VZCZCXRO1016
RR RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHRL #0636/01 0661627
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 071627Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1930
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 000636 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/08/2021 
TAGS: PREL PGOV GM
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION TO SCRUTINIZE BND ROLE IN IRAQ 
 
 
Classified By: DCM John Cloud.  Reason: 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) The FDP's Bundestag caucus voted March 6 to establish 
a parliamentary investigatory committee to look into the 
activities of the German intelligence service (BND) in Iraq 
and in relation to terror suspects held by the U.S.  Since 
the caucuses of the Greens and Left Party.PDS had already 
taken similar action, the Bundestag opposition now has enough 
votes to form the committee.  Before that can happen, 
however, the three parties must agree on the committee's 
terms of reference.  This will not be an easy task as each of 
the parties has different reasons for wanting an 
investigation. 
 
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Not a Done Deal 
--------------- 
 
2,  The FDP's stated goal for creating an investigatory 
committee is to expose alleged hypocrisy at the highest 
levels of the Schroeder-Fischer government, apparently with 
the aim of weakening the Greens.  The Left Party.PDS also 
seeks to focus on the role of policy-level officials, but 
would not limit itself to questioning members of the previous 
government.  Its aim is to weaken Germany's ties to the U.S. 
The Greens, on the other hand, would like to limit the 
committee's mandate to studying the BND's reporting from 
Baghdad and its liaison activities with U.S., thereby 
avoiding scrutiny of former Foreign Minister Joschka 
Fischer's involvement.  The three parties will meet on March 
7 for what most commentators believe will be drawn-out 
negotiations on the committee's terms of reference. 
 
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Possible Personnel Repercussions 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) The most senior political target of an investigation 
now in government is Foreign Minister Steinmeier.  As Chief 
of Staff to Chancellor Schroeder, he was by all accounts 
directly involved in shaping and monitoring the 
implementation of Germany's policy on Iraq.  Steinmeier would 
be vulnerable to possible revelations that the former 
government had deliberately distorted or concealed aspects of 
its Iraq policy for domestic political reasons.  BND chief 
Ernst Uhrlau (formerly Schroeder's intelligence coordinator) 
and Interior Ministry State Secretary August Hanning (former 
head of the BND) could also be implicated. 
 
¶4.  (C) Such revelations would also hurt the Greens, a party 
that claims transparency, multilateralism and opposition to 
the Iraq War were the hallmarks of its foreign policy under 
Fischer.  The image of the Foreign Office under his 
management was already damaged last spring when the Bundestag 
investigated the security implications of its liberal visa 
issuance policy.  Although Fischer has withdrawn from 
politics and can no longer be directly harmed by an 
investigation, the Greens admit that damage to his reputation 
would hurt them. 
 
¶5.  (C) Beyond Foreign Minister Steinmeier, Uhrlau, and 
Hanning damage to other sitting government figures is likely 
to be limited.  The investigation will not help the 
struggling Social Democrats to recover political standing, 
perhaps thereby putting strains on the delicate balance 
within the coalition.  In addition, there has been some 
criticism of the Merkel government for failing to be fully 
transparent in its reports to the Bundestag's intelligence 
oversight committee (PKG).  While the Left Party.PDS might 
try to make this an issue, the Greens' reluctance to 
scrutinize policy-level officials and the FDP's desire to 
avoid collateral damage to intelligence cooperation with 
Germany's allies place limits on demands for full disclosure. 
 
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Possible Impact on German-U.S. Relations 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) The focus of media and political interest in the 
story has shifted away from the U.S. and allegations about 
the abduction of a German citizen, possible rendition flights 
through Ramstein Air Force Base and alleged secret 
interrogation facilities in Eastern Europe.  Instead, 
attention is now directed at the BND and its alleged role in 
reporting from Baghdad during the Iraq War and in 
interviewing German terror suspects held by the U.S. and 
others.  Many contacts tell us the story has now reached a 
level of complexity that the public finds baffling.  We see 
no evidence so far that this has further weakened the public 
perception of the United States in Germany, and FDP contacts 
tell us they do not think this will happen.  That could be 
overly optimistic.  The Greens and the Left Party.PDS both 
 
BERLIN 00000636  002 OF 002 
 
 
want to raise the U.S. angle as much as possible, albeit for 
different reasons: for the Greens it serves as a diversionary 
tactic; for the PDS it supports a basic tenet of their 
foreign policy. 
 
¶7.  (C) Officials in the Chancellery, Foreign Office and 
Interior Ministry have candidly expressed concern about the 
impact investigatory committee revelations could have on 
Germany's ability to share intelligence with its allies in 
the future.  They are concerned because investigatory 
committee sessions are generally open to the media and the 
public.  When government officials need to provide classified 
testimony, subcommittees are established and testimony is 
taken in closed sessions.  Inevitably, classified testimony 
gets leaked -- yet another reason for the current concern in 
government circles.  Unless and until the three opposition 
parties can agree on the terms of reference for the 
committee, it is difficult for us to judge whether these 
concerns are justified. 
TIMKEN JR