Bundeswehr prepares for psychological war
ANDERNACH (Own report) The German military organisation for the conduct of psychological warfare is being centralised and given additional operationaltasks ,,against opponents". The psychological warfare unit ( ,,Psycho Truppe") of the Bundeswehr which consisted until now of around 750 soldiers ( ,,Bataillon Operative Information 950") is seeking a world-wide role in future wars and is recruiting (amongst others) radio technicians, video specialists, computer experts and print journalists. The Bataillon works together with organisations which are suspected of secret service contacts.
Under the title ,,Operational Information"(Opinfo) the Bundeswehr bundles activities which it previously called ,,psychological warfare"and later ,,psychological defence"(Psychologische Verteidigung - PSV). Connections were proven between former, prominent, National Socialist criminals and the organisation for ,,Psychological Warfare". PSV ,,Psychological Defence"has been retasked by camouflaged measures to aggressive propaganda, which it carried on in a ,,Study Association for Contemporary Problems". The Bundeswehr officers active in this field linked their work with the lessons learned by Nazi propagandists and have given detailed papers on this in several publications (Reference FUS 1). Publications on National Socialist radio propaganda during the bloody occupation of France ( ,,Radio Humanity") are described as giving ,,a fascinating grasp on contemporary history".
,,Transmitter Station Sarajevo"
As the result of numerous concealed measures which became public knowledge in Germany and were described as ,,espionage activity", the Bundeswehr (overall armed forces command) was forced to reorganise its psychological work in the late 1980s. The PSV (Psychological Defence) organisation was transferred to the army and temporarily reduced in strength. With the military expansion of the enlarged German state the Propaganda Troop soon announced it was back in business (with the setting up of a transmitter station in Rajlovac/Sarajevo). Since the attack on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the presence of a standing force of around 10,000 soldiers in foreign countries, the tasks of specialists in disinformation and destabilisation via the media have been increased considerably. These tasks are being concentrated in a ,,Centre for Operational Information"(Mayen/Rheinland Pfalz).
Bader & Bader
The Psychological Operations Force ( ,,Psycho Truppe") maintains connections with related organisations of the German state concerned with media work in foreign countries and also looks after Secret Service contacts. At a conference in May 1999, the commander of ,,Bataillon Operative Information 950", Christian Bader, appeared alongside the specialist organisation ,,International Media Assistance". According to its own information this operates closely as a privately trading, established organisation with ,,The International Association of German-speaking Media"(founder Werner Bader). This is a rich source of German espionage in foreign countries by the BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst), the German Secret Service.