Intelligence: Germany Accepts A Reality Check

[Valin]

Strategy Page

May 10, 2020:

Germany is losing patience with Iranian espionage and terror operations inside Germany. On May 1st Germany finally banned Hezbollah, the Iran-backed organization that, with considerable Iranian support, has created a private army in Lebanon and an international network of spies, assassins, recruiters and fund-raisers that do the bidding of Iran. This has been going on since the 1980s when Hezbollah was killing hundreds of Americans at the behest of Iran. Hezbollah is but one of many Islamic terrorist groups operating in Germany. Hezbollah has always been loud and proud about its goal of destroying Israel and other nations Iran deemed in need of elimination. The U.S., Israel and most European nations recognize Hezbollah for what it is; a terrorist organization. Many German politicians opposed such bans feeling that it made Germany more vulnerable to terrorist violence and other illegal activities. German intelligence and security agencies disagreed, and have done so for decades. As soon as the Hezbollah ban was declared police were able to crack down on Islamic groups in Germany suspected of carrying out acts of violence and planning more of it. The Hezbollah ban was accompanied by several raids on four Hezbollah “religious organizations” long suspected of illegal activities.

German security officials pointed out that Iran had been the most active sponsor of espionage and terrorism inside Germany for over a decade. The Hezbollah ban only applies to the military wing of Hezbollah. The political wing is still legal in Germany. The fiction of Islamic terror groups having separate “political” and “militant” components has long been used to protect Islamic terror groups from being completely banned from a foreign sanctuary. It is a particularly popular fiction in Europe, which is why so many Islamic terror groups use it. European security and intelligence agencies acknowledge that this scam is just that and makes it more difficult to monitor and limit the damage these groups do in Europe.

While the September 11, 2001 attacks was shocking to Europeans, they also felt that they were immune. After all, Europe provided asylum and generous social benefits to Islamic terrorists on the run from prosecution in their home countries. This was a delusion, as Islamic radicals openly mocked the smugness of Europeans, while also calling for the establishment of Islamic rule in Europe. Many European intelligence agencies saw what was coming, but local media and politicians were setting the agenda, an agenda that was more concerned with scoring points against American efforts, than paying attention to what was going on in their midst. The net result was that, while America was at war with Islamic terrorists, Europe was still trying to negotiate.

(Snip)

__________________________________________________

 

More Here