spying on behalf of an overseas intelligence agency
For Europe overseas usually means USA. But it is not an expression a European would usually use.
I think they used that term because it’s written by a British reporter, and it was used incorrectly.
For continental Europe it is AFAIK not normal to use “overseas” about foreign countries, that’s a US and UK thing.
According to information obtained by the SZ newspaper, the case does not involve Russia.
Obviously, not the strongest source, but it’s a data point.
I’d assume that more information will be released by Germany soon.
EDIT: I wonder if it might be us in the US. According to this, apparently the material involved stuff on Iran’s nuclear program and the Russian military, which I imagine is probably both things that American intelligence would be wanting to know about:
Public broadcasters WDR and NDR and the daily Suddeutsche Zeitung reported that the service in contact with Hanning was not Russian, though the files he allegedly received included material on the Russian army and other classified subjects.
The outlets said the cache also included material on Iran’s nuclear program and documents from foreign partner services. Security officials said a leak of that kind would be a worst-case breach, because allied services could lose confidence in the BND and cut it off from information.
EDIT2: Israeli intelligence would be very interested in the Iranian nuclear program, but I assume not be terribly interested in the Russian military. I guess maybe Turkey would be interested in both. Maybe the UK?
It might not be one service that is interested in both Iran’s nuclear program and the Russian military. According to the latest update on this article, Hanning was apparently in contact with multiple foreign intelligence services:
On one occasion, Hanning used classified intelligence from Manfred D. to draft an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service, prosecutors said. It has not been established whether the material reached the intended recipient.
He was also in close contact for several years with a representative of another foreign intelligence service, and passed that person political information, some of it based on material from Manfred D., the office said. Prosecutors did not name either service.
If that’s accurate, I’d say that that broadens the field a good deal, since there are a lot of countries that might be interested in just one or the other of the Iranian nuclear program and the Russian military.
Oh, not even a double agent, but a multi-agent, available for the highest bidder. Great morals from that guy, really. May he burn in hell.
Germany (and Austria too) has been far to blue-eyed in the last decades. I fucking hate that Europe is forced to ramp up military production, but if we don’t defend our values, they will be taken from us, if we want that or not.
Who wants to bet against me that he was working for Russia? There must be some gullible person out there that wants to give me their cash lol
For Europe overseas usually means USA. But it is not an expression a European would usually use.
I think they used that term because it’s written by a British reporter, and it was used incorrectly.
For continental Europe it is AFAIK not normal to use “overseas” about foreign countries, that’s a US and UK thing.
goes searching
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/former-german-spy-chief-detained-suspicion-espionage-treason-bild-reports-2026-10-06/
Obviously, not the strongest source, but it’s a data point.
I’d assume that more information will be released by Germany soon.
EDIT: I wonder if it might be us in the US. According to this, apparently the material involved stuff on Iran’s nuclear program and the Russian military, which I imagine is probably both things that American intelligence would be wanting to know about:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/former-german-spy-chief-arrested-on-suspicion-of-treason-espionage-prosecutors/4079382
EDIT2: Israeli intelligence would be very interested in the Iranian nuclear program, but I assume not be terribly interested in the Russian military. I guess maybe Turkey would be interested in both. Maybe the UK?
Ok, maybe i spoke to soon. Why do i always forget about Mossad? They are doing something right there if they slip my mind so often.
It might not be one service that is interested in both Iran’s nuclear program and the Russian military. According to the latest update on this article, Hanning was apparently in contact with multiple foreign intelligence services:
https://aa.com.tr/en/europe/former-german-spy-chief-arrested-on-suspicion-of-treason-espionage-prosecutors/4079382
If that’s accurate, I’d say that that broadens the field a good deal, since there are a lot of countries that might be interested in just one or the other of the Iranian nuclear program and the Russian military.
Oh, not even a double agent, but a multi-agent, available for the highest bidder. Great morals from that guy, really. May he burn in hell.
Germany (and Austria too) has been far to blue-eyed in the last decades. I fucking hate that Europe is forced to ramp up military production, but if we don’t defend our values, they will be taken from us, if we want that or not.