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NDTV
5 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Iran Working On Nuclear Weapons Capable Of Long-Range Strikes: Report
New Delhi: Iran is actively pursuing a nuclear weapons programme capable of launching missiles over long distances, a new Austrian intelligence report has claimed. The assessment by Austria's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the country's domestic intelligence agency, directly contradicts the position of the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). "In order to assert and enforce its regional political power ambitions, the Islamic Republic of Iran is striving for comprehensive rearmament, with nuclear weapons to make the regime immune to attack and to expand and consolidate its dominance in the Middle East and beyond," the Austrian report said on Monday, as per Fox News. The report added that "the Iranian nuclear weapons development programme is well advanced, and Iran possesses a growing arsenal of ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads over long distances." The 211-page Austrian intelligence report mentions the threat posed by Iran 99 times. It identifies the Iranian embassy in Vienna as one of the largest in Europe and alleges that it "disguises intelligence officers with diplomatic" cover. "Iranian intelligence services are familiar with developing and implementing circumvention strategies for the procurement of military equipment, proliferation-sensitive technologies, and materials for weapons of mass destruction," the agency said. The report also references a 2021 conviction in Belgium of Asadollah Asadi, a former Iranian diplomat based in Vienna, for planning to bomb a 2018 opposition rally outside Paris. The event was attended by tens of thousands of Iranian dissidents, including Rudy Giuliani, who then served as Trump's personal attorney. This stands in contrast to the US view. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in March that the American intelligence community "continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not authorised the nuclear weapons programme he suspended in 2003." The Austrian agency also alleged that "Iran has developed sophisticated sanctions-evasion networks, which has benefited Russia." The latest findings could complicate efforts by US President Donald Trump, who has expressed a desire to negotiate with Tehran over its nuclear activities. Responding to the report, a White House official told Fox News, "President Trump is committed to Iran never obtaining a nuclear weapon or the capacity to build one." In 2023, European intelligence agencies found Iran continuing to bypass US and EU sanctions to acquire technology needed for its nuclear weapons programme, with intentions to test an atomic bomb. These efforts reportedly took place both before and after the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. The Austrian report also said that Iran continues to arm groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and Syrian militias, all of which are designated terrorist organisations by the US.
Euronews
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
German spy agency suspends 'extremist' classification for AfD party
Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), has said it will temporarily stop referring to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as an extremist organisation. That's according to a court in the western city of Cologne which says the BfV will refrain from using the designation pending litigation. "The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution today declared in the court proceedings - without recognising any legal obligation - that it would provisionally suspend the classification of the AfD as a 'confirmed right-wing extremist movement' until the court has ruled on the urgent application," a statement from the court said. That means that the BfV will no longer publicly use the extremist group categorisation until the end of the proceedings. The decision also means that the BfV has fewer legal options for monitoring the AfD. The extremist designation gave security services greater powers to monitor the AfD, including the recruitment of informants and the legal option of intercepting party communications. In a statement, which was also published on X, party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla referred to the announcement as a "partial success." "We are defending ourselves with all legal means against the upgrading by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution," they said. Weidel and Chrupalla also called the suspension of the categorisation a "first important step towards our actual exoneration." The AfD filed a lawsuit against the BfV on 5 May, three days after the "right-wing extremist" designation was issued. Daniel Tapp, a spokesperson for the AfD's co-leader Alice Weidel, told the dpa news agency that a letter had been sent to the responsible administrative court in Cologne. The BfV had concluded "after intensive examination" over a three-year period that racist and anti-Muslim stances advanced by the party were incompatible with the "free democratic order" set out in the country's constitution. In addition to the initial appeal, the AfD also applied for a so-called hanging order. This would have allowed the court to temporarily suspend the categorisation as "definitely right-wing extremist". Without this suspension order, the AfD argued, there would be "irreparable damage" to the party and to the democratic decision-making process. The party also described the categorisation as an "attack on democracy." Cardinals once again failed on Thursday morning to elect a new pope. Following the outcome of the vote on Wednesday evening — which was delayed by more than two hours — our Euronews correspondent Giorgia Orlandi reported on another round ending in black smoke. A second session is expected later on Thursday. To be chosen, the next pope will need at least 89 votes to secure a majority from the College of Cardinals. Meanwhile, alongside Cardinal Pietro Parolin — widely seen as the frontrunner — and the group of Filipino cardinals, other names have emerged, according to both betting agencies and reports in the Italian media. One of them is Cardinal Robert Prevost, born in Chicago and raised in a family of European origin. He is also closely linked to Pope Francis, who appointed him a cardinal in 2023. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re said he hopes to see white smoke from the chimney by Thursday evening. In 2013, Pope Francis was elected after a two-day conclave. The swift decision reflected a strong consensus among the cardinals. Prior to the beginning of the conclave on Wednesday, the cardinals said they were looking for a short conclave again.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Germany sees new debate over possible ban of the AfD
