change. It lists India as a ‘high risk’ category on security. Several risk factors are identified in case
of India, particularly terrorism and political violence.
The US publishes reports about terrorism for many countries of the world. In its ‘Country
Reports on Terrorism 2011’, India has been identified as ‘one of the world’s most terrorism-
afflicted countries and one of the most persistently targeted countries by transnational terrorist
groups…’ (US Department of State 2012). In the recent period, India has witnessed several
terrorist incidents.
 The nature and the scope of threats faced by India are varied and vast. The complex threats

which India faces originate not only within the borders but some of their sources lie beyond our

borders. Some of the activities of our neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan, China,

Bangladesh and Myanmar have been a cause of concern. The poor state of India’s internal security

situation may be because of a weak criminal justice system which fails to adequately punish

criminals. It may also be due to an unfavourable strategic environment.

International Perspective on Internal Security

Countries have varying perspectives on internal security. This is to be expected because

each country has its own set of circumstances which are unique to its geo-political situation. We

will examine the concerns of internal security for three countries in this regard- United States,

United Kingdom, and France.

United States

The phrase “national security” is more frequently used in the US in place of internal security.

This terminology has been used since as early as the Constitutional Convention.

The Americans believed that civilian control of the military is required and consequently army

was put subordinate to the civil government.

The government structure handling national security issues has continually evolved in the

US. The present set up has its origins in July, 1947, when U.S. President Harry S. Truman enacted

the National Security Act (NSA) of 1947. This Act created several institutions which were

responsible for the administration of national security related issues. One of the most important

once was the National Military Establishment (NME) which was later called the Department of

Defense. The NSA also created the National Security Council whose foremost purpose was to
synchronize and bring together various state actors associated with national security. The Central

Intelligence Agency also has its beginnings associated with this Act.

The next pattern shift in administration happened after September, 2011, when the first

major terrorist strike happened in the US. The Patriot Act was passed. There emerged in the US

an argument about the restriction of individual rights and freedoms on one hand and the fight for

national security on the other. For instance, new laws proposed that the police did not require any

warrant to search or conduct surveillance. There was substantial easing of warrant requirements

for various purposes including intelligence surveillance. This was looked upon by many

individuals as an interference in the private space of people. Processes were filed in various courts

and ultimately this question was considered by the Supreme Court of USA. The Court, in a

significant judgment in August 2008, ruled that the new provisions were in congruence with the

constitution and their validity was upheld. Specifically, the United States Foreign Intelligence

Surveillance Court of Review (FISCR) consideration of this question strengthened the

constitutional validity of warrantless national-security surveillance (Kerr, 2014).

The United States uses numerous ways and methods to attain the objectives of national

security. One of these is the use of diplomacy to achieve friendly relations with its friends. The US

also creates pressure groups using which it can isolate its enemy countries. The US has

implemented several plans which relate to executing civil defense and measures for emergency

preparedness. Infrastructure has been created which deals with any kind of emergency, like

electricity failure, earthquakes, tsunamis or hurricanes. There is also a highly developed system of

intelligence services which can deal with threats and espionage.

international counterterrorism, National Security Advice Centre (counter proliferation and counter

espionage), Irish and domestic counter-terrorism and technical and surveillance operations.

The Security Service handles all these dimensions and is controlled by the Home

Secretary within who is part of the British Cabinet. The service is led by a Director General who

belongs to the British Civil Service. The Director General is supported by an internal security

organisation, secretariat, legal advisory branch and information services branch. The British

system provides for legislative as well as judicial oversight in the operations of the internal security

apparatus. The legislative oversight is provided by the Intelligence and Security Committee of

Members of Parliament, who are directly appointed by the Prime Minister. Judicial oversight of

the service's conduct is provided by a body specially constituted for the purpose by the name

of Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, the Data Protection Act 1998, and

various other items of legislation provide a comprehensive framework for the operation of the

service. Adequate safeguards are provided in the operations part. For instance, information held

by the service is exempted from revelation under section 23 of the Freedom of Information Act

2000.

A significant effort of the British government’s internal security administration was

directed at controlling the problems relating to Northern Ireland and its constitutional status. The

United Kingdom consists of four provinces or regions, namely England, Scotland, Wales and

Northern Ireland. The Unionist and mostly Protestant majority want to remain with the United

Kingdom. However, nationalist the minority group consisting of Catholics wants to become part

of the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Republican Army engaged in an armed struggle against the
British for a long time to gain independence for Northern Ireland. Measures were taken against

members of IRA such as the introduction of internment without trial in 1971. The IRA publicly

announced an end to its armed campaign in July 2005 and asked its members to give up arms and

pursue political programs (Trumbore, 2016).

France

France faces a number of internal security threats. One of the causes of these threats is the

divide between immigrants and nonimmigrants. Immigrants as a community were found to be

more economically disadvantaged as compared to the non-immigrants. A report by National

Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), the French national statistical agency,

conducted a study in which it was found that in the unemployment rate for immigrants in France

was 17.3%, whereas for non-immigrants it was 9.7% in 2013. Thus the immigrants face

uncertainty and some of them have taken to arms. Some of the terrorist activities in France have

been linked to these circumstances prevailing in France Mattelart & Hargreaves (2014).

France has set up the General Directorate for Internal Security (French: Direction générale

de la sécurité intérieure, DGSI) which is the country’s intelligence agency. DGSI performs many

functions including counter-espionage, counter-terrorism, countering cybercrime and surveillance

of potentially threatening groups, organizations, and social phenomena. The DGSI also gathers

information about subversive activities and coordinates efforts to tackle them with help of various

state organs.
 France also takes part in the European security initiatives and coordinates efforts with its

neighbours (Kaunert, 2011). For instance, in August 2016, France and Germany announced a

Franco German initiative under which three priority areas were identified. The first was to

strengthen the controls at international borders. This would include giving equipment, technology

and training to border guards. The second was to share important information between the two

countries more effectively. A new project was emphasized which would allow criminal records to

be automatically transmitted between police forces of six member states of Europe – Finland,

Spain, Hungary, Ireland, France and Germany. This would be extended to other countries in

Europe. The third effort was identified to tackle the issue of encryption. This is considered

important because information networks of terrorist and subversive groups often use encrypted

information and it is not easy to decode the messages. France would collaborate with Germany

and other partners to make use of latest technology to disrupt these networks.

References

"Free English Dictionary and Thesaurus Online." Macmillan Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Dec.

2016

Government of India, Committee on Centre–State Relations (vol. V, p. 5, para 1.3.02)

Harrop, W., & Matteson, A. (2015). Cyber Resilience: A Review of Critical National Infrastructure

and Cyber-Security Protection Measures Applied in the UK and USA. In Current and

Emerging Trends in Cyber Operations (pp. 149-166). Palgrave Macmillan UK.

Kaunert, C. (2011). European internal security-towards supranational governance in the area of

freedom, security and justice? Manchester University Press.

The case of France. Global Media and Communication, 10(3), 275-287.

Paleri, P. (2008). National security: imperatives and challenges. Tata McGraw-Hill.

Romm, J. J. (1993). Defining national security: the nonmilitary aspects. Council on Foreign

Relations.

Trumbore, P. F. (2016). “The movement moves against you”: Coercive spoiler management in the

Northern Ireland peace process. Terrorism and Political Violence, 1-20.

Kerr, O. S. (2014). A Rule of Lenity for National Security Surveillance Law. Virginia Law Review,

1513-1543.

View publication stats