Former BND Chief arrested: Can Germany still be trusted with secrets? | Berlin Briefing Podcast

Germany’s former spy chief arrested… for spying. A surreal scandal.
Your Berlin Briefing unpacks Germany’s biggest intelligence scandal for decades. The former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service BND remains in pre-trial custody. August Hanning stands accused of treason and espionage. The allegation: Hanning sold classified information to “other state services”. His source? His former chief-of-staff who went on to work for all of his successors to the present day. Michaela Küfner gets the details on this still unfolding scandal from investigative reporter Florian Flade from German public broadcaster WDR. And she asks DW’s Washington Bureau Chief, Ines Pohl, to assess the damage this scandal is doing to trust in Germany’s ability to match the capabilities of the CIA.


Chapter Breakdown
00:00 A spy chief under arrest
01:21 8/10 scandal
02:58 The facts: treason, espionage and secret files
11:47 Spy for whom?
12:08 Not Russia? China?!
14:44 CIA, MI6 – BND?
17:07 Agency empowered
21:55 Money problems and bigger questions
27:57 Germany's stability
31:38 What must change at the BND?

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