Wall Street Journal: Hanning’s arrest on suspicion of espionage and attempted treason this week is threatening to further defang the Federal Intelligence Service, or BND—just as it was on the cusp of finally gaining some of the spycraft capabilities deployed by its counterparts elsewhere in the West.
The timing of the affair is disastrous for Berlin, which wants to expand the BND’s powers to counter threats from Russia and elsewhere after accusing Moscow of flying an armed drone into the Leipzig airport this summer. Western security officials say the failed attack is part of a wider shadow war Moscow is increasingly waging in the open against Europe.
…The scandal has raised fresh doubts about the credibility of the agency and its ability to counter threats from Russia. German lawmakers have called on the government to tighten operational security at its intelligence agencies and repair trust with allies in the wake of Hanning’s arrest…