Germany: Security group under scrutiny
01 May 1992
Lothar Jachmann, second in command of the Bremen Landesamt fuer Verfassungsschutz (LfV), a regional branch of the internal security service, which employs some 75 personnel, claimed at a seminar organized by the Green Party in Berlin on 27-29 March 1992 that counter-espionage was an anachronism. Jachmann, with 30 years experience in counter-terrorism and domestic security, warned that the Verfassungsschutz would not live to see the year 2000 if it could not get its act together. This could have serious consequences, for police authorities would be all too willing to take over. "We already have to rap their knuckles regularly to keep them out of the political intelligence field" says Jachmann. He explained that the doctrine on leftist extremism and terrorism has changed over the last three years. The Verfassungsschutz no longer considers itself a part of the investigation apparatus, but tries to offer political solutions for what are now considered political problems. Jachmann expressed surprise at the willingness with which politicians permit the Verfassungsschutz to employ covert methods such as infiltration that deeply penetrate the private sphere without any legal regulations and safeguards, where relatively less harmful techniques such as wiretapping come under strict rules. We have to conclude, he said, that in the domain of leftist terrorism the V-mann (infiltrator) method has led us nowhere. Jachmann also expressed surprise at the resistance of many of his colleagues to agree with a list of permitted intelligence methods and techniques in legislation. "In my thirty years experience I have not come across any really new means". Also the Verfassungsschutz should not have the virtual monopoly of definition it now has in practice, by which it can label specific persons or groups as enemies of the constitution.
When asked what the LfV Bremen achieved for ordinary people, Jachmann claimed several recent successful operations against Turkish intelligence (MIT) that was harassing immigrants and their relatives back home. Several other seminar participants then cited examples of "friendly" intelligence services behaving in a hostile way. Renate Kuenast, who as an MP for Buendnis 90/Die Gruenen in Berlin is a member of the intelligence oversight commission, added to this that in Berlin Mossad operatives had recently been given access to Palestinians under questioning in police custody.