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Message of the President of Poland
Bronisław Komorowski

Year 2011 is a very special year for the National Security Bureau – on 31 January it will celebrate 20th anniversary of the appointment. The past twenty years saw dynamic changes in Poland’s security situation. Also, functions and tasks of the NSB as President’s counselling body have been appropriately adjusted. The Bureau has actively supported the process of strengthening national security in new conditions, while the country moved from strategic independence achieved after the fall of the Berlin Wall, through difficult accession process, to the NATO and EU membership and building Poland’s position in new security system. This institution also had to cope with challenges brought by political transformations. Supporting the President of the Republic of Poland in fulfilling his constitutional powers within security area, the NSB has also supported and completed its duties relating to the National Security Council. It has put forward numerous initiatives including the pioneering Strategic Review of the National Security launched in December 2010. And I hope that the future will be as bright. I would like to thank current and former employees of the National Security Bureau for their efforts, dedication and creative contribution in their service for Poland executed in accordance with the ancient Roman motto: salus rei publicae suprema lex – let the welfare of the Republic be the supreme law. I pay tribute to those former heads and employees of the NSB who are no longer among us.

I wish you more beautiful anniversaries and further successes.
 

President of the Republic of Poland
Bronisław Komorowski

Preface
by the Head of the National Security Bureau
Stanisław Koziej

On 31 January 2011 the National Security Bureau will turn twenty. It is mature age not only for human life. And it certainly refers to our institution. Beginning of the 1990’s was the period of revolutionary changes and strategic challenges for Poland. This was also the case with the national security. We managed to achieve strategic independence. However, after several decades of strategic disability in the structures of the Warsaw Treaty we had to learn it faster than usual. Organising our defence system according to those conditions, almost immediately we started to seek allies’ guarantees. It became clear that such guarantees can be ensured only by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. In November 1992 in the first since several dozens of years truly independent defence doctrine and “Guidelines for the Polish Security Policy” prepared under supervision of the then Head of the National Security Bureau it was stated that Poland’s strategic aim throughout the 1990’s shall be NATO membership. And thus it became central idea in the activities carried out by the National Security Bureau at that time. Our membership in the Alliance is a result of will and efforts of the whole nation, including our institution and its employees. Since that time life often showed that being NATO member means not only security guarantee. It also means the necessity to serve such guarantees to other allies; it requires readiness and capability to carry out the responsibilities. It was proved at the beginning of 21st century, first at foremost by the 9/11 attack in the U.S., wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those events as well as unpredictable security environment and risks, challenges and threats thereof as well as chances offered shaped the directions of the Bureau’s activity.

Evaluating efforts to date, one cannot forget about activities contributing to our membership in the European Union and functioning within its structures. During several years of accession negotiations, NSB actively supported the idea of “Guidelines of Polish Security Policy” indicating that Poland’s future membership in the European Communities is of basic importance for our country. Bureau’s analysts prepared numerous expert opinions relating to different areas of security. It is worth underlining that today one must perceive it as complex and integrated. We were and still are the authors of various valuable initiatives that made way to new solutions within the security area. We will make every effort to continue it in the future. On the eve of our anniversary, we assumed to carry out a great challenge – Strategic Review of the National Security. I am convinced that this pioneering initiative will be supported by our former employees, while the current ones will demonstrate their full involvement. I also hope that it will result in implementation of new solutions that will strengthen our security. 20th anniversary of opening the National Security Bureau makes us to look into the past – review facts, people’s reminiscences. This album is an attempt to do it. While preparing it, we noticed the urge to fill in our archive. Therefore, I make an appeal to the former employees for offering copies of documents, photographs and other materials that could be published in the future occasional issues. At this moment I would like to express my gratitude to our predecessors, particularly former Heads of NSB and other persons engaged in management of this institution, whose efforts we try to duly maintain, and where possible – reach further. I am convinced that maintaining such attitude, National Security Bureau has a chance to continue being an institution that creatively and effectively supports the President of the Republic of Poland and wins national confidence, in particular understanding and support of groups professionally engaged in the security issues. I pay homage to those who passed onto eternal guard. They will always be remembered. Celebrating NSB’s twentieth anniversary I would like to wish all former and current employees and their families as well as our friends and supporters continued health and prosperity in the coming years.

Head of the National Security Bureau
Stanisław Koziej