The arrest of former BND chief August Hanning has alarmed federal politicians - and raised concerns about a loss of trust among foreign partner intelligence services. The chairman of the Bundestag's Parliamentary Intelligence Control Committee, Marc Henrichmann, found clear words: "Anyone who allies themselves with the enemies of our liberal democracy will not remain undetected," he said. "We will not tolerate betrayal of secrets."
With the arrest, the state is sending "an important signal to the outside world as well as to the inside: working with secret information is a question of national security and not a petty crime," said Henrichmann.
Hanning headed the Federal Intelligence Service from 1998 to 2005. That morning he was arrested on suspicion of espionage. The Federal Prosecutor General is investigating, among other things, the former President of the Federal Intelligence Service for alleged spying on state secrets and secret service agent activity. He is said to have bought secret information from his former office manager at the BND. It is still unclear whether and to whom he passed this on.
Acting BND President Martin Jäger confirmed internal investigations into the case. “Extensive internal investigations were initiated early and immediately,” which confirmed the suspicion, explained Jäger. The BND chief emphasized that there were “no compromises” when it came to internal security for his agency and himself.
The parliamentary group leaders of the SPD and CDU/CSU parliamentary groups, Matthias Miersch and Thorsten Frei, expressed their horror and demanded clarification. Frei spoke of “disturbing news”. With regard to the discussion in Parliament about the reform of the intelligence services, he added that they were being attacked from everywhere. The reform, which is intended to give the services more operational powers, is urgently needed. Miersch spoke of an “alarming process”. He called for a debate about waiting periods for departing secret service employees.
The SPD member of the Bundestag and intelligence controller Daniel Baldy also called for stricter rules for former top executives in the intelligence services. Anyone who worked as BND president or in another security-sensitive position would not be allowed to then work in a private consulting firm.
Green security expert Konstantin von Notz called for an “immediate clarification of the outrageous allegations”. “Any damage to intelligence that may have occurred must also be investigated and clarified immediately and comprehensively,” said the deputy chairman of the Intelligence Control Board.
The Union is calling for the Parliamentary Control Committee of the Bundestag to deal with the case quickly. The allegations must be fully clarified, said Union parliamentary group vice-president Günter Krings (CDU) to the Rheinische Post. "The mere suspicion that a former BND chief is selling secrets is damaging to trust in our security authorities."
“The dubious and diverse lobbying activities” of former top officials and the highest secrets are “obviously also a gateway for opposing secret services.” This also needs to be fully clarified now, demanded von Notz.
The CDU security politician Roderich Kiesewetter also spoke of such “consultant networks” in which former members of the public service would often advertise their expertise and contacts after the end of their active employment. "Employees with particularly sensitive security-related knowledge can come into the focus of foreign powers, who use them as instruments of espionage or for manipulation."
Kiesewetter warned of a loss of trust in foreign partner services. If security-relevant information falls into someone else's hands, "it also damages and endangers our partners," Kiesewetter told Handelsblatt. "That's why such espionage cases are particularly stressful for trust and particularly damaging for Germany."
According to left-wing interior expert Clara Bünger, the investigations against Hanning show: "The secret services are themselves a security risk." This has not only been known since the involvement of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in the series of murders by the right-wing terrorist NSU. In this context, it is “fatal” that the intelligence services “should now be given even more powers.”
