Portuguese Defence Strategic Intelligence Service Headquarters

SIED headquarters at the Alto do Duque Fort, Lisbon. The Defence Strategic Intelligence Service (in Portuguese: Serviço de Informações Estratégicas de Defesa) is Portugal's external intelligence agency.

According to the legislation in force, modified by Law 4/2004, of 6 November, the mission of SIED is to produce intelligence which contributes to the safeguard of national independence, of national interests and of the external security of the Portuguese State. Additionally, under the new Internal Security Law (Law 53/2008, of 29 August) SIED sits in the High Council of Internal Security (CSSI), in the Security Co-ordination Cabinet (GCS) and in the Anti-Terrorist Co-ordination Unit (UCAT). This modification in the Law was due to SIED’s responsibility – as external security service and, as such, as a complementary instrument to internal security – to provide the necessary intelligence on external threats to internal security.