CDU politician Roderich Kiesewetter has issued a stern warning regarding the severe repercussions that could follow the arrest of former BND chief August Hanning, asserting that it threatens international cooperation among intelligence services. Kiesewetter told the broadcasters RTL and ntv on Tuesday that in intelligence circles, an incident like this is even considered a “major blow” or a “super-disaster.”
He explained that foreign intelligence agencies are only willing to share information when they are certain of absolute security and complete trust. Therefore, he cautioned that this specific incident could compromise the BND’s operations in certain areas.
Given this threat, he emphasized the critical importance of a swift investigation and damage control. Data lines are currently “heating up” in an effort to limit potential damage. Kiesewetter stressed that this focus is particularly vital because, as the intelligence services noted during recent hearings, Russia is currently engaged in a war with Germany. Furthermore, he views the Russian aggression against Ukraine as a “shadow war,” making it highly detrimental for trusted relationships between various intelligence services to be undermined by leaks or by purely personal motives, as appears to be the case here.
