New German spy fear

It was announced in the German press on 16 August that the BfV (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz – the German Security Service) is to investigate its former head Hans-Georg Maaßen, 60, over his links to neo-Nazi groups. German police have been requested to hand over their files on the matter to …

BND in more trouble

August Hanning and Gerhard Schindler, two former chiefs of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Germany’s Foreign Intelligence Service, have publicly criticised their former organisation by claiming that it needs to make considerable improvements if it is to “look Western allied services in the eye again.” They were wrting in Germany’s Bild newspaper. …