Letnik 9/2, september 2007 - Slovenska vojska

TERORISTIČNA GROŽNJA V NEMČIJI – NEMŠKI POGLED IN ANALIZA GROŽNJE
means where this is necessary and no other possibility exists. In consequence,
Germany’s counter-terrorism policy is defined by five important objectives.
Firstly, using intensive search and investigation methods to destroy terrorist
structures; secondly, pre-emptively averting terrorism; thirdly, continuing to
increase international cooperation against terrorism; fourthly, protecting and
making provision for the population and reducing our country’s vulnerability;
and fifthly, eliminating the causes of terrorism 20 . In my opinion, this approach
has identified objectives that can clearly only succeed through close international
cooperation.
T H E F I R S T O B J E C T I V E
To clarify this point, I would now like to consider the individual objectives
contained in the counter-terrorism policy in more detail, beginning with the
first objective of destroying terrorist structures using intensive search and
investigation methods. “With the aim of combating terrorism with greater and
more lasting effect, the German Counter-Terrorism Act [Terrorismusbekämpfun
gsgesetz], which entered into force on January 1, 2002, increased the powers of
the Federal Criminal Police Office [Bundeskriminalamt – BKA] and the Federal
Office for the Protection of the Constitution [Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz]
to gather and exchange information, and amended regulations pertaining to
foreigners and associations, the Passport Act [Passgesetz], the Civil Aviation Act
[Luftverkehrsgesetz] and other legislative regulations 21 .” Numerous preliminary
criminal investigations were launched − including 171 related to Islamist
terrorism by May of last year alone − which have already resulted in a large
number of guilty verdicts 22 . I would estimate that the number of such procedures
has exceeded 200 since then. Despite the considerable success of many
investigations in Germany, the counter-terrorism instruments available must
nonetheless continue to be improved in this country. The current Supplementary
Law to the Counter-Terrorism Act [Terrorismusbekämpfungergänzungsgesetz]
implements the conclusions drawn in the evaluation phase. “The existing powers
20
German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Bekämpfung des Terrorismus [Combating Terrorism], website, Berlin,
2006, http://www.bmi.bund.de/cln_012/nn_165104/Internet/Content/Themen/Terrorismus/DatenundFakten/
Bekaempfung_des_Terrorismus_Id_93040_de.html
21
Ibid.
22
See German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Verfassungsschutzbericht 2004, Berlin, 2005, p.4.
40