AP file photo On Friday, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) was classified as "confirmed right-wing extremist" by Germany 's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution ( BfV ). Now, there has been a first fallout: two AfD politicians and parliamentarians are not allowed to accompany Hesse's minister for European affairs, Manfred Pentz, on a trip to Serbia and Croatia. Pentz explained that he could not expect international partners "to sit down at the same table with representatives of a party that has been confirmed as right-wing extremist." Further measures also threaten the radical right-wing party: several federal states want to examine whether being a civil servant, including judges, police officers, teachers, or soldiers, is still compatible with being a member of the AfD. Referring to the decision by the BfV, CDU leader Friedrich Merz said: "Since last weekend at the latest, it has also become inconceivable for me to elect AfD members of the German Bundestag to the position of committee chairperson." A setback for AfD For the AfD, this represents a setback in the party's efforts to become politically mainstream after its successful federal election in February 2025, when it became the second-strongest political force in Germany with 20.8% of the vote. The political headwinds come in the wake of the more serious assessment by the German domestic intelligence service. As of May 2, 2025, the agency no longer classifies the party as merely "under observation as right-wing extremist," but now as a "confirmed right-wing extremist movement." Decisive for this decision was a "distinctive ethnicity, and ancestry, based understanding that devalues entire population groups in Germany and violates their human dignity," the vice presidents of the domestic intelligence service explained in a press release. The AfD on Monday filed a lawsuit against the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution at the Cologne Administrative Court. AfD co-chairs Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel called the classification of the party as right-wing extremist "obviously unlawful." They claim that the authorities want to criminalize any criticism of Germany's immigration policy. The party leaders said that "it is not the AfD that is violating the constitution, but the German domestic intelligence service" itself. Their main point of criticism is the fact that the domestic intelligence service is an agency under the Ministry of the Interior, and thus an agency of the federal government. AfD politicians complain that the ruling parties are using the domestic intelligence agency to fight the political opposition. What does designated as 'extremist' mean for Germany's AfD? The AfD is in court regularly However, the security authority's report is largely based on court rulings by the independent judiciary, which have provided extensive evidence of just how radical the AfD is. A landmark ruling by the Higher Administrative Court of Münster on May 13, 2024, stated that there are grounds to suspect that the AfD's aim is to "confer a legally inferior status to those German citizens with a migration background." The court cited extensive evidence for its ruling and found that the monitoring of the AfD by the BfV was justified. In addition, numerous elected representatives from the AfD have been convicted by German courts, including one of its most influential faces, the Thuringian state chairman Björn Höcke. He repeatedly and knowingly used slogans from Adolf Hitler's infamous Sturmabteilung, or SA, to close his election rallies. In the past, AfD member of parliament Matthias Helferich described himself as the friendly face of National Socialism. The former AfD member of parliament and judge, Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, is currently on trial for allegedly supporting a terrorist organization and allegedly supporting a coup d'état. In light of the abundance of evidence for the extremist aspirations of the AfD, the German Foreign Ministry also dismissed the accusations made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio . On the platform X, Rubio criticized the BfV's assessment of the AfD as "tyranny in disguise." Also on X, the German government replied that this assessment was the result of a "well-considered and independent investigation to protect our constitution and the rule of law." A ban of the AfD? The decision to reclassify the AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist party has also fueled debates about the possibility of banning the AfD. Politicians from various political camps and parties, as well as civil society organizations, are in favor of Germany's highest court, the Federal Constitutional Court, opening a procedure to review the matter. At the same time, however, there is also skepticism and caution among almost all parties with regard to such a move. In Germany, the hurdles for banning a party are extremely high. A motion to ban a party can only be initiated by the Bundestag, the federal government, or the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat. In proceedings before the Constitutional Court, a majority of two-thirds of the highest German judges is required. Ultimately, politicians have no influence on the decision of the judiciary, as all they can do is submit the request. Constitutional law expert Franz Mayer from the University of Bielefeld is in favor of initiating a procedure to ban the AfD: "It is quite clear that we have deliberately taken certain precautions in the Basic Law in the wake of our historical experiences with the 'Third Reich,'" the law professor told DW in an interview. The lawyer is also aware of the criticism leveled against such a move. "Especially in the US, I have seen time and again how this German approach, shaped by history, needs to be explained," Mayer said. But he believes it would be the right move, given Germany's experience with the National Socialist tyranny, which quickly transformed the German constitutional state into a system of terror and mass murder. With regard to the BfV's current assessment of the AfD, he believes that concrete legal action against individual AfD members in public service is inevitable. "I consider it entirely unthinkable that extremist judges should be allowed to remain in office," Mayer said.
