Report from Bonn by Rainer Ape!

Click here for Full Issue of EIR Volume 12, Number 34, August 30, 1985

An 'open door' for Eastern spies da. Rotsch's case is simpler, since he The Interior Ministry, occupied by Christian Democrats since turned out to have been recruited by the KGB in 1954, andto have worked March 1983, should introduce security screening. for the KGB ever since. Since 1969, when the first social ist-liberal government coalition was Since early August, the rumor kitch Germany's most prestigious aero formed in Bonn, the traditional secu en in Bonn has been buzzing with spy space producer, Messerschmitt-Bol rity clearance procedures have been stories. On Aug. 5, Mrs. Sonja kow-Blohm Corporation in Munich. steadily eroded. Especially the Free Lueneburg, longtime personal secre When his cover was blown in Octo Democratic Party, which held the In tary of Bonn Economics Minister ber, he had worked for the KGB for at terior Ministry from 1969 to 1982, Martin Bangemann, did not return to least 15 years. forced through an extensive "liberali her job. She has been missing since, All three cases have one thing in zation" of counterespionage proce and an initial police search of her common: Each of the three worked at dures. With few exceptions, the var apartmentproduced evidence that she his important post for a long time, and ious agencies dealing withsecurity af might have worked for East German none had ever gone through a tight fairs were not able to exchange data y's espionage network. security clearance procedure, in spite on suspected spies. It was ideal for The Lueneburg case was quite an of a biography which should have foreign agencies to plant agents and embarrassment. She worked as a per alerted the relevant agencies. Mrs. spies in prominent positions. In 1974, sonal secretary for numerous Free Lueneburg's official resume was that when the scandal of Gunter Guil Democratic Party leaders since 1966, of a woman who had resided in East laume, the personalaide to Chancellor which means that for almost 20 years, Germany, and then moved into West Willy Brandt, forcedBrandt to resign, she was able to monitor that party's Germany via France in 1966. Mrs. Ri some light was shed on this dark as policy-making. Since the PDP was a chter's life history was the same, ex pectof politics in Bonn. Also in spring coalition partner in all Bonn govern cept that she came in through Canada 1979, when several ranking aides to ments since 1969, she was also able to in 1964. The case of Rotsch is even Bonn politicians moved back into East monitor discussions in the cabinet. more striking: Working as a young Germany, and about 40 agents were This alone was of high value for East airplaneengineer in East Germany un detected afterwards, the alarm bell ern secret services. til 1955, he moved to West Germany should have been rung. But it didn't, The second spy case, which broke in May 1955, and immediately started due to the PDP's insistence on "liber on Aug. 19, involved Mrs. UrsulaRi to work on projects of new airplane alization. " chter, who had worked at the national technologies. Rotsch has worked at all It was Interior Minister Hans-Die- headquarters of the German Expellee prestigious aerospace corporations trichGenscher (in thatoffice from 1969 Organization for about 12 years. She since then. to 1974) who personally intervened had access to all fundraising and fi Once the covers of the three were against a security check of Mrs . nancial files, and biographical data on blown, police and the agencies' inves Lueneburg in 1969 and 1972, when the membership. The organization, tigations produced some very interest her boss, William Borm, was under which representsthe interests of about ing stories. Mrs. Lueneburg, for in scrutiny. Borm has contacts to East 12 million Germans expelled from stance, turned out to be somebody else, Germany, and there was evidence that Germany's previous provinces in the who had taken the identity of a woman he and his staff were tied into some East by the Red Army in 1944-45, has with the same name, who lived in West kind of high-level East espionage op always been a prime target for Soviet Berlin until 1966, moved to Colmar in eration-passively, or actively. propaganda against alleged "German France, and disappeared. The current Borm's case was turned down, and so

revanchism. " "Mrs. Lueneburg" entered West Ger was Mrs . Lueneburg's. Even in 1976, The third spy case is that of many from Colmar, in 1966. when two years of debate after the ManfredRotsch, whose trial officially UrsulaRichter apparently took the Guillaume affair produced some tigh

opened on Aug. 19. Rotsch was an identity of another woman with the ter security screening in Bonn, Mrs . engineer incharge of the GermilD share same name, who moved back to East Lueneburg was not checkedthorough in the Tornado jetfighter project at Germany in 1966 after years in Cana- ly, nor was Mrs. Richter.