The respondents have plausibly argued before the Committee of Inquiry that violating the reservation of consent significantly impacts the intelligence cooperation – as
evidenced by recent events, in the sense that the mutual exchange of knowledge is
either restricted or terminated completely. Moreover, on the basis of the reactions
and statements of the United States of America during the consultation procedure as
well as the consequences announced by the United States of America, the respondents comprehensibly argued that impairment of intelligence relations, and thus of
their capacity to act in matters of a foreign or security policy nature, is to be expected
were the lists to be handed over; it was argued in a comprehensive manner that, ultimately, this could threaten the external and internal security of the Federal Republic
of Germany.
b) […]
186
187-189
D.
[…]
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