Times of Oman
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Marco Rubio criticises Germany's AfD surveillance as "tyranny," Berlin says "rightwing extremism needs to be stopped"
Washington DC: A decision by Germany to allow its spy agency to monitor opposition groups has sparked a conflict between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Germany's Foreign Ministry. Rubio criticised the move, calling it "tyranny in disguise." In contrast, Germany's Foreign Ministry defended the measure, emphasising its commitment to protecting the Constitution and the rule of law, stating that the move followed a thorough investigation and said that "rightwing extremism needs to be stopped." In a post on X on Friday, Marco Rubio said, "Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That's not democracy--it's tyranny in disguise. What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD--which took second in the recent election--but rather the establishment's deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes. Germany should reverse course." Replying to Rubio's statement, German's Foreign Ministry said, "This is democracy. This decision is the result of a thorough & independent investigation to protect our Constitution & the rule of law. It is independent courts that will have the final say. We have learnt from our history that rightwing extremism needs to be stopped." Bundesamt fur Verfassungsschutz, or the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the country's intelligence agency, in a statement on Friday said, "As of today, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) classifies the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor due to the extremist nature of the entire party, which disregards human dignity." "The party's prevailing understanding of the people based on ethnicity and descent is incompatible with the free democratic basic order. It aims to exclude certain population groups from equal participation in society, subject them to unconstitutional discrimination, and thus assign them a legally devalued status. Specifically, for example, the AfD does not consider German citizens with a migration history from predominantly Muslim countries to be equal members of the German people, as defined ethnically by the party," the statement added According to NBC News, AfD, whose staunch supporters include Vice President JD Vance and billionaire Elon Musk, was already under surveillance for suspected extremism by Germany's intelligence services, which on Friday classified the party as a "proven right-wing extremist organisation." The AfD's strong performance in Germany's February general elections--where it secured second place--reflects the broader rise of far-right movements across Europe, many of which have established close relations with President Trump's circle.
Belfast Telegraph
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
German foreign ministry hits back at Rubio and Vance over ‘extremist' AfD
The spat deepened on Friday to embroil the foreign office, Mr Rubio, Vice President JD Vance and tech billionaire Elon Musk. It also occurred at a complicated time for Germany — just days before the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and Nazi Germany's unconditional capitulation. Plus, a coalition deal between the centre-right and centre-left parties was just approved, and now parliament is set to vote next week to elect conservative leader Friedrich Merz as the country's new chancellor. Mr Merz has not commented publicly on the intelligence service's decision. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution described the party, known as AfD, as a threat to the country's democratic order, saying it 'disregards human dignity' — in particular by what it called 'ongoing agitation' against refugees and migrants. The German domestic intelligence service's move to classify the AfD, which placed second in national elections in February, as a right-wing extremist group means its officials can now use informants and other tools such as audio and video recordings to monitor its activities nationwide. But it also risks fuelling the party's claims of political persecution. Far-right parties have been gaining ground across Europe and the AfD attracts international attention, including support from Mr Musk, who is a close ally of President Donald Trump. Party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla on Friday condemned the move as 'a severe blow to German democracy' given that the party has grown into one of the country's most popular political forces. They alleged that it was politically motivated, a claim the government denies. 'The AfD will continue to legally defend itself against these democracy-endangering defamations,' they said. AfD's second-place finish during the elections cemented the party's status as a factor that other politicians cannot ignore but the so-called 'firewall', which mainstream German political parties have against working with far-right parties, has held. In his post on Friday, Mr Rubio called on Germany to undo the classification. 'Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That's not democracy — it's tyranny in disguise,' he wrote. 'What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD — which took second in the recent election — but rather the establishment's deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes. Germany should reverse course.' The foreign ministry wrote 'this is democracy' in a post that replied directly to Mr Rubio. 'This decision is the result of a thorough and independent investigation to protect our constitution and the rule of law,' the foreign office wrote. 'It is independent courts that will have the final say. We have learnt from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped.' Mr Vance, meanwhile, referenced the Cold War in his post on X. 'The AfD is the most popular party in Germany, and by far the most representative of East Germany. Now the bureaucrats try to destroy it,' Mr Vance wrote. 'The West tore down the Berlin Wall together. And it has been rebuilt — not by the Soviets or the Russians, but by the German establishment.' Mr Musk, who owns X, re-posted Mr Vance's comments and added 'fate loves irony'.
