Section 31: Encyclopedia II - Section 31 - Overview

Section 31 - Overview

The "black operations" group exists outside the sphere of influence of Starfleet Intelligence, which deals with threats to the security of Earth, and later the United Federation of Planets.

Its operating authority stems from an obscure provision of the Starfleet charter — Article 14, Section 31, from which they derive their name — that makes allowances for bending the rules during times of extraordinary threats. While the original intent may have been to give Starfleet personnel some leeway when it comes to unusual or extreme circumstances, some Federation Council and Starfleet officials have taken it a step further and secretly created a standing organization able to respond to any threat, preemptively if need be. Section 31 might be compared to the Romulan Tal Shiar or Cardassian Obsidian Order, but operates much more covertly (and, unlike those organizations, does not interfere in the day-to-day lives of Federation citizens).

They defy the principles of the Federation in order, supposedly, to protect them, which is one of the reasons why Section 31 is not officially sanctioned by Starfleet, and even its very existence is not acknowledged openly. But the philosophy of "protection at any cost" that allows for Section 31, is also employed by Starfleet in certain other venues; examples include the ultra-secret "Omega Directive", which gives captains almost unlimited authority to destroy the dangerous Omega molecule, including violating Starfleet's Prime Directive of noninterference. Also, the Starfleet Intelligence program of temporarily reassigning line officers to covert operations (such as Picard's team in "Chain of Command, I and II", TNG).

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Overview", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki