German chancellor inaugurates world’s largest spy agency headquarters in Berlin

 

The chancellor of Germany has officially inaugurated the largest headquarters of any spy agency in the world. Last Friday, Angela Merkel led the public ceremony that marked the opening of the Zentrale des Bundesnachrichtendienstes, which is the new headquarters of the German Federal Intelligence Service. Known by the initials BND, the agency operates as Germany’s primary foreign intelligence service. It employs close to 7,000 people in more than 300 locations around the world, and its annual budget is approximately €1 billion ($1.13 billion).

All or Nothing

 

BERLIN/LONDON/PARIS/ROME (Own report) – London’s government crisis escalated yesterday under the pressure of Berlin and the EU’s unaccomplishable Brexit requirements. Prime Minster Theresa May has barely survived a vote of confidence, which was ultimately triggered by the so-called backstop. Brussels insists on a regulation, which could indefinitely subjugate Great Britain to a customs union, without an option for a unilateral withdrawal and erect a trade border between two areas of the United Kingdom. These provisions are in Germany’s interests, but they will plunge Great Britain into chaos. The current government crisis in France is largely due to the austerity programs imposed by Berlin on Paris – while refusing to make any concessions at the EU level. In France and Great Britain, the extreme right is profiting, like in Italy, where Berlin’s drastic austerity dictates, have already crushed the traditional political establishment.

‘We might have a new situation’ German MP predicts Merkel could be OUSTED end of NEXT WEEK

Angela Merkel could be replace as German Chancellor as soon as next week, claims Kai Whittaker (GETTY•BUNDESTAG)

 

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel could lose her powerful seat in the heart of Europe as soon as next week amid clashes within her coalition Government over EU migration policies, claimed German MP Kai Whittaker.

Speaking on BBC World at One, the German politician claimed clashes between Angela Merkel and German interior minister Horst Seehofer could result in a “new political situation” in Germany by the end of next week.

Germany Heading for Four More Years of Pro-EU, Open-Door Migration Policies

As this article clearly points out, their ideas and vision for Germany, as well as the European Union, are the same. Schulz and the SPD are touted as far left whereas the Merkel and CDU are center-right… yet the people chew it up and believe it although both have the same objectives in mind. As in Russia and also America (Trump being the exception) today, both sides of the political spectrum are of the same party. The opposition plays along while the winner has already been chosen. No matter who wins, the Kremlin gets its man in office while the ‘Deep State’ gets its man in the White House.

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (right) and her main election opponent, Martin Schulz (left), whose policy positions on key issues are virtually identical. (Image source: European Parliament/Flickr)

 

• The policy positions of Merkel and Schulz on key issues are virtually identical: Both candidates are committed to strengthening the European Union, maintaining open-door immigration policies, pursuing multiculturalism and quashing dissent from the so-called far right.
• Merkel and Schulz both agree that there should be no upper limit on the number of migrants entering Germany.
• Merkel’s grand coalition backed a law that would penalize social media giants, including Facebook, Google and Twitter, with fines of €50 million ($60 million) if they fail to remove offending content from their platforms within 24 hours. Observers say the law is aimed at silencing critics of Merkel’s open-door migration policy.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is on track win a fourth term in office after polls confirmed she won the first and only televised debate with her main election opponent, Martin Schulz, leader of the Social Democratic Union Party (SDP).

Secession as a Point of Leverage (II)

LONDON/BERLIN (Own report) – Scotland has established an investment center in Berlin, thereby reinforcing its economic ties to the EU and causing – with German support – new tension in Great Britain. According to critics, in its intended secession from the United Kingdom, for which it must establish economic security, the Scottish government is relying on German help. In fact, to increase the pressure on London to achieve the “softest” Brexit possible, Berlin and Germany’s regional governments are going out of their way to strengthen relations with Edinburgh. This is considered essential to German interests. Government advisors in Berlin are recommending using Ireland for obtaining influence in the negotiations concerning the borders between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland. In the event of a “hard” Brexit, this border would be a particularly sensitive point. Berlin is also using EU foreigners, residing in the United Kingdom, as an additional bargaining chip. Chancellor Angela Merkel has refused to have their rights of residence clarified beforehand.

