The Federal intelligence service and Federal Office for the protection of the Constitution for a year was engaged in search of clear evidence of political interference of Russia in Germany.
The reason was concerns about the fact that Russia — as she supposedly acted against the United States — can interfere in the electoral process, for example, publishes secret documents.
To conduct the investigation personally Chancellor Angela Merkel in connection with “Lisa”.
German intelligence agencies have not found unequivocal evidence of Russian disinformation campaign against the Federal government, but the taps they do not give — according to the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and the broadcasters NDR and WDR, this is the result of the investigation, which for nearly one year led the Federal intelligence service (BND) and Federal Office for the protection of the Constitution (BfV). From the original plans, at least in part to publish a classified investigation was abandoned.
“We have not found a Smoking gun” — as they say in government circles about the attempt to identify convincing evidence of political interference from Russia. Talking about the fact that the government would have preferred that evidence to warn Russia against such actions. “We would show the yellow card,” said one expert on security issues. However, according to him, the publication of a 50-page secret dossier would be inappropriate given the lack of evidence. He also noted that this would lead to the deterioration of the already strained relations with Russia.
However, the office of the Chancellor has ordered to continue the investigation, since from the point of view of the government, included in the 13th Chapter of the report of the analytical Department of the Sputnik Office for the protection of the Constitution and the working group “Psychological operations” of the Federal intelligence service are not acquitted. The report analyses became in 2014 “more confrontational course” Russia against Germany, and the Russian mass media materials and their branches in Germany, such as RT or Sputnik News Deutsch, evaluated as truly “hostile”.
“Lisa”: it turned out that rape is a “southerner” was false
German intelligence agencies are responsible for such attempts to influence directly on the Kremlin administration. But, as the report says, it is difficult to distinguish between exaggeration and lies in media coverage and misinformation. The way the government treats this phenomenon represents “a new challenge”, and its study should continue, the authors of the report.
The reason is the concern about the fact that Russia — as she supposedly acted against the United States — can interfere in the electoral process — for example, to publish secret documents picked up as a result of hacker attacks, or help right populist parties. German intelligence agencies have already agreed to close cooperation with France and the Netherlands, which also has elections.
To conduct the investigation personally Chancellor Angela Merkel in connection with “Lisa”. After the alleged rape 13-year-old girl from a family of “Russian Germans” southerner, Russian media and politicians tried to form a negative opinion, it came to demonstrations, including in front of the office of the Chancellor. It was later revealed that the girl made the story up. First, it was suggested that the protests organized by Russian government agencies or special services. But, as indicated in the report, it failed to prove “none of the cases”.
