Military Counterintelligence Service (Germany)
[1] As a domestic intelligence service, it has similar functions within the military as the civil Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz and works closely together with the BfV.[2] The MAD developed out of "liaison" offices between the Allies and the government of the Federal Republic of Germany within the Blank Agency [de] and was founded in its present form in 1956,[6] after the establishment of the Bundeswehr on 12 November 1955.Georg Leber resigned from his position on 16 February 1978, against the wishes of chancellor Helmut Schmidt, taking sole responsibility for the surveillance scandal.The general was deemed a security risk based on Stasi-leaked allegations of homosexuality, and was given early retirement by the then defence minister Manfred Wörner (CDU).The affair had significant consequences for the service: the commander was removed, and a commission was set up under the former minister of the interior Hermann Höcherl (CSU) which investigated the way in which the MAD operated, and made recommendations for improvement which were implemented speedily.After the former East German armed forces, the NVA (the National People's Army), was incorporated into the Bundeswehr in October 1990, the MAD had 7 groups and 28 regional offices.[8] In the annual report 2020 MAD mentioned that the COVID-19 pandemic is being used by intelligence services of foreign countries to influence public opinion in FRG.