Angela Merkel Abruptly Fires Germany’s Spy Chief

BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday replaced the chief of Germany’s foreign intelligence service. The move caught many by surprise as Europe faces growing pressure from Islamist terrorism and as the chancellor looks ahead to a general election next year.

Peter Altmaier, Ms. Merkel’s chief of staff, said the decision to replace the spy chief, Gerhard Schindler, was a response to the challenges the intelligence agency faced, including new security threats and reforms being considered by a parliamentary oversight committee.

The committee was formed after revelations by Edward J. Snowden, a former contractor for the National Security Agency, that Washington had tapped the chancellor’s personal cellphone in 2013. Last year, agents in Mr. Schindler’s agency told the committee that they had carried out searches at the behest of the National Security Agency, without questioning whether they were in compliance with German law.

It also came to light last year that German agents had spied on domestic and European companies, further fueling outrage among Germans.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/28/world/europe/angela-merkel-germany-bnd-gerhard-schindler.html