Process becomes clearer

Warnings about terror “Mo” ended up with the armed forces

The 19-year-old main suspect gave himself the combat name "Mo".

(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

The Austrian Armed Forces apparently played a decisive role in the prevention of terrorism: According to Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), the foreign tips first reached the Army Intelligence Office. Only later was the information shared with the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN). 

According to APA information, the Armed Forces Intelligence Service received corresponding tips from two friendly foreign intelligence services. The US intelligence service is mentioned in particular. As Nehammer confirmed on "ZiB 2" on Thursday evening, the information in the current case reached the civilian domestic intelligence service DSN via the Army Intelligence Office.

About ten to 14 days ago, the military received information from two friendly military intelligence services abroad. This information is said to have been rather vague, which is why the Army Intelligence Office carried out further research and finally passed the results on to the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, which took further action.

Completely separate departments
The work of the army's intelligence services is almost exclusively conducted away from the public eye and media appearances are generally kept to a minimum. This secrecy is regarded as the most important currency in the exchange of information with other intelligence services.

Our intelligence services

• The Austrian Armed Forces have two intelligence services: the Counter-IntelligenceOffice and the Army Intelligence Office.
• Counterintelligence Office: Basically acts domestically and is responsible for everything concerning military legal assets of the Austrian Armed Forces.
• Army Intelligence Office: Collects information on events and actors abroad.
• DSN: The police state security authority is primarily responsible for combating extremism and terrorism.

As military intelligence services only communicate with other military services (and not civilian intelligence services), the Army Intelligence Office is said to have never been affected by the poor image of the Austrian secret service.

The DSN, on the other hand, had to earn back its reputation with other intelligence services. Why? Its predecessor agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (BVT), was increasingly isolated internationally following scandals in recent years.

On the right in the picture is the main suspect Beran A. He gave himself the combat name "Mo" in reference to the Prophet Mohammed.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/Eva Manhart, zVg)

During raids under the then Interior Minister Herbert Kickl (FPÖ), sensitive information is said to have fallen into the wrong hands, and foreign partner services have since been reluctant to pass on information. The BVT was reorganized as the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence in 2021 as part of a reform.

North Macedonia wants to help
While another young person has been arrested in Austria, there is also movement in North Macedonia. At the request of the Austrian authorities, the Balkan country's Ministry of the Interior has launched an investigation into the main suspect in the foiled terrorist attack in Vienna.

According to local media reports, the 19-year-old boy's family comes from Gostivar, a town in the west of the country where the Albanian ethnic group is predominant. It is currently not known whether the young man, who was born in Austria, also spent time in his parents' home country.