Schuster: German intelligence services reliant on info from the US
After US intelligence services discovered alleged assassination plans against Rheinmetall CEO Pappberger, Saxony's Interior Minister Schuster warned against Germany's dependence on foreign intelligence services. He lamented that German security agencies lack the necessary authorities for surveillance.
Rumors of Russian assassination plans against Rheinmetall CEO Armin Pappberger have led to renewed calls for more powers for German security agencies. According to information from the US broadcaster CNN, these plots were allegedly uncovered by American intelligence services.
"I have major problems with the fact that we permanently need information from abroad," explained Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster to the "Bild" newspaper. "There are the tools with which they [the foreign security services] gain these insights, for which I cannot find political majorities here in Germany."
North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister, Herbert Reul, also emphasized that Putin "cannot simply murder someone in Germany." More efforts are needed to improve the security situation. "Wishing for something brings nothing," he said. "We need to concretely change things. Where police and justice come together and have common models, that bears fruit."
Western intelligence services generally generate many 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 much more restricted in clarification, telecommunications surveillance, and other areas." They cannot, as other services, especially the USA can. "One must consider whether these goods exchanges, which were made in the past, are still viable today," Conrad cautioned.
Schuster: Risky to rely solely on foreign intelligence
According to Schuster and the Union, what is needed above all is a data retention, that is, the unlimited storage of location and traffic data of telecommunications, to have them ready for anti-terror investigations. In addition, the so-called source telecommunications surveillance (source-TKU), which acts before or after encryption, as well as online searches should be allowed. "These are the methods that allow the Americans to give us valuable information. But if we have nothing, I criticize that as highly risky, constantly relying on insights from abroad," Schuster criticized.
US intelligence services, according to CNN, discovered plans of the Russian government to assassinate the CEO of the largest German weapons manufacturer Rheinmetall, Armin Pappberger, at the beginning of the year. After being informed, the German side reportedly took protective measures for the 61-year-old. 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.
"We need more protective measures for critical infrastructure and relevant persons," also declared the President of the Thuringian Constitutional Protection, Stephan Kramer, in an interview with the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
The CDU, along with Saxony's Interior Minister Schuster, has advocated for broader authorities for German security agencies in light of alleged Russian assassination plans. Schuster pointed out during an interview that reliance on foreign intelligence services, such as the US, poses risks and that German agencies require more tools for surveillance.
In response to the alleged threat against Rheinmetall CEO Pappberger, Safeservices in North Rhine-Westphalia has emphasized the need for improved security measures and closer collaboration between police and justice to combat potential threats effectively.
