Angela Merkel’s government refused on Wednesday to explain the sudden removal of Germany’s spy chief, a surprise move which catapulted the BND intelligence service back into the headlines after a series of scandals that embarrassed the chancellor.
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It was not immediately clear why Gerhard Schindler, who has led Germany’s version of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency since 2012, was being removed two years before he reaches retirement age. The Finance Ministry’s Bruno Kahl has been selected to replace him. These include “changes in the role of the BND” in light of changing security policy challenges, “organizational and legal consequences stemming from the NSA investigating committee”, and the pending move of numerous BND’s offices from Bavaria to Berlin.
Schindler, 63, came under pressure a year ago when it emerged that the BND had gone against German interests and spied on European partners at the request of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA).
It was after this that a parliamentary investigation was launched.
But senior officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, also suggested that Schindler, who was known for speaking openly and frankly, lacked the political sensitivity that Merkel and her top ministers value.
Some lawmakers speculated that health issues might have been behind his exit. The report concluded that the BND had snubbed many demands of the NSA but still maintained cooperation with the service.
According to Channel NewsAsia, German media’s reports did say that government officials doubted Schindler could make the changes to the agency as seen necessary by Berlin, especially in the two years remaining before his retirement.
And last month a 32-year-old former BND employee was convicted of violating the country’s official secrets law and sentenced to eight years in prison for providing classified information to the Central Intelligence Agency and the Russians.
A cooperation agreement signed between the BND and NSA in 2002 had allowed the agencies to spy on telephone and internet communications in conflict regions from a base in southern Germany, but recently-leaked files revealed that the NSA had not only monitored conflict regions but also spied on European politicians, institutions and companies, including German citizens.
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“At a time when developments in the Middle East can have a big impact domestically, Germany cannot afford a weak BND”.
