Operation Rubicon: Germany as an intelligence 'Great Power'?

Operation Rubicon was probably one of the most successful intelligence operations of our time. Recent press revelations detail this secret partnership between the German Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) and the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), focused on the purchase and control of Crypto AG. Supported by German technical giants like Siemens, the company sold and produced compromised cypher machines. This article challenges the idea that the dominant sigint powers were within the anglosphere during the Cold War. Instead suggesting Rubicon evidences that the centre of gravity for intelligence lay ‘elsewhere’. It also explores the complex ethical implications of Germany’s involvement in Rubicon