Schröder aide ‘passed Nato plans to East’

The Sunday Times ^ | February 13, 2005 | Justin Sparks

[MadIvan]

So much for Kerry talking about "rebuilding bridges to traditional allies" - these people were never on our side.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Ping!

[mainepatsfan]

Would this constitute treason?

[GeronL]

Why do I think the Germans and the EU will simply dismiss this and do nothing?

[muawiyah]

If it's treason, that'll be according to German law, not US law.

What surprises me is they haven't found the stuff Schroeder handed over to the East Germans.

[rrrod]

"So much for Kerry talking about "rebuilding bridges to traditional allies" - these people were never on our side."
Correct...

[genefromjersey]

Could it be because of his present post ? A man who is under suspicion of treason-or at least espionage-is appointed liason to the US.

[mwfsu84]

Treason? Nah. Heck, I'll bet most of Europe doesn't even view the former Soviet Union as evil anymore, if they ever did. I mean, the USSR was a socialist country, with just a little more restrictions on minor details like liberty and freedom.

[steveegg]

I'm shocked, SHOCKED that a leftist West German would have handed over defense plans to the East Germans. It's even money that Schroeder will pardon him (only because it's 3-2 that he's already done so).

[Fedora]

Shades of Schroeder's idol Willy Brandt ("The young Schroeder was a Marxist and environmentalist. In the early 1970s he idolized SPD chancellor Willy Brandt, whose Ostpolitik promised better relations with communist Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.": Gerhard Schroeder Biography) and Gunter Guillaume. Some interesting info on this site:

Central Intelligence Agency: Stasi Files, 1999

Associated Press. "Germany, U.S. to Discuss Spy Files." 27 Jan. 1999: During a 8-9 February 1999 visit to Washington, Bodo Hombach, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's chief of staff, will meet with DCI George Tenet and probably national security adviser, Sandy Berger, to "press efforts to recover former East German spy files believed taken by the CIA.

[mainepatsfan]

It's an interesting situation.

[muawiyah]

German environmentalists must be watched closely. Nazism arose out of the same political milieu.

[okie01]

It claimed a decision was taken at the time not to order an investigation. The original documents have since disappeared from the archives.

Paging Sandy Berger. Would Mr. Berger please pick up the white courtesy phone?

[xm177e2]

Treason! Lock 'em up. (they don't hang people in Germany any more, it reminds them too much of Hitler)

Since East Germany is now part of Germany (and "West Germany" technically ceases to exist), can he claim that treason is impossible? He was spying for half of his country against the other half! I wonder how far he'd get with this argument.

[Cicero]

Associated Press. "Germany, U.S. to Discuss Spy Files." 27 Jan. 1999: During a 8-9 February 1999 visit to Washington, Bodo Hombach, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's chief of staff, will meet with DCI George Tenet and probably national security adviser, Sandy Berger, to "press efforts to recover former East German spy files believed taken by the CIA."

Hmm. Where have we seen those names before? Putting Sandy Berger in charge of national security was kind of like putting Al Capone in charge of the FBI. And one of President Bush's worst mistakes was that it took him four years to realize that George Tenet was a traitor: to the administration and to his country.

[Tailgunner Joe]

bttt

[MizSterious]

Our "allies" the Germans...and possible ties to some others we've come to know and despise...

[Fedora]

Yes. IIRC Martin Lee mentions an ex-Nazi working for East German intelligence named Otto Ernst Remer was linked to one of the founders of the German Greens.

[Fedora]

Lots of the same names, indeed. It will be interesting to see if there are more common names as Schroder's scandal unfolds.

[dr_who_2]

No, but it sure would be a good reason to give an ultimatum to Germany. Either try this man and put him in prison, or withdraw from NATO.