Intelligence and the business with terror

Symbolic image: encryption, Internet data protection

Who’s financing, planning and commissioning terror attacks in Europe? This investigative documentary follows a trail that leads to Pakistan’s intelligence service, the ISI, which seems not only to fight terror, but sponsor it as well

Where do Islamist terrorists find their backing? Most of those who have carried out attacks in Europe were subsequently found to be lone wolves or member of small, independent cells. Award-winning author Daniel Harrich, however, has decided to take a deeper look at the incidents.

Leads take him to Brussels, Madrid and London, and to an organisation called Lashkar-e-Taiba, or the "Army of the Righteous". It was founded by, and is closely linked to, the Pakistani intelligence service, ISI. Harrich’s probe uncovered those who were pulling the strings behind many attacks.

They are ISI officers, who often work in co-operation with and receive money from their German, French and U.S. secret service counterparts. The filmmakers observe that when the fear of new attacks grows in the West, the more money it sends to its partners in Pakistan. And the more money these partners have, the more terrorist attacks are carried out.

"The Business with Terror" probes ISI’s role as a sponsor of terrorism and asks: where do we draw the line in co-operating with partner intelligence services?