The German police reportedly withheld information form Morocco’s intelligence service.
Rabat – The federal police office in Germany reportedly withheld information from Morocco’s intelligence services that could have prevented the 2016 Berlin attack from happening.
German news outlet Der Tagesspiegel published an exclusive report this week, revealing that the information shared by Morocco led the federal police, or BKA, to new evidence, allowing them to take action against the perpetrator of the attack, Anis Amri.
Anis Amri hijacked a vehicle, killing its driver. He subsequently drove the vehicle through the Breitscheidplatz Christmas market, killing at least 11 people.
Driving towards crowds, the perpetrator also wounded 70 people, some severely. The terrorist, originally from Tunisia, tried to escape, but the Italian police shot him.
Today marks the fourth anniversary of the attack.
According to the German news outlet, the state security officials at the Berlin State Police Pocoffice (LKA) discovered a few weeks after the attack that the BKA had withheld the information” provided by Morocco’s intelligence services before the attack.
Traditionally, Morocco helps all of its partner countries by sharing information about potential terror attacks.
Morocco’s intelligence services and counterterrorism units are considered among the most effective services in the world.
The federal police failed to disclose information obtained from Morocco’s security services in autumn 2016.
The news outlet said that in 2017 investigators in the Berlin case were “horrified” to know that the federal police had not given them information that could have been extremely important to investigate the case.
Morocco also informed Germany that Amri was sharing a house in Berlin with a “Moroccan supporter of Jabhat al-Nusra,” an affiliate terror network of al-Qaeda.
Moroccan law enforcement use intelligence services, police work, and collaboration with international partners to conduct successful counterterrorism operations.
In 2018, Morocco’s intelligence services warned Germany of a potential terror attack at Stuttgart airport.
Moroccan intelligence intercepted suspicious phone calls between two individuals about a future attack and immediately informed their German counterparts of their suspicions and the suspects’ names.
A number of countries consider Morocco as a key partner in the fight against terrorism, including Spain, US, Belgium, and France.
Earlier this month, chief prosecutor of Spain’s National Audience, Jesus Alonso said, “Like Spain, France and Belgium, Morocco is determined to eradicate this cross-border global phenomenon, which threatens the security and stability of the international community.”
