Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate, or GID (Arabic: ) is the intelligence agency of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The GID is reportedly one of the most important and professional intelligence agencies in the Middle East; the agency has been instrumental in foiling several terrorist attacks both in Jordan and around the world. Law and establishment Before establishing GID, the department was known as the General Investigation Department (دائرة المباحث العامة) from 1952 to 1964. GID was established in accordance with Act 24 of the year 1964 which went through all its constitutional stages. The GID Director is appointed by royal decree, itself the result of a decision made by the Council of Ministers. On January 2, 2009, King Abdullah II replaced Muhammad Dahabi (brother of Nader Dahabi) as director with General Muhammad Raqqad, the former GID director. In 2012, Muhammad Dahabi was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment. Officers are also appointed by royal decree upon the recommendation of the Director-General; they all have university degrees in different majors and must go through a thorough security check before joining the service. The duties of the GID is specified in law and consists of protecting the internal and external security of the Kingdom through carrying out necessary intelligence operations and executing duties assigned by the Prime Minister in writing. Mission As quoted from the official GID Site, their mission is In practice, the agency is notoriously known for its extensive activity in Jordan and throughout the Middle East, as well as its cooperation with American, British, and Israeli intelligence. Through a complex spying system, it plays a central role in preserving stability in Jordan and monitoring seditious activity. The GID is believed to be the CIA's closest partner after MI6. The GID enjoys good relations with the Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, but relations temporarily soured in 1997 after a Mossad attempt to assassinate Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal in Amman. History The GID was the main force behind maintaining Jordan's stability in the years after Black September, thwarting numerous terrorist plots. Even before the 9/11 attacks, the Jordanians had become key partners in the war on terror. In 1999, tips from the Mukhabarat alerted the CIA to plots by Bosnia-based terrorists against U.S. targets in Europe. At the dawn of the new millennium, Jordanian Intelligence uncovered a large-scale terrorist plan to attack dozens of hotels across Jordan and the United States. Jordan immediately