Europe: Christmas Shoppers in Jihadist Crosshairs

In Ludwigshafen, Germany, a “‘strongly radicalized” 12-year-old boy “of Iraqi heritage” planted a bomb at a Christmas market at the end of November. (Image source: Focus video screenshot)

 

 

• In Ludwigshafen, Germany, a “‘strongly radicalized” 12-year-old boy “of Iraqi heritage” planted a bomb at a Christmas market at the end of November.
• Previously, the festive shopping tradition of Christmas markets had become “potent symbols of freedom,” with Germany’s Interior Minister, Thomas de Maizière, urging people to stick to unserem Leben — “our way of life.”
• In Birmingham, England, the Christmas market has concrete barriers installed to deter vehicular suicide bombers. According to the head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service, the magnitude of the terrorism faced by the UK is “unprecedented.”
• French security forces thwarted attacks planned for December 1, against Disneyland Paris and the Christmas market on the main thoroughfare of the French capital, the Champs-Elysée.
• With a pro-Sharia (Islamic law) advocate now secretary of state in the Berlin regional senate, and other Muslims even refusing to shake the hand of the German President Joachim Gauck at events designed to promote integration, Germany’s “way of life” is changing fast.

As the winter nights lengthen, an even darker shadow is falling across the run-up to the Christmas holidays in several European nations. Families in markets and shopping districts across the continent are buying presents in the knowledge that jihadists mean to target them.

Germany, Political Crisis and Superman

Germany’s former defense minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, and Chancellor Angela Merkel (Getty Images)

 

Germany’s government, especially Angela Merkel, is proving inadequate. For a leader with the right personality and leadership, this could be a terrific opportunity to seize control of Germany.

Since 1982, the year E.T. the Extra Terrestrial was released and the Falkland War occurred, Germany has had only three chancellors. The United States has had five presidents in that time; Britain six prime ministers; and Italy 15 prime ministers. Even more remarkable: Since the end of World War ii, more than 70 years ago, Germany has had only nine chancellors. That’s an average of eight years per chancellorship. America, in that time, has had 12 presidents, six years per presidency; Britain 15 prime ministers, five years per prime ministership; and Italy 45 prime ministerships, averaging 1.5 years each.

Behind these facts is a fundamental truth: Postwar Germany, perhaps more than any other modern nation, is accustomed to political stability and order.

So what happens if this stable, dependent political system breaks down? History provides some insight.

Civil Unrest Rising in Germany

 

There are reports of more and more incidents of Germans turning against the refugees with violence. A mob of about 50 youths went “hunting” for migrants in the eastern German city of Bautzen. They were throwing stones. This was by no means the first time in that city. This did not reach the 1700 people who protested in Cologne when riot police were called in last January after they raped some 2000 German girls on News Years Eve. The protests against the refugees have been rising and increasing. They have now been in the hundreds of thousands across the country.

German Streets Descend into Lawlessness

German police are shown deployed to break up a mass brawl between migrants (Image source: SAT1 video screenshot)

 

“We are losing control of the streets.”

• During the first six months of 2016, migrants committed 142,500 crimes, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office. This is equivalent to 780 crimes committed by migrants every day, an increase of nearly 40% over 2015. The data includes only those crimes in which a suspect has been caught.
• Thousands of migrants who entered the country as “asylum seekers” or “refugees” have gone missing. They are, presumably, economic migrants who entered Germany on false pretenses. Many are thought to be engaging in robbery and criminal violence.
• Local police in many parts of the country admit that they are stretched to the limit and are unable to maintain law and order.
• “Drug trafficking takes place right before our eyes. If we intervene, we are threatened, spat on, insulted. Sometimes someone whips out a knife. They are always the same people. They are ruthless, fearless and have no problems with robbing even the elderly.” — Private security guard.
• According to Freddi Lohse of the German Police Union in Hamburg, many migrant offenders view the leniency of the German justice system as a green light to continue delinquent behavior. “They are used to tougher consequences in their home countries,” he said. “They have no respect for us.”
• “It cannot be that offenders continue to fill the police files, hurt us physically, insult us, whatever, and there are no consequences. Many cases are closed or offenders are released on probation or whatever. Yes, what is happening in the courts today is a joke.” — Tania Kambouri, German police officer.

