NCJ Number
119450
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 16 Issue: 7 Dated: (July/August 1989) Pages: 26-28,50
Date Published
1989
Length
4 pages
Annotation
West Germany's response to dealing with terrorist groups such as the Baader-Meinhof Gang, the Red Army Faction (RAF), and the Revolutionary Cells is discussed.
Abstract
While the Baader-Meinhof Gang commits violent acts as part of its Marxist philosophy, the RAF combines criminality and extremism. Only about 20 individuals comprise the command-level RAF, but the group has 150 to 200 supporters. The RAF targets West German and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) defense installations, industrial and armament centers, nuclear plants, banks, and department stores. The Revolutionary Cells organization includes 5 to 15 individuals; it has no national structure and is united only by ideology. West Germany's Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) is charged with the duties of a central intelligence and information agency for crime control. It maintains an electronic police data network (INPOL) and serves as the country's international link with the law enforcement community. An Anti-Terrorist Division, formed within the BKA, targets the terrorist structure, attempting to unravel terrorist logistics and uncover support and sympathizer networks. West Germany cooperates with international counterterrorism efforts, primarily via agreements such as the 1977 European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism and enhanced use of Interpol. Investigative techniques used by BKA detectives are described.