Dark Side
When BND Worked Hand in Glove with Siemens
By Inteligence Online 29/4/08
May 9, 2008 - 3:18:37 PM

In the avalanche of articles devoted to the recent woes of Siemens, a report in the weekly news magazine Der Spiegel claimed that the conglomerate’s telecommunications division had close ties with the German foreign intelligence agency Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND). Siemens sold interception gear to Russia, Egypt and Oman but left a back door in the equipment to allow BND to listen in on some conversations. The group also served as cover for BND operatives on assignments to Iran, where Siemens had a number of contracts. According to Der Spiegel, BND’s main contact at Siemens was Volker Jung, who was executive vice president of Siemens Aktiengesellschaft until 2003. He currently sits on the board of the German smart card manufacturer Infineon Technologies.