Germany on High Alert Following Imminent Terror Threat

German police on Tuesday stormed an accommodation facility for refugees and 12 homes around the country that were believed to house people suspected of financing terrorism.

• Police searched residences in the eastern states of Thuringia and Saxony as well as in Bavaria, the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia and in Hamburg, police in Thuringia said in a statement.
• The investigation has so far not uncovered any concrete risk of attack, they said.
• No one was arrested during the raids, a police spokeswoman eastern state of Thuringia said.
• A non-dangerous substance had been found and that was now being investigated.

German intel official cites ‘hundreds of reports’ of ‘hit squads’, sleeper cells

Last year’s mass influx of refugees from Syria and Iraq triggered a series of security, social and political troubles throughout Europe, reaching as far as Sweden.

But while the refugee numbers have been reduced, major nations such as Germany and Italy face new problems.

Revealed: Small German town where nearly EVERYTHING is in Arabic

The town of Garmisch has become a hit with Kuwaitis (Die Welt)

 

NESTLED in the mountains on the country’s stunning southern border with Austria is a typically idyllic German town.

But a quick walk around picture perfect Garmisch reveals how something decidedly exotic has taken hold.

The town is overflowing with signs written in Arabic, but they are not welcoming newly arrived refugees from war-torn Syria.

Germany & THE 800 POUND GORILLA

The derivative exposure mentioned by Martin Armstrong is what has been covered on Global Geopolitics numerous times over the years under the following posts:

Is Deutsche Bank Kaputt?

New financial MELTDOWN set to sink EU as German banks lose £14,292,610,000.00 in 90 DAYS

Deutsche Bank Exodus Continues As Real Estate Chief Leaves For Blackstone

Is Deutsche Bank the next Lehman?

Deutsche Bank Is Scared: “What Needs To Be Done” In Its Own Words

End of the eurozone? Germany’s biggest lender Deutsche Bank CRASHES with first annual loss

Deutsche Bank shocks with warning of €6bn losses

 

This week, a German cooperative savings bank in the Bavarian village of Gmund am Tegernsee with less than 10,000 in population, announced it will begin charging retail customers to hold their cash starting in September. This will apply to accounts greater than €100,000 euros. This means the bank will charge customers 0.4 percent, which amounts to a direct pass-through of the current level of the ECB’s negative deposit rate. After speaking directly with banking sources, what is happening is that cash is flooding into German banks from around Europe just to park avoiding the negative deposit rate. Now, the banks are starting to pass the negative rates back to the clients. However, much of this flow of capital has also been money fleeing other banks outside of Germany for fear that the euro will break and they will get Deutschemarks.

Terror wave catches German authorities in denial

 

Two Syrian refugees committed acts of terror in different Bavarian towns Sunday, July 24, the third and fourth violent attacks in Germany in less than a week.

One Syrian, a 21-year old, used a machete to murder a pregnant woman in Reutingen near Stuttgart. He was arrested – but only after a motorist saw him attacking two more people and ran him down. Local police assured the populace that there was nothing more to fear since the attack arose from a private quarrel between the Syrian man and a female colleague at work.

This did not explain why the attacker went on to stab another two victims.

Terrorism Engulfing Europe

In Ansbach, Bavaria, there was apparently a bomb attack on Sunday. The Bavarian interior ministry told Reuters, “At present we stand, it is not an accident.” It summarized the evidence that it was a “deliberately provoked explosion.”

This bombing followed the horrific attack on two men from Hong Kong on a passenger train in southern Germany. The men were left critically injured after battling an Afghan teenager who was armed with an ax and a knife as they tried to save other family members.