The threat that went unnoticed: Neo-Nazis behind "Doner Killings"
Timeline
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Right-wing terrorist cell in Germany
In November 2011, two related incidents brought right-wing terrorism in Germany into focus. Two men, U. Mundlos und U. Böhnhardt, committed suicide in a caravan (as first autopsy reports show) after committing a bank robbery in Eisenach. The two men lived together with a woman in a flat in Zwickau, which exploded the same day. The women, B. Zschäpe, turned herself in to the police shortly afterwards. The police recovered several weapons and materials on both sites, which testifies the &ldquo...
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Centre against Right-wing Violence
Following the exposure of the crimes committed by the right-wing terrorist cell “NSU” in Germany, the federal and state governments decided to establish a ´Centre against Right-wing Violence` on 16 December 2011. Within the scope of this centre, members of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the police should be enabled to work together in order to combat right-wing extremism more efficiently. The Federal Minister of the Interior Hans-Peter Friedrich state...
German security authorities are accused that they grossly underestimated the threat of far-right violence after the chance discovery that a neo-Nazi group murdered ten migrants between 2000 and 2006 in different cities in Germany and one police woman in 2007 and committed fourteen bank robberies and at least one bomb attack (see http://www.spiegel.de/flash/flash-27424.html). As two of the victims ran a doner shop, the murders became known as the "Doner Killings". Until recently, the police had insisted the "Doner Killings" were committed by the Turkish mafia or motivated by nationalist splinter groups in Turkey. Only in November 2011, the link to neo-Nazis was revealed, because of two related incidents: Two men, U. Mundlos und U. Böhnhardt, committed suicide in a caravan after committing a bank robbery in Eisenach. The two men lived together with a woman in a flat in Zwickau, which exploded the same day. The woman, B. Zschäpe, turned herself in to the police shortly afterwards. The police recovered several weapons and materials on both sites, which testifies the “trio’s” involvement in right-wing extremist crimes. All three persons, who disappeared into the underground more than ten years ago, were members of the “Nazi underground” (Nationalsozialistischer Untergrund), a right-wing terrorist organisation. The terror cell produced a DVD, in which they claim to be responsible for the series of murders.
This has triggered a nationwide debate on right-wing terrorism in Germany and especially on the role of the Office for Protection of the Constitution, the domestic intelligence agency. The Office for Protection of the Constitution in Thuringia has been blamed for tremendous failure and shortcomings in this case. The on-going investigations, which have been assumed by the Federal Prosecutor’s office, reveal more and more details on right-wing terrorism and raise questions on the involvement of the Office for Protection of the Constitution and their paid informers within the far-right scene.
Following the exposure of the crimes committed by the right-wing terrorist cell “NSU” in Germany, the federal and state governments decided to establish a ´Centre against Right-wing Violence` on 16 December 2011. Within the scope of this centre, members of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the police should be enabled to work together in order to combat right-wing extremism more efficiently.
The Federal Minister of the Interior Hans-Peter Friedrich stated that the centre will first deal with issues concerning the terrorist cell, but has generally been set up for the long-term. During the initial phase, 130 to 140 persons will work in the centre. Both, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Federal Office for Criminal Investigations (BKA) provide 50 experts. Further staff is sent by the Federal States, the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD), the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), the Federal Police and the Federal Public Prosecutor. The centre is located in Cologne and Meckenheim near Bonn.
Sources:
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 11.11.2011, http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/verbrechensserie-vor-aufklaerung-heilbronn-eisenach-doenermorde-11525309.html, Date of access: 23.11.2011.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 22.11.2011, http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/rechtsextremismus/neonazi-mordserie-starres-entsetzen-11537416.html, Date of access: 23.11.2011.
Spiegel Online International, 17.11.2011, http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,798409,00.html, Date of access: 23.11.2011.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 19.11.2011, http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/rechtsextremismus/rechtsterrorismus-durch-das-land-fuehrt-eine-blutige-spur-11534185.html, Date of access: 23.11.2011.
Spiegel Online International, 21.11.2011, http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,799002,00.html, Date of access: 23.11.2011.
