A Perfect Example
COLOGNE (Own report) Intelligence expert, Erich Schmidt-Eenboom, explained during a conversation with our editors that Afghanistan is ,,the perfect example for the successful foreign policy intelligence"of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND). The BND has established close contacts in the Middle East, which are ,,better by far than those of the Americans or European competitors."According to Schmidt-Eenboom, he is connected particularly well with Defense Minister Mohammed Fahim and Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah: ,,At the extreme, one could say, that the two leading ministers of Karsai's government are at least persons of influence, if not agents for the Federal Intelligence Service. Of course, this solidifies the German role in Afghanistan".
The intelligence service cooperation with Afghanistan, according to Schmidt-Eenboom, dates back to police assistance provided by Bonn since the late 1950s. According to the intelligence expert, German police instructors in Kabul, worked ,,simultaneously for the Federal Intelligence Service"training secret service personnel as well. Throughout the years, the BND, ,,has nurtured very close relations"with its service partners.
Traditional connections
Traditionally, the BND has had good connections in the Middle East. According to Schmidt-Eenboom, there exist ,,long-standing traditional lines", since the ,,attempts to agitate, arm and mobilize the Arabic ethnic nationalities against the operating colonial powers there"prior to the two world wars. 1)After the Federal Republic regained full sovereignty, those traditional connections were reestablished.
1) See also earlier articles Partnersand Prosecution (I)
