Direkt zum Hauptbereich

Wind of change?

Founded in 1952 in Hamburg, the Atlantik-Brücke organisation is considered one of the most influential networks in Germany and has had its office in Berlin for many years. Its stated goal is a traditional US-focused policy. It is a member of the New Traditions Network (NTN). From the NTN's spartan website it can be seen that it has its official headquarter in the US Embassy in Berlin and is administered from there

The Atlantik-Brücke can significantly raise now its profile due to the current crisis with Russia: From 1 June 2022, Julia Friedlander will become the new executive director in Berlin. In 2020, she had voiced clear criticism of the Russian government as co-author of the report „Defending the United States against Russian dark money“. But she had already consistently positioned herself against Russia during her 2015 to 2017 work at the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes and 2017 to 2020 at the White House National Security Council. In 2017, she was at the G20 summit in Hamburg with, among others, Jared Kushner and McMaster, the then US National Security Advisor. 


Some of the German members of Atlantik-Brücke - including well-known journalists - ultimately sued unsuccessfully in 2014 against claims in German media that they were quasi stooges of a NATO-friendly network. In view of increasing hostilities between NATO and Russia, it may be an advantage that Friedlander was an employee of the CIA from 2011 to 2015. Well, Atlantik-Brücke forgot to mention this on its website: "Julia Friedlander served as an advisor at the U.S. Treasury Department and the White House, among other positions." But Julia didn't:

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-friedlander-022347b/ (last access: 19 April 2022)

Anyway, in view of the brazen Russian operations in Berlin, in Germany, in Europe, and also in view of the terrible war in Ukraine, it was probably a necessary step to send clear signals in these personnel decisions as well.

Other personnel from the Berlin office are also interesting. For example, I recognise a link to the German private security industry, among others to an ominous institute, which only had an address in Berlin, but neither email nor telephone. An alleged branch in Brussels, on the other hand, is completely unknown there. But: On this subject perhaps later.




Kommentare

Beliebte Posts aus diesem Blog

Turkish intelligence agencies in troubled times

The Turkish intelligence agencies have various interesting cover organisations and offices in Europe from which they operate. Sometimes these are lobby firms, cultural and language associations, but also think tanks and supposed research institutions. Sometimes they can simply be commercial companies that serve as a cover. In addition, there is a large reservoir of reliable contacts in the diaspora that are always available.  In doing so, the Turkish government is following a successful tactic that has been observed for some time in other states - both enemy and friendly: The structural and geographical outsourcing of intelligence resources and capacities in order to operate effectively from there, i.e. another location. This not only involves outsourcing to non-state actors , but also the relocation of employees of a state intelligence service. This takes them out of the public or media spotlight. In addition - and this applies to Turkey in particular - individual representatives ...

Spionageziel Berlin

"Am Ende einigten die Alliierten sich darauf, uneinig zu bleiben."  Nein: Das ist nicht das Schlusswort von Olaf Scholz nach der Ukraine Konferenz in der Schweiz, die in paar Tagen stattfinden wird. Könnte allerdings passen. Es ist ein Zitat aus dem sehr lesenswerten Buch " In  geheimer Mission . Als Sonderbeauftragter Roosevelts bei Churchill u.  Stalin  1941 - 1946" von William Averell Harriman  und bezieht sich auf die Konferenz 1945 in Jalta.  Auch heute ist dieses Buch lesenswert, denn es zeigt, wie gravierend das  Zögern und Zaudern auf der einen Seite sich auswirken kann - zum Vorteil der anderen Seite, damals Stalin. Das, was einige Politiker wie Churchill damals ahnten - nämlich dass sich Stalin mittelfristig um keine Abmachungen scheren wird - und was viele der Westalliierten aufgrund kurzfristiger Interessen ignorierten, lässt sich auch heute beobachten: Wie positioniert sich der Westen gegenüber Staaten wie Russland oder China? Wie selbstb...

Die Russen mal wieder

Man fühlt sich schon beinahe in die Zeiten des Kalten Krieges, beispielsweise die McCarthy Ära versetzt: Überall russische Spione! Ich will allerdings nicht die Bedrohung herunterspielen und es trifft auch meiner Einschätzung nach zu, dass sich Russland seit einiger Zeit besonders bemüht. Die Frage ist allerdings, wie dies geschieht und wie die Russen heutzutage vorgehen. Im Falle der beiden am 17. April 2024 verhafteten potenziellen Saboteure war die Planung - sollte es denn eine solche gegeben haben - eher dürftig!  Die sich häufenden Misserfolge der russischen Geheimdienste in den letzten Jahren haben verschiedene Ursachen. Ich möchte hier nur zwei Aspekte hervorheben: Das  massive, koordinierte Vorgehens des Westens - massenhafte Ausweisung von Personal und Schließung oder intensivere Beobachtung offizieller Adressen -  haben dazu geführt, dass professionelle Operationen vor Ort schwieriger sind. Für die Rekrutierung geeigneter Leute fehlt häufig das qualifizierte P...