Great efforts had to initiated in order to convince the ruling political groups in Berlin that the curtailing of expenditures for intelligence operations turned out to be wrong, and had to be reversed. More funds are needed, but also a continued effort to optimise the use of funds for the needs of today and tomorrow.
The operative part of the work of an Intelligence Structures is focussed in almost all circumstances on the efforts of getting access to classified information and material. It is of the essence today to improve and adjust collection of relevant information to the new requirements. The same adjustment is needed with regard to the analysis and evaluation capacities. Until now, material from intelligence orbiting systems is available only in limited quantities and not always within the short periods of time. Also in this area – the use of satellite based systems - international cooperation constitutes a necessity.
Only in very rear cases it is the task of intelligence services to implement operative tasks of the government.
IV. Intelligence in a global communication world
and their challengers
The Federal Republic of Germany has at its disposal a Federal Intelligence Structure well suited to the needs of the country:
- On the basis of governmentally established requirements all human and all technically based operations are conducted under one administrative roof. That means, there is no such thing as unnecessary competition between several organisations. From time to time, the Armed Forces tried to set up a military intelligence separate from the all-embracing structure of Foreign Intelligence. Such aspirations and endeavours have to be discouraged.
- The assessment of information gathered by operative activities is done by way of interdepartmental analysis. Specific interests of the governmental departments are integrated into the product. Such specific interests do not lead to competing assessments of competing intelligence organisations.
- In order to ensure the continued application of the interdepartmental principle several steps have to be undertaken, in particular:
- Intensification of international cooperation on issues related to the structures and participants of international terrorisms - similar to the methods developed during the Cold War to ensure timely „Early Warning“ in case of the preparation and the unleashing of a military offensive of Soviet forces against Western Europe
- Development of an intelligence based assessment unit for the activities of the „Common European Foreign and Security Policy”
- Due to irresponsible budget cuts during recent years in recent years the BND runs the risk of loosing its international standing in the cooperation with other strong intelligence structures. Only on the basis of a strong and efficient cooperation among friendly countries is it possible to optimise the collection of information and to secure the sharing of well-founded assessment and analysis - which benefits the consumer in the first instance - the Governments. Re-enforced efforts are needed in the fields of technical and satellite based intelligence, including extensive use of commercially run systems.
- Next to the menace posed by potentially aggressive states and nations - undoubtedly this menace is on the decline - the risk potential from non-state structures is on the rise. This threat is more difficult to face and to handle than the traditional threat of an aggressive nation. Large investments are needed. Germany is not in a position to meet the threat with the means available. Budgetary means cannot always be inserted into the Federal Chancery’s budget but have to be incorporated into the budgets of interested ministries That used to be the case with the military component of the "Bundesnachrichtendienst" in the past. This practice can serve as a point of orientation for the handling of the issue of budget allocation for the "Bundesnachrichtendienst" under the heading of several Ministries.
- In view of the border crossing nature of terrorist organisations as well as of Mafia- and other criminal structures improved intra-national and international networking and co-operation is needed. Such new forms of cooperated are needed in order to gain the upper hand over the border-crossing criminal structures. The European network of national investigative police structures (EUROPOL) as well as the Common European Foreign and Security Policy (GASP/CEFSP) and the well established cooperation of intelligence structures within the North-Atlantic Treaty could be examined as cases of reference. Only in such a way it will be possible to bring about an effective „Early Warning System“ with regard of the new threat profile of border crossing non-state international terrorism. Such an “Early Warning System” seems to be a must in order to prevent aggressive acts such as the attack of international terrorism on the Trade Centre in New York in September 2001 and for the eventual success of efforts to eliminate the existing and follow-up networks of international border crossing non-state based international terrorism.
- The transfer of the BND-headquarter and structures from Pullach to Berlin has to be accelerated. Only in such a way the BND can ensure closeness and quick reaction to the real requirements of the government structure
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