Medicinski obaveštajni rad, njegov značaj i perspektive u obaveštajno-bezbednosnom sistemu Republike Srbije

Abstract

Medical Intelligence - MEDINT, as a relatively novel platform of intelligence, focuses on the public health as one of the most important and valuable social categories, while at the same time promoting a complex and diverse range of unconventional security risks and threats. In modern practice, basically we can recognize three applied forms of MEDINT: military (within the military intelligence and security sector), civil (as a segment of public security) and commercial (as personalized medical consulting service). This paper describes the fundamental elements of the historical genesis of MEDINT, as well as its evolution through the history of warfare and international conflicts focusing on its transfer from a military to a civil security-intelligence matrix. In addition, it promotes the five key areas of contemporary civil MEDINT: public health; agricultural resources; the environment; the health of prominent individuals (VIP health) and monitoring of dual use biotechnological R&D ( as well as their practical application). Also it shows the most significant features of MEDINT as one very specific form of contemporary intelligence. With respect to the obvious comprehensiveness of the area of its operation, it is quite clear that MEDINT has to be based on the collection, processing and analysis of a huge amount of diverse information and data. Hence, its implementation requires the selection and engagement of experts of various profiles that must be carefully introduced into the intelligence community. Subsequently, this paper places and analyzes MEDINT within the context of the national security-intelligence community of the Republic of Serbia. It depicts the most significant challenges in the introduction of the topic of public health into the national security agenda, pointing out the lack of a legal framework and the importance of the support of key decision-makers. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of integrative implementation of MEDINT into the national intelligence community, which would functionally connect the state institutions of management as well as its security-intelligence subjects with the institutions of public health, civil society, and the academic community.