German Spies in Iraq

Guess I'm not particularly surprised at this revelation. [h/t Belmont Club]

Susanne Osthoff, the German archeologist kidnapped by Iraqi gunmen on Nov. 25 and released before Christmas was connected with her country's intelligence service, the BND, and had helped arrange a meeting with a top member of the terrorist organization al-Qaida, possibly Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi himself, according to well informed German sources Sunday.

The sources confirmed German press reports that the 43-year-old woman had worked for the BND in Iraq on a freelance basis, and had for some time even stayed in a German intelligence safe house in Baghdad.

No wonder that they traded a ransom and Mohammed Ali Hamadi for her. Can't let out that your spies are colluding with a terrorist organization. Maybe colluding is an overstatement, but does make you wonder what a german archeologist would be doing talking to top members of a terrorist organisation.

I guess I'll take this with a grain of salt. Another anonymous source you know.