The reform comes in the wake of the drone incident on August 4 at Leipzig/Halle airport, where a drone packed with explosives only failed to cause damage due to a defective detonator. The apparent target was a Ukrainian Antonov An-124. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office is investigating, and the National Security Council has convened.
The draft law stipulates that the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) will not only collect information but also be allowed to intervene actively in limited cases. This includes hacking foreign IT systems, paralyzing adversary cyber infrastructure, and, in a “special intelligence situation,” even sabotage operations against Russian drone factories. Such operations would require the National Security Council to declare a special situation and the oversight committee to approve with a two-thirds majority.
BND Martin Jäger told Spiegel: “We must show the adversary that we are capable of doing very similar things, so that the other side also feels the pain.” Online searches and the comparison of biometric data with internet results will also be newly permitted. At the same time, the draft provides for more oversight. Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil will announce the reform today; Friedrich Merz is on vacation.
Source: www.spiegel.de
