By IRNA,
Berlin: A leading lawmaker of the co-governing Free Democratic Party (FDP) called for abolishing the country’s military counter-intelligence agency MAD.
Talking to the daily Luebecker Nachrichten on Friday, Christian Ahrendt said Germany’s security could be boosted, if MAD’s 1,300-strong workforce could be used for other tasks like thwarting cyber attacks.
He also cited cost factors such as MAD’s annual budget of 73 million euros as another reason for permanently closing the doors of the German army’s counter-intelligence unit.
Ahrendt stressed that Germany domestic secret service, Verfassungschutz, and its foreign counterpart,Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), could jointly assume MAD’s duties.
Based in the western city of Cologne, MAD has around 12 regional offices throughout the country, including Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Mainz, Kiel, Koblenz, Rostock, Kiel and Wilhelmshaven.
Established during the Cold War in 1956, MAD is under the control of the German defense ministry.