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German Federal States — News — Secret services — Düsseldorf — Saxony — Buffervaning of data — Herbert Reul — Ukraine — North Rhine-Westphalia — Berlin — police — German Press Agency — Russia — Armin Papperger — United States of America — Criminality — Conflicts — Rheinmetall — Intelligence services — Armament Industry — War — Attack Plan — Germany — Constantine von Notz — Authority — CDU — CNN — Image-Newspaper

Do German intelligence services need more powers?

Russia is reportedly targeting the CEO of the largest German arms corporation. The anger is great, the concern as well: for it's not German services that were exposed.

,   and  Ksenia Johnson
4 min read
There is criticism of insufficient authorizations of German secret services.
There is criticism of insufficient authorizations of German secret services.

Report on Attack Plan - Do German intelligence services need more powers?

In light of alleged Russian plans against Rheinmetall's CEO, the call for more authorities for German security agencies is growing louder. Such demands were made by Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU). Green faction vice chairman Konstantin von Notz told the German Press Agency: "The situation is serious enough that we shouldn't be cooking up party-political soups on this matter." The plot against the Rheinmetall CEO is reportedly uncovered by American intelligence services, according to CNN.

Schuster told the "Bild" newspaper: "I have major issues with the fact that we constantly need information from abroad." At the foreign security agencies, "they have the tools to gain these insights, which I can't find political majorities for in Germany."

Interior Minister: Facing the Situation

NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) told the "Bild" newspaper that police and thus security can only be good if they have information. "We have to face the situation, early information is the core of the entire business. Information that is interesting is no longer to be obtained on the street or by hanging out in the pub, but on the net. So we need competencies."

Although Western intelligence services generally generate a lot of leads in collaboration, as the former high-ranking employee of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and today's security expert Gerhard Conrad explained in the ARD "Tagesthemen". However, it is also true that "German services are significantly more restricted in the field of intelligence gathering, in telephone tapping, and in other areas". They should not, unlike other services, especially the USA. "One must consider whether these goods of balance, which were decided upon in the past, are still viable today," he added.

Schuster: Risky to rely on foreign intelligence

According to Schusters and the Union's view: the retention of data, i.e. the unprompted storage of location and traffic data of telecommunications, is necessary to have them ready for anti-terror investigations; the so-called source telecommunications surveillance (Quellen-TKÜ), which intercepts before encryption or after decryption, as well as online searches. The Minister said: "These are the methods that allow the Americans to give us valuable information. But if we have nothing, I consider that risky, constantly relying on insights from abroad." The data retention is a long-standing controversial issue.

Report: Plans uncovered

According to CNN, US intelligence services discovered plans of the Russian government to assassinate Rheinmetall's CEO, Armin Papperger, at the beginning of the year. The German side was then informed, and the 61-year-old was reportedly given special protection. Rheinmetall is one of the largest European suppliers of tank technology and artillery shells for the Ukraine. In June, the company opened a repair workshop for armored vehicles in western Ukraine. Plans also exist for the production of new tanks.

The Kremlin denied the alleged assassination plans. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) said, "We do not comment on individual threat situations." "But it's clear: We take the significantly increased threat from Russian aggression very seriously."

Green: Working on reforms

The Greens are working on reforms in this area. The party wants to expand the powers of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) to combat cyber attacks and foreign intelligence services. The Greens also want to strengthen the data protection law and increase transparency in intelligence services. The party is also advocating for a European intelligence agency to counteract Russian and Chinese influence.

Green faction vice-chair Notz stated, good cooperations with partner services, faster data and information exchange are existentially important for the work of the German intelligence services. "The investigation successes of the last months show that a lot is functioning well. We are currently working on a comprehensive reform of the law of intelligence services."

The generalization that there are stricter restrictions in Germany than in other rule-of-law states is misleading, according to Notz. "It is indeed true that a country like the USA spends vastly more money in this area than Germany. That's why we are calling for a special fund for internal and external security," said the Green politician. "I can only call on my colleague Schuster, it would be good if Saxony also took correspondingly more money for the work of the state office."

  1. The calls for more authority in German security agencies are growing due to alleged Russian plans against Rheinmetall's CEO.
  2. Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster from the CDU believes that the situation is serious enough to avoid party-political soups in this matter.
  3. CNN reportedly uncovered the plot against Rheinmetall's CEO, Armin Papperger, using intelligence from the United States.
  4. Düsseldorf's Interior Minister Herbert Reul emphasized the importance of information for police and security.
  5. Gerhard Conrad, a former high-ranking employee of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), noted that while Western intelligence services collaborate, German services have more restrictions.
  6. Schuster believes relying too heavily on foreign intelligence is risky, especially when it comes to methods like unprompted data storage and intercepting communications.
  7. According to CNN, US intelligence services discovered plans for the Russian government to assassinate Rheinmetall's CEO at the beginning of the year.
  8. Rheinmetall, one of Europe's largest suppliers of tank technology and artillery shells, has a significant presence in Ukraine and is considering new tank production there.
  9. The Kremlin denied the alleged assassination plans, and Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated that the increased threat from Russian aggression is taken seriously.
  10. The Greens are advocating for reforms such as expanding the powers of intelligence agencies and increasing data protection and transparency.
  11. Notz emphasized the need for good cooperation with partner services and rapid data exchange to ensure the success of German intelligence services.
  12. The generalization of stricter restrictions in Germany than in other rule-of-law states is misleading, according to Notz.
  13. Notz also called for a special fund for internal and external security, encouraging Saxony to allocate more resources to its state office's work.

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